VUE Magazine, September 2011

vue

the magazine of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association

SEPTEM BER 2011

A Renaissance

Story

From Practitioner to Professional via Certification In Conversation with Mike Henry of Diageo Canada

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40033932

Dare to Compare: The Landmines of Comparative Advertising Our Future Is Calling Do You Hear?

La relève nous parle Écoutons-la!

SEPTEMBER 2011

vue VUE MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY THE MARKETING RESEARCH AND INTELLIGENCE ASSOCIATION TEN TIMES A YEAR

Cover: Story Musgrave In this month’s features: (L to R) Don Mills, Barry Watson, Mike Henry, Ruth M. Corbin

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STORY MUSGRAVE INTERVIEW Former NASA astronaut Story Musgrave talks about the many spectacular achievements in a life that has taken him from farm kid to doctor to designer of the Hubble telescope to video producer and market researcher.

by David Hamburg

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FROM PRACTITIONER TO PROFESSIONAL VIA CERTIFICATION Two prominent leaders in the marketing research industry – seasoned and dedicated professionals who understand the value of professional certification – tell us how our association can attract greater support for CMRP certification from our industry leaders and move forward in our professional evolution.

by Jeannette Bellerose

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IN CONVERSATION WITH MIKE HENRY, THE DIRECTOR OF CONSUMER PLANNING & MARKETING DIRECTOR AT DIAGEO CANADA Mike Henry talks about his unique and exciting combination of roles at Diagio: “Being able to step into pure brand marketing as a director of the Refreshment Drink portfolio while continuing as the director of Consumer Planning – it’s the best of both worlds.”

by Shane Skillen DARE TO COMPARE: THE LANDMINES OF COMPARATIVE ADVERTISING PART 1 Comparative advertising – promotion of an advertiser’s product or service as being superior to that of a competitor – is perfectly legal, frequently desirable, and often effective. But there are rules of the game and a number of serious pitfalls to be avoided.

Part 1 of 3

by Ruth M. Corbin, CMRP and Samantha Schreiber OUR FUTURE IS CALLING: DO YOU HEAR? What do three recent anglophone graduates, and new members of MRIA, have to tell us about the marketing research industry and our national association? And how do their views impact our future directions?

by Fergus W. Gamble LA RELÈVE NOUS PARLE. ÉCOUTONS-LA! Lors du congrès annuel de l’ARIM en mai dernier, l’appel a été lancé aux membres de faire connaître l’industrie aux étudiants et à la population en général. Qu’est-ce qui attire les jeunes professionnels dans notre industrie? Qu’attendent-ils d’une carrière en recherche marketing et de notre association? par Jeannette Bellerose

COMMENTARY 4 6 10

Editor’s Vue President’s Letter Message from the Executive Director

INDUSTRY NEWS 32

People and Companies in the News

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 35 36

Stupid Answers Aren’t Easy The Future of the CMRP

COLUMNISTS 37 37 37 38 38

CSRC Qualitas QRD The Innovation Accelerator RAC

ADDRESS The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association L’Association de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing 2600 Skymark Avenue, Bldg. 4, Unit 104 Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5B2 Tel: (905) 602-6854 Toll Free: 1-888-602-MRIA (6742) Fax: (905) 602-6855 Email: vue@mria-arim.ca Website: www.mria-arim.ca PRODUCTION: LAYOUT/DESIGN LS Graphics Tel: (905) 743-0402, Toll Free: 1-800-400-8253 Fax: (905) 728-3931 Email: info@lsgraphics.com CONTACTS CHAIR, PUBLICATIONS Stephen Popiel, PhD, CMRP Tel: (416) 271-8454 stephen.popiel@hotspex.ca EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Hamburg, Hamburg Consulting (514) 748-1827 david.hamburg@sympatico.ca MANAGING EDITOR Anne Marie Gabriel, MRIA amgabriel@mria-arim.ca ASSOCIATE EDITORS Kevin Hare kevin.hare@rci.rogers.com Claire Bazley cbazley@indigo.ca COPY EDITORS Siegfried Betterman Margaret Burkhardt 2011 ADVERTISING RATES Frequent advertisers receive discounts. Details can be found by going to: www.mria-arim.ca/advertising/vue.asp Please email vue@mria-arim.ca to book your ad.

The deadline for notice of advertising is the first of the previous month.

All advertising material must be at the MRIA office on the 5th of the month.

Original articles and Letters to the Editor are welcome. Materials will be reviewed by the Vue Editorial Team. If accepted for publication, they may be edited for length or clarity and placed in the electronic archives on the MRIA website.

The opinions and conclusions expressed in Vue are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association.

Publishing Date: September, 2011 © 2011.

All rights reserved. Copyright rests with the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association or the author.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association or the author.

All requests for permission for reproduction must be submitted to MRIA at publications@mria-arim.ca.

RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association L’Association de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing 2600 Skymark Avenue, Bldg 4, Unit 104, Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5B2 Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40033932 ISSN 1488-7320

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Editor’s Vue David Hamburg

It’s back to school already, and I haven’t even got around to planting flowers in my garden. In any case, we hope that after reading this month’s special education issue, you’ll get a few ideas about developing your career further, through the CMRP program.

Jeannette Bellerose, dean of MRIA’s Institute for Professional Development, has written bilingual articles extolling the value of the CMRP designation for a career in market research. She is particularly interested in attracting up-and-coming professionals pursuing a career in our industry.

While we’re on the topic of emerging market research professionals, Fergus Gamble, president of Radix Market Research and chair of the Professional Development and Certification portfolio, interviews three young MR practitioners, giving us the insight we need to better understand their perspectives.

Vue welcomes back Hotspex president Shane Skillen as a feature interviewer, with his lively conversation with Diageo Canada director Mike Henry. A lot of ground is covered in this concise piece, from fun and games in surveys to industry challenges.

And in the first of a three-part series, Ruth Corbin, adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall and CEO of CorbinPartners Inc., navigates the dangerous waters of comparative advertising, highlighting its benefits and pitfalls.

Wrapping up our September issue is a very special interview with modern Renaissance man Dr. Story Musgrave. Talk about high achievers: seven university degrees (including medicine), veteran astronaut, Hubble Space Telescope designer, Disney imagineer, family man – and that’s just scratching the surface.

Suffice it to say that a discussion with Story Musgrave is about as good an education in life as it gets. Who knows: Maybe it will inspire some readers to also reach for the stars.

Until next month.

C’est déjà le retour à l’école, et je n’ai même pas encore planté les fleurs dans mon jardin. En tout cas, nous espérons qu’après avoir lu le numéro spécial de ce mois-ci sur la formation, vous aurez quelques idées sur la façon de développer davantage votre carrière par l’entremise du programme de désignation de PARM. Jeannette Bellerose, doyenne de l’Institut de développement professionnel de l’ARIM, a écrit des articles bilingues louant la valeur de la désignation de PARM pour une carrière en recherche marketing. Elle s’intéresse en particulier aux nouveaux professionnels poursuivant une carrière dans notre industrie.

Dans le même ordre d’idée que cette question des nouveaux professionnels de la recherche marketing, Fergus Gamble, président de Radix Market Research et directeur du Portefeuille du développement professionnel et de l'accréditation, nous présente des entrevues avec trois jeunes praticiens de la RM qui nous offrent des points de vue dont nous avons besoin pour mieux les comprendre.

Vue accueille de nouveau le président de Hotspex, Shane Skillen, dans l’article fond où il fait part d’un échange animé avec Mike Henry, directeur de Diageo Canada. Il couvre beaucoup de terrain dans cet article concis, du plaisir et des divertissements inhérents aux sondages aux défis que l’industrie doit surmonter.

De plus, dans la première d’une série de trois articles, Ruth Corbin, professeure auxiliaire à Osgoode Hall et chef de la direction de CorbinPartners Inc., navigue dans les eaux dangereuses de la publicité comparative en soulignant ses avantages et embûches.

Pour conclure notre numéro de septembre, nous vous offrons une entrevue très spéciale avec un esprit universel moderne, le Dr Story Musgrave. En voilà une performance exceptionnelle : six diplômes universitaires, dont un en médecine, ancien astronaute, concepteur du télescope spatial Hubble, imagénieur chez Disney, et homme qui aime la vie de famille – et on n’a qu’effleuré la surface. Il suffit de dire qu’une discussion avec Story Musgrave est une des meilleures formations sur la vie qu’on peut avoir. Qui sait : peut-être que l’entrevue inspirera les lecteurs à viser eux aussi les étoiles.

Au mois prochain.

David Hamburg, Market Research Consultant, Hamburg Consulting Editor-in-Chief, Vue / Rédacteur en chef, Vue Email: david.hamburg@sympatico.ca • (514) 748-1827 • david_hamburg

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Letter from the President Kimberlee Niziol Jonas

Inter-Association Liaison Feeds “Advancement of the Practice” Strategic Goal

Les liens inter-associations alimentent notre stratégie d’avancement de la pratique

One of MRIA’s four strategic goals is advancement of the practice, which our strategic plan defines as “facilitating the development and sharing of new and innovative approaches to marketing research and market intelligence, and fostering excellence in the management of research organizations and research functions.”

Much of the information and know-how enabling MRIA to achieve this goal comes about through liaison with sister marketing research industry associations around the world.

That’s why, in 2008, the MRIA national board created a formal Inter-Association Liaison portfolio to help us

Un des quatre buts stratégiques de l’ARIM est l’avancement de la pratique, défini dans notre plan stratégique comme visant à « faciliter le développement et le partage de nouvelles approches novatrices à la recherche et à l’intelligence marketing, et à favoriser l’excellence dans la gestion des organismes et des fonctions de recherche. » Une grande partie des renseignements et de l’expertise qui permettent à l’ARIM d’atteindre ses buts proviennent de ses liens avec des associations sœurs dans l’industrie de la recherche marketing partout dans le monde.

C’est pour cette raison que le conseil d’administration national de l’ARIM a officiellement créé le portefeuille de la liaison inter-association en 2008 comme effet multiplicateur de nos relations avec l’ESOMAR, le Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO), la Marketing Research Association (MRA) aux États-Unis, la Marketing Research Society en G.-B., la Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), SYNTEC en France, l’Association of Marketing and Social Research Organisations, de même que l’Australian Marketing and Social Research Society (AMSRS) aux antipodes, et plusieurs autres associations professionnelles, dont celles de l’Amérique centrale et l’Amérique du Sud. Les rôles du portefeuille de la liaison inter-association comprennent l’élaboration d’un plan annuel d’activités de liaison inter-association qui définit ce que nous comptons retirer de nos relations : • le suivi et la coordination des contacts pour nos liaisons afin d’assurer qu’ils correspondent aux organisations appropriées, que le format est bien défini (p. ex. liaison en personne ou par courriel ou téléphone), que la fréquence est adéquate, et que les liens se font avec les bons représentants de l’ARIM;

While MRIA has contributed from its experience and shared best practices with sister associations in several key areas, we have also gained much insight. leverage our relationships with ESOMAR; the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO); the Marketing Research Association (MRA) in the U.S.; the Marketing Research Society in the U.K.; the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA); SYNTEC in France; the Association of Marketing and Social Research Organisations as well as the Australian Marketing and Social Research Society (AMSRS) down under; and several other industry associations, including those in Central and South America.

The roles of the Inter-Association Liaison portfolio include • developing an annual plan for inter-association liaison activity, which defines what we expect to contribute and gain from our relationships 6

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• monitoring and coordinating our liaison contacts to ensure that they are with the right organizations, in the right form (e.g., face-to-face vs. email or telephone liaison) at the right frequency, and with the right MRIA representatives • communicating information and insights gained from inter-association liaison to other MRIA leaders and ultimately to members-at-large, in a timely and effective manner.

While MRIA has contributed from its experience and shared best practices with sister associations in several key areas – particularly certification and self-regulatory mechanisms – we have also gained much insight in the areas of standards, emerging technologies, new research methodologies, optimal governance, and best operating procedures. And by attending sister associations’ conferences, we’ve experienced first-hand a number of outstanding speakers and presenters, whom we’ve subsequently recruited to work their magic at an MRIA conference, course or event.

In an exciting recent development, MRIA last year became one of the founding members of an international consortium of marketing research industry associations: the Americas Research Industry Alliance (ARIA). The mission of ARIA is to support and improve the business and integrity of marketing, opinion, and social research in the Americas through collaborative effort and mutual support.

The organization’s current membership includes the national associations for research businesses in nine countries in North and South America: Canada, Mexico, and the United States in North America; and Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay in South America. These countries together represent about 36 per cent of the global research industry, or US$11.5 billion.

• la communication des perspectives et des renseignements obtenus des liaisons inter-associations avec d’autres leaders de l’ARIM et, au bout du compte, à l’ensemble des membres en temps opportun et d’une manière efficace.

D’une part, l’ARIM a contribué à cette expérience et partagé des pratiques exemplaires avec ses associations sœurs dans plusieurs domaines clés – notamment ceux de l’accréditation et des méthodes d’autoréglementation – et, d’autre part, nous avons bénéficié de perspectives étendues dans les domaines des normes, des nouvelles technologies, des nouvelles méthodes de recherche, de la gouvernance et des procédures de fonctionnement optimales. De plus, en participant aux conférences de nos associations sœurs, nous avons fait la connaissance de conférenciers et de présentateurs hors pair que nous avons subséquemment recrutés pour appliquer leur magie à des conférences, cours ou événements de l’ARIM. Un développement récent fort stimulant est le fait que l’ARIM est devenue l’an dernier un des membres fondateurs d’un consortium international d’associations de l’industrie de la recherche marketing, l’Americas Research Industry Alliance (ARIA). La mission de l’ARIA consiste à appuyer et améliorer le commerce et l’intégrité de la recherche marketing, sociale et sur l’opinion dans les Amériques au moyen d’efforts de collaboration et de soutien mutuel. Les membres actuels de l’organisation comprennent des associations nationales d’entreprises de recherche dans neuf pays de l’Amérique du Nord et du Sud : le Canada, le Mexique et les États-Unis en Amérique du Nord, et l’Argentine, le Brésil, le Chili, la Colombie, le Pérou et l’Uruguay en Amérique du Sud. Ensemble, ces pays représentent environ 36 % de l’industrie de la recherche mondiale, ou 11,5 milliards de dollars US. Les associations d’entreprises de recherche dans les Amériques ont des buts communs :

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The research business associations in the Americas share a common interest in

• promouvoir des normes d’éthique et de qualité en recherche;

• promoting ethical and quality standards in research

• favoriser les possibilités de formation et de développement de carrière au sein des entreprises de recherche;

• fostering educational opportunities and career development in research businesses • ensuring a credible and positive image of the research industry, distinct from direct marketing, sales, and advertising • advancing the research business among and across the Americas.

Therefore, the research business associations in the Americas came together to establish ARIA in order to support the growth of the Americas’ survey research industry; development of client and public confidence in market, opinion and social research; and continued industry self-regulation.

ARIA is focusing on a number of major issues. Among them are standards and guidelines, education, selfregulation, business management and development, emerging technologies, and relationships with clients and research participants.

So, as we go forward and MRIA renews its strategic plan for 2012–14, this fall, I’m confident that before my presidential term is up next March, I’ll be able to share with you some further concrete examples of how interassociation liaison, and ARIA in particular, have contributed to the achievement of our goals.

Kimberlee Niziol Jonas Market Research Manager GlaxoSmithKline kimberlee.a.nizioljonas@gsk.com (905) 814-3500

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• présenter une image crédible et positive de l’industrie de la recherche, distincte du marketing direct, des ventes et de la publicité; • faire progresser les activités commerciales de la recherche au sein des pays des Amériques et entre eux.

Par conséquent, les associations d’entreprises de recherche des Amériques se sont réunies pour établir l’ARIA afin d’appuyer la croissance de l’industrie de la recherchesondage, le développement de la confiance des clients et du public dans la recherche marketing, sociale et d’opinion, et la poursuite de l’autoréglementation de l’industrie dans l’ensemble des Amériques.

L’ARIA se concentre sur plusieurs enjeux majeurs. Il s’agit, entre autres, des normes et directives, de la formation, de l’autoréglementation, de la gestion et du développement des affaires, des nouvelles technologies, et des relations avec les clients et participants à la recherche.

Donc, pendant que nous allons de l’avant, l’ARIM renouvellera cet automne son plan stratégique pour 20122014 et je suis persuadée qu’avant la fin de mon mandat à la présidence en mars, je pourrai partager avec vous d’autres exemples concrets de la façon dont les liens interassociations, et l’ARIA en particulier, contribuent à l’atteinte de nos buts.

Kimberlee Niziol Jonas Directrice de la recherche marketing GlaxoSmithKline kimberlee.a.nizioljonas@gsk.com (905) 814-3500

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Message from the Executive Director Brendan Wycks

2010 Annual Financial Activity Survey Reveals Decent Recovery from Lows of 2009 but Wide Divergences in Billings and Profitability Based on Size of Firm The results of MRIA’s most recent Annual Financial Activity Survey indicate that 2010 was generally a good year for marketing, survey and public opinion research, and market intelligence activity in Canada. The industry recovered well from the global financial crisis and recession-induced decline it suffered in 2009.

In 2010, total gross billings for the industry were up by 5.2% from 2009, to $758 million. Total net billings increased by 10% over the prior year, to $684 million.

Yet despite the generally positive turnaround last year – evidenced by the fact that the industry overall enjoyed significant profitability growth of 80.5% in 2010 – there were wide divergences in billings and profitability based on size of firm: • firms with billings of less than $100,000 saw their billings decline by 64%, on average, from 2009 • firms with billings of between $100,000 and $250,000 saw their billings decline by 37% • those with billings of between $250,000 and $500,000 saw their billings decline by 36% • those with billings of between $500,000 and $1 million saw their billings increase by 19% • looking at Gold Seal Agencies alone, those with billings of less than $1 million saw their profitability decline by 354% • firms with billings of between $1 and $3 million saw their billings increase by 4%, but Gold Seal Agencies in this range saw profitability decline by 28% • firms with billings of between $3 and $8 million saw their billings increase by 14%, but Gold Seal Agencies in this range saw profitability decline by 8% • firms with billings of between $8 and $15 million saw their billings increase by 36%, but Gold Seal Agencies in this range increased profitability by 24% 10

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Le sondage annuel de l’ARIM sur la santé financière en 2010 révèle une reprise honnête depuis les bas de 2009, mais de grandes divergences dans la facturation et la rentabilité selon la taille des firmes Les résultats du plus récent sondage annuelle de l’ARIM sur la santé financière indiquent que 2010 a été en grande partie une bonne année pour la recherche marketing, d’opinion et sondage et pour les activités d’intelligence marketing au Canada.

L’industrie s’est bien rétablie de la crise financière mondiale et du recul causé par la récession en 2009.

En 2010, la facturation brute de l’industrie a augmenté de 5,2 % par rapport à 2009, pour atteindre 758 millions de dollars.

Le total de la facturation nette a augmenté de 10 % comparativement à l’année précédente, à 684 millions de dollars.

Cependant, malgré un revirement plutôt positif l’an dernier – dont la preuve est que l’industrie dans son ensemble a joui d’une croissance de rentabilité significative de 80,5 % en 2010 – il y avait de grandes divergences dans la facturation et la rentabilité selon la taille des firmes : • les firmes dont la facturation était de moins de 100 000 $ ont accusé en moyenne une chute de 64 % de leur facturation comparativement à 2009; • les firmes dont la facturation était entre 100 000 $ et 250 000 $ ont accusé une chute 37 % de leur facturation; • celles dont la facturation était entre 250 000 $ et 500 000 $ ont accusé une chute 36 % de leur facturation; • celles dont la facturation était entre 500 000 $ et 1 million de dollars ont enregistré une croissance de 19 % de leur facturation; • si on regarde uniquement les sociétés Sceau d’or, celles dont la facturation était de moins de 1 million de dollars ont accusé une chute de 354 % de leur rentabilité; • les firmes dont la facturation était entre 1 et 3 millions de dollars ont connu une croissance de 4 % de leur facturation, alors que la rentabilité des sociétés Sceau d’or dans la même échelle a chuté de 28 %; • les firmes dont la facturation était entre 3 et 8 millions de dollars ont connu une croissance de 14 % de leur facturation, mais la rentabilité des sociétés Sceau d’or dans la même échelle a chuté de 8 %;

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• firms with billings of greater than $15 million saw their billings decrease by 5%, yet Gold Seal Agencies in this range increased profitability by 554%.

• les firmes dont la facturation était entre 8 et 15 millions de dollars ont connu une croissance de 36 % de leur facturation, alors que la rentabilité des sociétés Sceau d’or dans la même échelle a augmenté de 24 %;

Other Interesting Insights

• les firmes dont la facturation était de plus de 15 millions de dollars ont accusé une chute de 5 % de leur facturation; par contre, la rentabilité des sociétés Sceaux d’or dans la même échelle s’est accrue de 554 %.

It would appear that, in 2010, the tier of the largest Gold Seal Agencies reaped the profitability benefits of earlier cost-cutting measures.

The focus of the industry’s studies remained relatively stable last year, although consumer packaged goods enjoyed a strong increase.

In 2010, qualitative research studies flourished. There was also a marked increase in projects done using “other” methodologies, underscoring the changing dynamics of our industry and the emergence of social media research.

It would appear that, in 2010, the tier of the largest Gold Seal Agencies reaped the profitability benefits of earlier cost-cutting measures.

While quantitative research dipped slightly in the industry’s overall mix, online research continued to increase its dominant share of the market, rising to 42% last year from 39% in 2009.

The industry’s growth was fuelled by research commissioned from outside Canada. Research from within Canada actually declined, primarily in Ontario. But on a more favourable note, Quebec experienced a major boost after being hard hit in 2009, rising to 15.5% of the overall national market, up from 10.2% the previous year.

And in response to challenging business and economic conditions, fewer actions were taken in 2010 as compared to 2009. Although a focus on cost-cutting remained in place last year – likely contributing to the dramatic increase in profitability among larger firms – there was a sharply reduced focus on “reducing headcount.”

D’autres perspectives intéressantes

Il semble qu’en 2010, les plus grandes sociétés Sceau d’or ont récolté des bénéfices en rentabilité découlant des mesures de compression qu’elles ont prises auparavant.

Les études axées sur l’industrie l’an dernier sont demeurées relativement stables, alors que celles sur les biens de consommation emballés ont enregistré une forte croissance.

En 2010, les études de recherche qualitative étaient en plein essor. Il y a également eu une croissance importante des projets se fondant sur « d’autres » méthodologies, mettant ainsi l’accent sur le changement des dynamiques au sein de notre industrie et l’émergence de l’utilisation des médias sociaux à des fins de recherche.

Bien que la recherche quantitative ait connu une légère baisse dans l’ensemble des activités de l’industrie, la recherche en ligne continue d’accroître sa part dominante du marché, atteignant 42 % l’an dernier, par rapport à 39 % en 2009.

La croissance de l’industrie était alimentée par la recherche commandée à l’extérieur du Canada. La recherche à l’intérieur du Canada a en fait chuté, surtout en Ontario. Par contre, sur une note plus positive, le Québec a connu une poussée importante après avoir été durement touché en 2009, atteignant 15,5 % du marché national total, une hausse de 10,2 % par rapport à l’année précédente.

Par ailleurs, en réaction aux conditions commerciales et économiques difficiles, moins d’actions ont été entreprises en 2010 par rapport à 2009. Bien que l’accent sur la compression se soit poursuivi l’an dernier – contribuant sans doute à la croissance spectaculaire de la rentabilité des plus grandes firmes – l’accent sur la « réduction des effectifs » a été grandement réduit.

Quant aux prévisions du rendement des entreprises en 2011, l’industrie se montre prudente par rapport aux perspectives de facturation et de rentabilité, malgré une reprise plutôt positive en 2010. Bien que la plupart des répondants prévoient que la facturation et la rentabilité augmenteront en 2011, leurs vue September 2011

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With respect to forecasting business performance for 2011, the industry has a cautious outlook for billings and profits, despite the relatively healthy rebound in 2010. While most respondents anticipate that billings and profits will increase in 2011, their expectations are modest and not as rosy as were their forecasts for 2010, a year ago.

The board of the Research Agency Council conducts the Annual Financial Activity Survey among Corporate Research Agency Members, both Gold Seal and Basic. Basic Research Agencies receive an abbreviated version of the survey, since some of the questions in the full survey are not applicable to them. They also receive an abbreviated version of the results report. For Gold Seal Agency Members, the results report includes detailed information regarding industry salary and benefit levels across a comprehensive range of positions.

Having access to this report is a member benefit.

Participation in the survey is a mandatory condition of Gold Seal Agency Membership.

Not only is the information garnered through the Annual Financial Activity Survey valuable to participating research agencies for tracking industry trends and developments, but it’s also of interest to outside parties (e.g., ESOMAR, the media) that frequently approach MRIA for data on the size and direction of the Canadian industry.

The survey is managed by the MRIA office and is overseen by the executive director to ensure that all individual agency data are kept strictly confidential. Tabulation is done by an independent, third party tabulator who receives the data without any identifying company information. The results report provides aggregated information only.

The Annual Financial Activity Survey works hand-in-glove with MRIA’s monthly revenue report for Gold Seal Agencies, a process for tracking current business activity in the industry.

Currently, 53 Gold Seal Agencies (60% of the total) participate in the voluntary monthly revenue report. They are made constantly aware of the aggregate revenue trends in our industry and can better assess the performance of their own organization in the context of the broader economy.

For MRIA’s 2011 Annual Financial Activity Survey, to be launched in early March of 2012, we encourage all marketing research firms in Canada, large and small, to participate.

When you do, you will be helping to provide the most accurate and timely depiction of the health of the Canadian marketing, survey and public opinion research, and market intelligence industry.

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attentes sont mesurées et moins optimistes que lors de leurs prévisions pour 2010 il y a un an.

Le conseil d’administration du Conseil des agences de recherches de l’ARIM effectue le sondage sur la santé financière auprès des sociétés recherche membres corporatifs Sceau d’or et de base. Les sociétés de recherche de base reçoivent une version abrégée du sondage puisque certaines questions dans l’ensemble du sondage ne s’appliquent pas à elles. Elles reçoivent également une version abrégée des résultats du rapport. Quant aux sociétés de recherche Sceau d’or, le rapport qu’elles reçoivent contient des renseignements sur les niveaux des salaires et des avantages sociaux d’une gamme exhaustive de postes au sein de l’industrie.

L’accès à ce rapport est un avantage offert aux membres. La participation à ce sondage est une condition obligatoire de l’adhésion des sociétés Sceau d’or.

Les renseignements recueillis lors du sondage annuel de l’ARIM sur la santé financière sont non seulement utiles aux sociétés de recherche participantes pour faire le suivi des tendances et des développements au sein de l’industrie, ils intéressent aussi des organismes externes (p. ex. ESOMAR, les médias) qui approchent souvent l’ARIM pour obtenir des données sur la taille et l’orientation de notre industrie au Canada.

Le sondage est administré au bureau de l’ARIM et surveillé par le directeur général afin d’assurer que toutes les données individuelles des sociétés demeurent absolument confidentielles.

Les tableaux de données sont dressés par une tierce partie indépendante spécialisée en tabulation qui reçoit les données sans aucun renseignement identifiant les sociétés. Le rapport des résultats présente uniquement des renseignements globaux.

Ce sondage de l’ARIM sur la santé financière va de pair avec les rapports mensuels de l’ARIM sur les recettes destinés aux sociétés Sceau d’or qui est un processus de suivi des activités commerciales courantes au sein de l’industrie. Présentement, 53 sociétés Sceau d’or (60 % du total) participent volontairement à ces rapports sur les recettes mensuelles. Elles sont constamment tenues au courant des tendances globales des recettes de notre industrie et peuvent mieux évaluer le rendement de leur propre organisation dans un contexte plus large de l’économie.

Nous encourageons toutes les sociétés de recherche marketing, petites et grandes, au Canada à participer au sondage 2011 sur la santé financière de l’industrie commençant au début de mars 2012. Si vous le faites, vous aiderez à produire la description la plus précise et opportune de la santé de l’industrie de la recherche marketing, d’opinion publique et sondage, ainsi que de l’intelligence marketing au Canada.

CO M M E N TARY / COMMENTAIRE

The accompanying table provides a summary of the key findings of the 2010 Financial Activity Survey.

Le tableau suivant offre un sommaire de principales conclusions du sondage sur les activités financières en 2010.

Among all firms:

L’ensemble des firmes:

Percentage of gross industry billings in 2010 (vs. 2009 percentage)

Pourcentage de la facturation brute de l’industrie en 2010 (vs le pourcentage de 2009)

Sociétés Sceau d’or Sociétés qui ne sont pas Sceau d’or

72 % (76 %) 28 (24)

Recherche interentreprise Recherche qualitative Sous-traitance à d’autres firmes de RM canadiennes Affaires découlant de clients à l’extérieur du Canada

18 (18) 12 (10) 10 (15) 18 (15)

19 (14) 16 (15) 11 (12) 10 (11)

Les clients les plus importants de l’industrie : Biens de consommation emballés Services financiers Médias Sondage / politiques gouvernementales

19 (14) 16 (15) 11 (12) 10 (11)

Among Gold Seal Member Agencies: Data collection: Online research Telephone research Mail

42 (39) 30 (34) 5 (7)

Parmi les sociétés membres Sceau d’or : Cueillette de données : Recherche en ligne Recherche par téléphone Courrier

42 (39) 30 (34) 5 (7)

Most common types of studies: Customer satisfaction research/CSM Tracking studies Usage & attitude studies Public opinion

23 (20) 13 (12) 10 (9) 10 (7)

Les types d’études les plus courants : Sur la satisfaction de la clientèle/MSC Études de suivi Études sur l’utilisation et les attitudes Opinion publique

23 (20) 13 (12) 10 (9) 10 (7)

Client sector: Private Public/not-for-profit

74 (74) 26 (26)

Secteur de la clientèle : Privé Public / à but non lucratif

74 (74) 26 (26)

Gold Seal firms Non-Gold Seal firms

72% (76%) 28 (24)

B2B research Qualitative research Sub-contracted to other Canadian MR firms Business conducted for clients outside Canada

18 (18) 12 (10) 10 (15) 18 (15)

Largest client industries: Consumer packaged goods Financial services Media Public policy/polling

Brendan Wycks, BA, MBA, CAE Executive Director Marketing Research and Intelligence Association bwycks@mria-arim.ca (905) 602-6854 ext. 8724

Brendan Wycks, BA, MBA, CAE Directeur général L’ Association de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing bwycks@mria-arim.ca (905) 602-6854 poste 8724 vue September 2011

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Story Musgrave Interview Former NASA astronaut Story Musgrave talks about the many spectacular achievements in a life that has taken him from farm kid to doctor to designer of the Hubble telescope to video producer and market researcher.

By David Hamburg

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Franklin Story Musgrave was born on August 19, 1935, on a dairy farm in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He was in the forests alone at three years old, and by five he was floating his homebuilt rafts on the rivers. He rode combines at that age, drove trucks and tractors at ten and was repairing them by thirteen, alone in remote fields.

Story never finished school. He ran off to Korea with the U.S. Marines, where he was an aircraft electrician and an engine mechanic. He started flying with the Marines and, over the next 55 years, accumulated 18,000 hours of flying time in over 160 aircraft. He is also a parachutist, with over 800 freefalls. He has seven graduate degrees – in mathematics, computers, chemistry, medicine, physiology, literature and psychology. He has been awarded twenty honorary doctorates and was a part-time trauma surgeon during his thirty-year career as a NASA astronaut.

Story flew on six space flights with NASA. He performed the first shuttle spacewalk, on Challenger’s maiden flight, was a pilot on an astronomy mission, conducted two classified

Sounds to me like it’s an exploration of life.

True, but that still does not answer your question. That’s the result of it: exploration of one playing field after another, following either curiosity, passion or excitement – that’s all about what it is. But I still didn’t answer your question: “Where does this all come from?”

What led you from medicine to become an astronaut, one who has participated in six space missions, including repairing the Hubble telescope?

Understand that there was no “space” when I was a kid. I didn’t have that opportunity, so I didn’t have that aspiration. I also got involved in medicine by understanding computers: I knew how to program them, how they worked, the hardware. And I was good at that, but I didn’t know how the brain performs the same functions. So I went into medicine. Curiosity is a fork in the road and medical researchers take forks in the road all the time. Okay, so you understand computers now, but how does the brain work?

It’s fascinating. There aren’t any vacuum tubes in their head,

The story of how I became an astronaut is actually quite simple. I applied to a bulletin board posting: an opportunity arose, and I took it.

Department of Defence missions, was the lead spacewalker on the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission and, on his last flight, operated an electronic chip manufacturing satellite on Columbia.

Today, he operates a palm farm in Orlando, Florida, a video production company in Sydney, Australia, and a sculpture company in Burbank, California. He is also a landscape architect, a conceptual artist with Walt Disney Imagineering, an innovator with Applied Minds Inc., and a professor of design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Story also performs multimedia presentations on topics such as vision, leadership, motivation, safety, quality, innovation, creativity, design, simplicity, beauty and ecology.

so how does it work? They think they know something about it – which they don’t. But at least you leap off to learn what is known.

But getting back to space: Kids today can have the aspiration to go there, but in my day I couldn’t, because there was no space. I was in graduate school when Sputnik went up. And so, all of a sudden, it comes on the scene, but that’s late in my life – I was 29. Still, I set my sights on going into space. But the story of how I became an astronaut is actually quite simple. I applied to a bulletin board posting: an opportunity arose, and I took it.

Story Musgrave, your accomplishments are so outstanding and cut across so many fields – medicine, science, arts, business and space. What drives you to achieve all this? What is your motivation in life?

Elation. That was pure joy.

I’m not sure. I’ve been trying to answer that question myself for 76 years. It’s a quest, but that’s not the answer as to where it comes from. It’s a search, it’s an exploration, it’s the adventure, and it’s a playing field. I’m here right now playing with my five-year-old daughter; that’s part of the story too. In fact, her name is Little Story.

That’s a totally different feeling. It was an epiphany; the rest of it is just a lot of details. It was an epiphanal fork in the road, where I said to myself, “I can do that. I have that opportunity now.” It was an incredible moment when Alan Shepard called me and asked if I wanted to come to work for NASA. I stayed for thirty years, longer than anybody in history.

What did you feel when you found out that you were accepted into the space program?

And how does that compare to when you finally went into space, six times?

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It must require a lot of discipline to stay in that kind of a program for three decades.

I didn’t find that it took any discipline; it was just about details. It’s just about doing it right. I suppose it does take discipline on a playing field. In each field, you have to follow the rules. That’s all they teach: Follow the rules. I get in with different playing fields; I’m a tree surgeon now. Get on the field, scope out the rules, and find out what you have to know to meet the world’s expectations.

Have you ever slowed down during your long and illustrious career?

Not yet.

What’s a typical day for you?

Well, today I worked on my landscape company; I operated big equipment, worked close to fifteen acres. I was out with a chainsaw for a few hours. Then I went home and did some work on my appearances, and then I played with my five-year-old daughter.

humans like to make categories and labels. Both sides are coming together again. Just like with Descartes who split up the mind and the body: we’ve been trying to get them back together again for over a hundred years.

I guess that’s true in today’s world. Look at the giants of technology, like Steve Jobs; he’s both creative and technical.

Sure. He’s probably more artistic than technical, if you get right down to it. That guy’s a genius in his own special way.

How would things have been different for you if you had been born into this high-tech age?

Well, I’m in this age of technology right now. I’m looking at five computer screens in front of me; I’m in it. All my presentations and teachings are technologically based. Look at my little daughter – she got an iPad and iPhone at the age of four. She works them both at the same time. She doesn’t know the difference. She’s been raised that way: she’s been bilingual in Spanish and English since the age of two.

How important is discipline in terms of attaining success?

Sounds like you lead a very balanced life.

I’m not sure it’s balanced; in fact, I would say it’s a little excessive.

Are you still challenging yourself to new heights?

Of course, I’m always reinventing myself. I teach courses these days, mostly at the corporate level.

Do you still practise medicine?

No. For how long did you practise medicine?

Between 25 and 30 years. Until I got a bad case of frostbite, and it put my surgery career down. But I would’ve stopped doing it anyways; it doesn’t fit now in my current lifestyle.

We’ve talked a bit about the scientific part of your life, but there’s also an artistic one as well. There’s your work with Disney.

My work is mostly creative these days. I’ve chosen that just because it’s fun. At this point, I’m fully employable no matter what I do, so I can choose what I like to do.

They say that there are left brain people and right brain people. But usually people are not able to be both. I’m kind of a right brain person, but those worlds are coming together now. There really aren’t two brains. Sperry split them up, and it was a decent metaphor to think that you had one kind of brain, either creative and artistic or more technical and scientific; but that’s not really holding true anymore. It was kind of a paradigm to help explain the world the way that 16

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It’s probably exceedingly important, but semantically you can call it different things. I call it “attacking the details.”

You’ve got to identify the details that you have to control, down to a certain level, to guarantee that you can stay on the plan. It’s what I teach all the time: that we become reliable. Here’s the plan – how to get to the end? It’s the same as our mission control. We’ve got a plan; we go to execute it. Everyone on the job has to learn what they must do. Together as a team, you deal with the details that you have to deal with. It’s that simple. I guess I call that discipline – the level of perfection in dealing with the details.

When you work on a plan, you actually write out the details?

I do the details, whether they are written down or in my head. That’s what I do in life. I designed the Hubble telescope to make it serviceable by a space walker.

Since this is a market research magazine and you have an extensive business background as well, how does market research fit into your work?

I’ve taken a lot of courses in market research; in fact, I have a minor in marketing in my MBA. The research is research; it’s all about paying attention to the details. I think that market research is just like it sounds: understanding your consumer in the marketplace. But if I had one bit of advice for market research, it’s that I think you should look at Apple and Steve Jobs. He did not create products because people needed them; they did not need them. Market research does not lead to an iPod; no one knew what an

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iPod was. You can’t ask people if they want something they don’t know about. You just give it to them. This is critical for marketing. Market research is important, but you also have to understand the radical creativity at Apple. In that kind of creativity, you never ask customers what they want, or you will be led astray.

got to be a nimble little squirrel out there, hauling 480 pounds around in a suit that doesn’t have the flexibility of your own body. The human has a great shoulder joint; a space suit does not have one. And of course you are in a free-fall position out there.

I designed Hubble, and the reason that I got that job was because I’m a farm kid.

How would you compare Microsoft to Apple?

Microsoft is done in a technical, non-creative way. They got on the ground floor of the interface in the technical way, and that’s all that Microsoft has ever done. In fact, what else have they ever done except work the interface between the humans and the hardware? Of course, Apple missed it in the beginning. They didn’t see the currents, that DOS was becoming the standard. Apple was also quite expensive early on and didn’t understand that they were better and, like beta versus VHS, they did not understand the trajectory to becoming the standard. In the end, however, it all worked out, and today Apple has a lot more market value than Microsoft.

We should probably also admire Apple’s persistence, because it had its own patchy spots. Steve Jobs was even thrown out of the company, at one point.

You’ve just got to smile when you think of Steve Jobs. Then he went out and developed Pixar and beat Disney at their own game. He digitized animation, way ahead of Disney.

The man is just unbelievable.

Some would say he’s the Einstein of our generation.

He is, in his own way. He reminds me of Howard Gardner’s book Multiple Intelligences, which I think is a must-read for anyone, especially in the business world. I think it’s a hugely important book, because intelligence is not just StanfordBinet. Brilliance can work in a lot of different ways. For example, I’m very strong in working on my own plan, getting the details right. So there are different forms of brilliance; it is not just your standard Stanford-Binet IQ. That’s not the whole answer. There are a lot of massive-IQ people who cannot tie their own shoes. There’s nothing more disturbing when you see that kind of talent that can’t get it together.

Some people may not have high IQs, but they have brilliance in other ways. I think this is very important to understand: There are a lot of different types of intelligences.

How does the farm kid tie in with designing Hubble?

Put it this way: You take up the piano – at five or fifty. But what’s it like if you’ve never played the piano, and you take it up at fifty? My contention is that you can’t take it up.

You’re going to be mechanical and push those little levers down; that’s as far as you go on the piano. If you take up the piano, however, at a young age, you can be massively successful at it. So I got into mechanics as a kid of about eight or nine; I was driving tractors through a field as a young kid, and by twelve I was keeping the fields going. I was riding the combines and tying the knots, when others could not do it, at five or six years old. The point is that I acquired mechanics when I was getting wired.

But you also must have had a knack for mechanics.

Yes, that’s another important point I was going to tell you about. We all know about the word passion. If you have a passion for things, that in itself will give you the energy to control the details down to the level where you will guarantee success of the outcome. The other thing is to do something that comes easy for you. So my lesson is that you do not say, “I’m not good at this. I’ve got to work on it.”

You absolutely throw away and forget what you’re not good at, because the best you’re going to do is to become mediocre. What you work on is what you’re already fantastic at, because you will push that to a very supreme level. That becomes your handle on life and what you offer to the world. Ultimately, you’ll make a difference in the world, and you’ll get employed by the world. So you work on your strengths, not your weaknesses. It’s all about passion and what comes easy. Sounds like a cop-out but it is not, because you can push that to extraordinary levels.

This interview would not be complete without a space story.

An inspiring point to end the interview. Thank you very much for doing this interview, Story. It’s been an education and ties in nicely with this month’s theme of education.

What was it like out there in space, working on the Hubble?

Great. I’m sorry that I couldn’t answer your first question.

The real heroics were actually on the ground. I designed Hubble to be friendly to a space walker. The spacewalker’s someone who is in a bulky suit, one that is very massive – it doesn’t have weight, but it’s got 480 pounds of mass. You’ve

Well, it’s good to know that even a man with your accomplishments cannot answer everything.

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From Practitioner to Professional via Certification Two prominent leaders in the marketing research industry – seasoned and dedicated professionals who understand the value of professional certification – tell us how our association can attract greater support for CMRP certification from our industry leaders and move forward in our professional evolution.

Don Mills, CMRP

Barry Watson, CMRP

MRIA’s Certified Marketing Research Professional (CMRP) designation is certainly gaining momentum. There has been an average of nineteen writers a year taking the Comprehensive Marketing Research Exam (CMRE) since 2007, and we are witnessing a steady stream of new CMRPs each year as they come on stage to take their bows at the annual conference gala.

What our association has accomplished, and is still accomplishing – to transition marketing research and intelligence services to the level of a recognized and respected profession – is amazing and worthy of pride. Yet too many of us don’t quite appreciate this achievement. Or maybe too many of us take it for granted (like Westerners not fearing infections as much, perhaps, as we should since the discovery of antibiotics, or younger women not understanding the feminist movement) because these paths have already been beaten. Similarly for us, the fact that marketing research service providers (whether or not they belong to MRIA, whether or not they are CMRPs) are respected as professionals can’t possibly be thanks to a few zealots (quote, unquote) who have imposed rules of conduct and certification standards – can it, now?

Arguably, the extent to which the CMRP designation is responsible for the recognition of our profession and the survival of our industry is open to interpretation. However, one thing is certain: a professional designation, in one form or another, is here to stay. Lowering our professional standards or eliminating them is not an option. The 18

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Jeannette Bellerose, CMRP

certification process will likely evolve and morph over time to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the industry.

However, before we can modify and evolve our professional certification process, we need to have strong foundations for it. We’re not there yet. What needs to happen now is to attract greater support of certification from our industry leaders – suppliers and clients – so that we can move forward in our professional evolution.

To help MRIA’s Institute for Professional Development in its mandate, I turned to two prominent industry leaders who fully understand the value of professional certification.

They were present at the inception of MRIA’s certification process, they’ve embraced it, and they are using it to the advantage of their respective organizations. They are pragmatic leaders who acknowledge the limitations of the process but are willing to work with us to improve it, because of their strong commitment to the profession and to the industry.

Chats with Two Industry Leaders

My first conversation was with Don Mills, at the annual conference in Kelowna. Don, a fellow of MRIA, is president and CEO of Corporate Research Associates. He was MRIA’s founding president in 2005, but his involvement in the industry and with certification goes much further back than that. He had been a member of the national board of the Professional Marketing Research Society (PMRS) as well as

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president of the Canadian Association of Marketing Research Organizations (CAMRO) years before their merger to form MRIA. My second conversation was with Barry Watson, PhD, FMRIA, and CEO of Environics Research Group. Barry was president of MRIA in 2007, but his involvement with professional development and certification goes back to his role as CAMRO’s standards chair. He was CAMRO’s president when the professional audit process that grew into the Gold Seal program under MRIA was created. For many years, he taught the ethics and standards course that is now a core requirement for a CMRP. As part of the task force leading up to the creation of MRIA, Barry was fully supportive of the certification for individual practitioners as well as companies.

In the course of these conversations, I learned a great deal, and I’d like to share some of that learning with you.

THEN: Canadian Professional Designation, Leading the World

Both Don and Barry have been active supporters of a professional designation for marketing research practitioners, from the beginning. “The seed of professional certification was planted a long time ago,” Don told me, “and people have been working to establish a program as long as I’ve been in the industry. It took some time to get where we are today, because there was no prototype for it.

We were the first marketing research association to introduce a true professional certification process.

Associations in other countries are patterning their own program on ours now. The Canadian industry has been a world leader in this area, and we should take great pride in that fact.”

Bringing the seed of professional certification to fruition in the current CMRP program required the insight, commitment, and just plain hard work of many individuals.

What motivated these individuals to work so diligently – in a volunteer capacity – to achieve this goal? Barry and Don agree that a shared vision of an excellence-driven industry has been the driving force. Barry recalls the early vision in these terms: “I think we all agreed that professional certification was an important way to differentiate ourselves from jacks of all trades who list marketing research among their services.” A well-designed and -implemented certification program would deliver value to the industry, to individual practitioners and, most fundamentally, to the clients who buy our services.

The evolutionary history of the CMRP. Don characterizes the path taken to get where we are today as “evolutionary,” proceeding in stages that balanced fairness to tenured practitioners with the introduction of the kind of stringent

formal criteria essential for a professional designation to achieve credibility. The starting approach allowed practitioners with fifteen years of experience, certified by a qualified referee, to acquire the CMRP designation – a program that remained in place until the end of 2005. Don believes this “grandparenting” phase was essential, because it established a critical mass of CMRPs early on and gave the designation visibility. In Barry’s opinion, grandparenting also reduced the resistance that always arises when new approaches are introduced to well-established organizations.

But since the beginning of 2006, all CMRP designations have been earned by passing the Comprehensive Marketing Research Exam. Because the pass rate for the CMRE was initially lower than some thought appropriate, there were calls to make it less stringent. Barry is pleased that this pressure was successfully resisted: “The right thing to do was to help people be better prepared, not to lower the bar.”

Accordingly, CMRE preparation workshops were introduced, a study guide was published – and the exam pass rate increased substantially. “Now we have a good string of solid young professionals,” Barry says. “The CMRP that they’ve earned is a significant achievement. They are among the most knowledgeable people in the industry.”

The Maintenance of Certification Program (MCP) was introduced in 2010 to ensure that the CMRP designation retains this “most knowledgeable” significance throughout a professional’s career. Don describes the MCP value succinctly: “It ensures that you stay up to date, and demonstrates your personal commitment to ongoing learning.”

NOW: Differentiating Value, from the Employer’s Point of View

Now that the CMRP and MCP programs are in place, it’s important to assess the extent to which the early vision of professional certification has been achieved. Has the CMRP designation come to “differentiate ourselves from jacks of all trades,” as Barry had put it?

In these interviews, I wanted first to consider the differentiating value of the CMRP from an employer’s point of view. Both Don and Barry are, after all, senior executives of major Canadian research firms whose competitiveness and profitability depend, to a large extent, on hiring and retaining the right people.

I had recently been challenged by an employer who claimed the CMRP means “nothing” in his hiring process.

Barry reacted with incredulity to that claim: “I find that a lot of people are working to figure out who is a qualified candidate and who isn’t. Things like training [in a college program] may be a good indication, but I think that the CMRP designation tells you a lot more. It not only tells you that the person knows the right answers, but it also says vue September 2011

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something about dedication, determination and willingness to work hard. Those are all important characteristics when you’re hiring someone.”

I was encouraged by Barry’s assertion, but even more striking was the fact that both he and Don have integrated the CMRP into their respective organizations’ professional development programs. They encourage employees to take the CMRE and support them, financially and in other ways, as they prepare for it. Don tells me with undisguised pride that every one of his employees who has written the exam has passed it. This success is the result of what I came to appreciate as an organizational focus on professional excellence, with the CMRP and MCP at its heart. “We established a process with study teams that include people who have earned the CMRP serving as mentors,” Don explained. Their in-house specialists chip in as well: “Our statistician, for example, provides tutorials on those areas of the exam. The organization comes together like this to help one another. We have a situation now where anyone who doesn’t have a CMRP wants to get one, because it

But how about that other, essential perspective: the client’s? Has the CMRP acquired differentiating values for those who buy marketing research? “Not yet” Don answers patiently, “at least not for most private sector clients. We’ve had some success with the federal government, who now are saying they have a preference for people with a CMRP, but it’s not a condition [for awarding a contract]. … [The industry] has done very little to educate the private sector.

The industry has to go to the next step of the evolution and promote the designation among clients that buy the services.”

Barry is equally adamant that the value to clients is there; it’s the awareness of that value that is lacking. He notes that procurement specialists in large buyer organizations can only welcome the value of the CMRP designation to their evaluation process. “The more of the 100 points [used by procurement officers in evaluating market research proposals] that can be allocated to something objective, the easier it is for them.”

“It’s important to keep our feet firmly grounded on the principles and knowledge accumulated over time, but also to remain attentive to new things on the horizon that will be part of the information base of the future.” says, ‘You’ve joined the club,’ and people want to be members of that club.”

But isn’t it difficult to convince an employer to invest in supporting an employee to prepare for and write the CMRE, particularly in lean economic times? Barry doesn’t think it should be, and he’s emphatic on this point: “I don’t know why an employer would not support an employee.

The cost is not that great – the cost of writing the exam, the cost of the training program, and the time to do it. I would really question employers’ commitment to both the industry and to employees if they aren’t willing to make those investments. In a knowledge industry like ours, we can’t possibly have growth and success if we aren’t investing in the training and development of employees.”

MOVING FORWARD: Differentiating Value to Clients, a Work in Progress

We can take considerable satisfaction from these observations about the value that the CMRP designation has for employers. Not only do these industry-leading employers consider the designation when evaluating job applicants, but they have also adopted the CMRP process as a focal point for their respective firms’ professional development programs. That strikes me as a pretty solid vote of confidence.

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Value to practitioners: a word of caution. There’s still work to be done, and we’re all aware of this. For instance, in response to my question about the need, or not, to continue teaching the fundamentals of marketing research in this era of changes, Barry answers that there is a real risk of failing to attract young people to the industry because we’re being too conservative. “It’s important to keep our feet firmly grounded on the principles and knowledge accumulated over time, but also to remain attentive to new things on the horizon that will be part of the information base of the future.”

A stronger industry. In the end, the main lesson we can draw from the wisdom of these two leaders is that the strength of our industry depends on our collective commitment to it. I leave you with a quote from Don, addressing his peers at a plenary panel at the 2011 MRIA conference in Kelowna: “If large marketing research firms believe the CMRP designation does not meet their needs, then make it known how to improve the process. Otherwise, we’ll all fail.”

Needless to say, the crowd applauded.

Jeannette Bellerose, CMRP, is the dean of MRIA’s Institute for Professional Development. She is also a partner at Arcturus Solutions.

2010-2011

AWARDS

& RECOGNITION

Awards and Recognition serve critical functions within a professional association. They provide motivation for the many volunteers upon whose efforts the association depends. They provide an opportunity for the self-promotion within the association that puts a positive face on our activities and makes people feel good about belonging to the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA). They also serve to highlight leadership and examples of excellence, in all areas, which are powerful ways of communicating the ideals and direction of the Association.

The 2010 - 2011 winners were announced and celebrated at the 2011 Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony held at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort on Monday May 30th 2011. Previous and current winners are also posted online at www.mria-arim.ca/AWARDS/ExcelAwards05.asp

2010-2011 Excellence Awards were generously sponsored by

A.B. BLANKENSHIP AWARD

BEST IN CLASS

Elisabeth Garmaise

Awarded for a research project that serves as a shining example to research practitioners and users.

JOSEPH DOYLE AWARD Carolyn O’Keefe, CMRP

Kraft Canada “Tassimo” and Ipsos, Synovate, NPD, TNS, Fresh Squeezed Ideas, Millward-Brown

JOHN F. GRAYDON AWARD

BEST INTEGRATION

Iulia Sobtchouk

Awarded in recognition of a research project that demonstrates successful integration of market research with other information sources.

CMRP DESIGNATED IN JUNE 2011 Sean Copeland, Research Associate, Environics Research Group Limited – Toronto Greg Dunlop, Vice President, Campaign Research – Toronto Gyan Harshvardhan, Head, Marketing Insights and Services, Whirlpool Canada LP – Toronto Nancy Johansen, Owner/Operator, On-Target Communications & Research – Ottawa Andrés Lozano, Research Consultant, GfK Research Dynamics – Toronto Manrit Shrimali, Sr Project Manager, Research Now – Toronto Robert Stel, Research Associate, Environics Research Group Limited – Toronto Cora Waters, Project Manager, Leger Marketing – Toronto CMRP DESIGNATED IN FEBRUARY 2011 David Bartolf, Senior Research Analyst, SaskPower – Regina Mark Beaudet, President, Sterling Hunter Consulting – Montreal Monique Brulotte, Senior Manager, Yellow Pages Group – Verdun Michael Del Bel, Associate Manager, OLGC – Sault Ste. Marie Sherif ElShikh, Director, Insight 2 Delight Inc. – Mississauga Jeanette Hoft, Vice President, CRA West – Kelowna Imran Khalifa, Manager, EMD Serono Inc. – Mississauga Darren Perche, Manager, Pollard Banknote Limited – Winnipeg

Kraft Canada “Tassimo” and Ipsos, Synovate, NPD, TNS, Fresh Squeezed Ideas, Millward-Brown THE MURRAY PHILP ALTRUISTIC AWARD Awarded for a market research project done on a pro-bono or reduced profit basis, for a not-for profit organization that has contributed positively to the individuals, groups or communities, within our Canadian Association, that it was meant to help.

Corbin Partners Inc. and The Wasser Pain Management Centre PUBLIC POLICY IMPACT AWARD Awarded for a research project in the broader public sector that has had a demonstrable public policy impact.

Corbin Partners Inc. and Department of Justice Canada BEST MULTINATIONAL Awarded to research practitioners who have initiated and taken the lead in designing and implementing a market research project, which collects data from respondents in more than one country.

Environics Research Group and AstraZeneca

The eminent members of the 2011 Judging Panel for the Excellence in Research Awards represent research practitioners from many different areas: Chair: Ed Gibson, CMRP – CRC Research, Judges: Gail Tibbo, CMRP – Incisive Marketing • Donald Williams – NADbank Inc. • Carol Wilson, CMRP – SPIELO • vue September 2011 21 John Ball, CMRP, IFOP North America

In Conversation with Mike Henry, Director of Consumer Planning & Marketing Director at Diageo Canada Mike Henry talks about his unique and exciting combination of roles at Diagio: “Being able to step into pure brand marketing as a director of the Refreshment Drink portfolio while continuing as the director of Consumer Planning –- it’s the best of both worlds.”

Shane Skillen

Mike, you’re in a very unique position, being not only the director of Consumer Planning at Diageo but also a marketing director of the Refreshment Drinks portfolio.

How do you find it, applying your planning skills and advice to your marketing role?

I’ve only recently been promoted to the marketing director role, but it’s really allowed me to see where the insight and information that we provide the brand teams truly gets applied to the strategy. I’m finding it empowering to be able to make decisions that directly impact a part of our portfolio, and rewarding to make the strategy that the planning team has proposed get turned into commercial activities and eventual product sales. Rather than just delivering the ideas and insights and attempting to influence the thinking of the marketing team, I am now able to speak on their level and make the decisions happen.

I feel this new role has changed the perception that the marketing team has of me, as they see I am responsible for doing, and delivering, the same level of work as they are.

This dual role has also allowed me to give better guidance to my planning team, specifically around the way in which the insights and information we provide get used throughout the commercial side of the business.

I know you are interested in unique ways to embed insights within an organization. Can you offer some recent examples?

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The best way I’ve seen this done is by showcasing ideas for the business/brand team that stem from an insight. Brand managers tend to look at an insight statement and say, “What can I do with this?” rather than talk through the thinking. It’s best to simply start with an idea, whether it be a creative idea, a product idea, or an innovative idea that leverages the insight. That’s when brand or sales teams can see the true benefit to themselves. Researchers may feel reluctant to propose an idea coming out of the research findings, but it’s what brand and sales managers, or customers, are seeking at the end of the day. The idea can, however, be reinforced by a strong insight, which is a great way to bring it to life.

What do you feel are some of the big challenges facing our industry these days?

While it may not be top of mind for most researchers or clients, I’m hearing more about the challenges to find younger consumers (between 19 and 24 years of age, for Diageo specifically) for online research – including regular tracking studies through to custom studies. This suggests that the future or quality of online research may be at risk if fresh sample cannot be obtained or respondent fatigue sets in.

The face of the Canadian population is changing with the entry of a more diverse range of ethnicities into our country. This is a great opportunity for us to learn about different cultures, and it is opening opportunities for

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businesses looking to expand their target group. But the ability to research these subsegments remains a challenge, due to increased costs in locating these consumers, communicating in their primary language, or finding a research partner who is sensitive to local customs and cultural habits.

It wouldn’t be an interview in 2011 if I didn’t ask how you are using social media now, and how you think you will be using it in five years.

Diageo is absolutely embracing the social media channel through activities we are calling “participation platforms.”

We are engaging our target consumers predominantly via Facebook, as that seems to be the one site where consumers are willing to participate on a regular basis; plus Facebook is making it easier for companies to connect with consumer groups.

We believe that, in five years’ time, Facebook will still have a role, but with the advancements in technology and consumer preferences, we will see new sites emerge where even better targeting of consumers will be possible. Also, the future of mobile marketing in Canada is predicted to explode. While it hasn’t been proven as a growth driver yet, we’re watching this area closely.

Procter & Gamble has openly said that it is looking for ways to make surveys more like a game.

What do you think about that concept? Can surveys be too much fun?

I do agree, given today’s level of online technological capabilities, that surveys can be made easier to complete and rating scales more engaging for the end user, but I’m conscious about not making surveys feel like games. If respondents were made to feel happier because the survey is more like a game, I’d question the overall results if they also came out stronger than normal. Online surveys aren’t meant to be entertainment but a quicker way to collect genuine feedback.

What have been some of the highlights in your career?

I’ve worked on some very established, leading brands such as Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Cadbury, Trident, Crown Royal, Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker. It’s been tremendous to have had a hand in guiding the brand strategy and innovation pipeline on these brands, and I always enjoy seeing a consumer purchase a brand that I have directly worked on.

I’ve worked with some very talented people over the years, and I’ve learned a lot from the ever-changing projects and assignments I’ve worked on and, most importantly, from the way in which the many departments and roles fit

together to build a complete marketing strategy, activity plan, and evaluation platform.

I’ve had the pleasure of traveling to over 45 countries during my research years – notably all across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. I lived and worked in London, U.K., for two years when I was with Goldfarb Consultants.

I lived and worked in Warsaw, Poland, for four months, working on a strategic plan to launch a global gum brand into the Polish market while I was with Cadbury Adams.

Being able to step into pure brand marketing as a director of the Diageo Refreshment Drink portfolio while continuing as the director of Consumer Planning – it’s the best of both worlds.

Being able to influence the future direction and strategies of Diageo Canada for the next three years: this is more than brand strategies; this involves mapping the big strategic focus for the business overall.

What career advice do you have for researchers just starting out?

Never be afraid to recommend an idea to anyone in the business. Good leaders will take good advice from where they can.

Ask questions, even if they feel basic, about what will happen with the information, insight and ideas you bring to a client. It’s important to know how you are adding value, or not; and you can learn how to make information and insights more relevant.

Where possible, try to learn the commercial business process, not just brand management practices. Knowing the bigger picture will make information and insight more relevant to you and your end client.

While they have their roles as individual methods, I’d recommend learning both qual and quant research: the two work in tandem and can deliver a bigger idea or better insight.

What are you most looking forward to in the years ahead?

Watching the unfolding of the strategies that the brand, agency, and planning teams have put together; influencing consumer behaviour; and growing the Diageo business.

Mike Henry is the Consumer Planning and marketing director of the Refreshment Drink portfolio at Diageo Canada. Before Diageo, he worked for Goldfarb Consultants and for Cadbury Adams. He is a graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business and has fourteen years of research and insight experience, five years on the supplier side and nine years on the client side.

Mike can be reached at Mike.Henry@diageo.com and at (416) 641-1646. vue September 2011

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Dare to Compare: The Landmines of Comparative Advertising PART 1 Comparative advertising – promotion of an advertiser’s product or service as being superior to that of a competitor – is perfectly legal, frequently desirable, and often effective. But there are rules of the game and a number of serious pitfalls to be avoided.

Ruth M. Corbin, CMRP and Samantha Schreiber

Advertisers beware. The Competition Bureau recently levied a fine of $10 million against Bell Canada for misleading advertising. The object of its displeasure was Bell’s competitive pricing ads.1 The Bureau imposed on Bell the further indignity of another $100,000 to pay the costs of the investigation. The current Commissioner of Competition is perceived to be more determined than any of her predecessors to pursue unsupportable comparative advertising claims. The most egregious cases of misleading advertising can result in jail terms of up to five years.

Comparative advertising escalates the risks of a complaint by, essentially, waving a red flag in front of a displeased competitor.

In comparative advertising, the advertiser promotes the benefits of its own product or service over that of one or more competitors – think Coke and Pepsi wars, or cool Mac dude in jeans versus stodgy PC guy in an ill-fitting suit.

Comparative advertising is perfectly legal, frequently desirable, and often effective. But there are rules of the game. Having reliable, valid and relevant evidence is one of those rules. Market data are essential; their importance is never clearer than when a dispute arises – between competitors, or between the advertiser and a representative of the public interest – over whether a claim is justified.

Complaints can be launched through one of many forums. The advertising industry has a self-regulatory body 24

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in Advertising Standards Canada, an organization that offers a confidential trade dispute procedure.2 Action can also be taken by an offended competitor in a provincial court pursuant to provincial consumer protection legislation, or in the Federal Court under the auspices of the Trade-marks Act 3 or the Competition Act.4 Or the Commissioner of Competition can initiate her own action, if she believes that free and fair competition is under threat.

Prepare to Compare

Committed to a comparative campaign? Seasoned advertisers will almost certainly give you this advice: Don’t wait for trouble to find you. Plan to collect supporting evidence in advance of making a comparative claim, rather than waiting till the claim is made and someone complains. Research should be contemplated as early as possible.5 Courts and regulators have been more kindly disposed to defendants who have relied, in good faith, on research conducted in advance, to a reasonable standard. In Rust Check Canada Inc. v. Young (the latter representing Krown),6 Krown Rust Control System engaged the Institute for Material Research at McMaster University to conduct a study of the relative effectiveness of its rust prevention system, before launching a comparative advertising campaign. Backed by favourable results, Krown created advertisements asserting its product’s superiority. Competitor Rust Check Canada Inc. subsequently applied for an injunction barring Krown from continuing its advertising program, arguing that the research

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was invalid and that the campaign amounted to a “slander of goods” (a tort under provincial law disallowing “malicious publication disparaging of the goods of another, thereby causing special damage”). 7 The Ontario Supreme Court denied the injunction. While the testing process had been strongly criticized by Krown’s opponent, the court found insufficient basis to stop Krown’s advertising because (a) the testing had been done in good faith, (b) the court was not in a position to explore its merits, and (c) the opponent had provided no direct evidence of the falsity of the research conclusions. Today, the website for one of Krown’s franchises (www.trentonontario.com/krownrustproofing. html) continues to assert that “only Krown outperforms all of its competitors. (Ask to see the test results when you visit).”

Once committed to this sort of strategy, advertisers should start by envisioning their ideal claim, based on a position they believe the facts will support.

Step 1: Envision the Claim

Advertisers may be tempted to approach their trusted research experts with a request like this: “We know our apple pie is better than our competitors’, and we want to say so in our next ad campaign. Can you do a survey to confirm that we’re number one?”

If you are the research expert, you may have a dozen questions to ask your client before you get started. But ask this one first: “What is the specific wording of the claim you hope to make?” Claim-testing enjoys most precision when it is focused on a particular hypothesis, relevant to a particular claim.

Look again at the client’s request in our illustration. The first part of the request anticipates making a claim of being “better than the competitors.” Exactly what would one test?

The claim to being “better” could mean that the client’s apple pie tastes better, sells better, looks better, is better value for money, or uses better ingredients. The word competitor could refer to all competitors or only to competitors with some sizable market share; these two possible interpretations present quite a difference with respect to the number of apple pie brands that would have to be tested. When it comes to surveying consumers, should only national competitors be considered, or all the different local competitors in each market being tested?

The client’s request further suggests that being “better than competitors” can be substantiated by testing whether or not his company’s apple pie is considered “number one.”

But “we’re number one” might mean number one in market share, number one in preference, or number one in a Maclean’s experts ranking of Canada’s best apple pies. Do each of those translate into “better”?

Clearly a specific claim needs to be envisioned, followed by a confirmation of unambiguous facts to support it.

Change a word in the claim and the survey test may also need a matching change. In advertising for “Body on Tap” shampoo, Bristol-Myers Co. had undertaken an aggressive advertising campaign featuring the high-fashion model Cristina Ferrare. In one of the ads, a turbaned Cristina, fresh from shampooing her hair, holds a bottle of Body on Tap, and says, “In shampoo tests with over 900 women like me, Body on Tap got higher ratings than Prell for body, higher than Flex for conditioning, higher than Sassoon for strong, healthy-looking hair.” Evidence emerged at trial that a third of the women interviewed were teenagers as young as thirteen, not plausibly described as “women like” Ferrare.

For this and other reasons, the court found the wording of the claim to be untenable.8 The risk of a few little wording discrepancies between the claim as advertised and the claim as researched may not seem like a big deal, but it can end up being the very basis on which a challenge succeeds. In considering the possible interpretations of each word, one needs to be as cautious as a past American president, who famously said, “It depends on what the meaning of the word is is.”

Not only wording but also visual messages and implied facts must be supported. In the case of BC Tel Mobility Cellular Inc. v. Rogers Cantel Inc. [Cantel],9 Cantel ran an advertising campaign featuring a telephone caller in Stanley Park, Vancouver, praising the quality of Cantel’s sound quality compared to that of BC Tel’s. “If you’re not on the Cantel network, maybe you’re hearing things,” the ad proclaimed. Among specific claims asserted in the campaign were Cantel’s “clearer calls; calls with less static, less interference.”

BC Tel commenced a lawsuit, complaining that the ads were false and misleading. It argued that Cantel’s technical research did not support the specific content of the campaign. The research had evaluated the strength of the signal sent by a mobile phone to a landline, whereas the print ad depicted the results of the signal sent in the other direction. The research had been based on the use of a single brand of phone, the Ericcson brand, which was technically more compatible with the Cantel network configuration. The conclusion of being “clearer” was based on surrogate measures such as signal strength, which were not necessarily, said BC Tel, what the public would infer from the word clearer.

Convinced of BC Tel’s basis of concern, including potential irreparable harm to its business, the British Columbia Supreme Court imposed the extraordinary remedy of an injunction against Cantel, requiring the ad campaign to stop immediately.

The take-away from these and other expensive lessons is that there must be an unambiguous, demonstrable link between what the research proves and what the ad conveys. vue September 2011

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Step 2: Anticipate Standards of Review If Litigation Ensues

The criteria for evaluating surveys when tendered as expert evidence were clearly stated in the Supreme Court of Canada case involving Mattel’s Barbie Doll brand10: Surveys must be reliable, valid and relevant. “Reliability” entails the ability to generalize from a well-chosen sample to an overall population; “validity” refers to whether the right things are being measured in the right way; and “relevance” refers to the connection between the research mandate and the issues in dispute.

In theory, courts are willing to use prevailing business norms in gauging whether research evidence meets an accepted standard.11 In practice, the standards required by litigation are not at the level of the “everyday average,” but at the level of the “exemplary.” What pushes the bar higher is the hostile scrutiny to which survey evidence is subjected.

Opposing expert witnesses sometimes enter the fray and act out the role of hired gun, trolling for every imperfection that might be ammunition for criticism.

Further to the framework of reliability, validity and relevance, the Supreme Court of Canada took the initiative, in May of 2011,12 to recommend a fourth criterion to purveyors of expert evidence: common sense. The court expressed a wish that the legal system not be dragged through the costs of research evidence and the acrimony of opposing criticism, if a particular marketplace perception could be considered “obvious.”

One is reminded of an advertising dispute, several years ago, between two milk companies over the tiny amount of bacteria removed from pasteurized milk through an innovative filtration process. One of the surveys in that case purported to find consumer support for removing whatever bacteria were available to be removed, particularly, the survey witness said, in light of the leg amputation of a high-profile politician due to a bacterial disease. The judge found that interpretation of the survey data simply implausible: “[The survey witness] in his study commented on the high degree of public concern regarding the bacteria that resulted in Lucien Bouchard contracting necrotizing fasciitis. It is difficult for me to understand how the learned national sociologist could analogize this horror to a glass of pasteurized milk.”13 The judge confidently overrode the expert evidence on both sides with his own common sense assessment.

It may be hard to predict when common sense can be counted upon to win the day, in lieu of survey evidence by either party – particularly when two competitors may have opposite versions of what makes common sense.

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Conclusions and Next Steps

The high potential payoff of comparative advertising comes at high risk. The foundation for a comparison must be in place before an ad is run. Two basic principles for planning a comparative claim have been explained with examples.

Future instalments in Vue will deal with the practical and specific details of • testing the general impression of an ad, not just the truth of its contents • deciding on the pertinent population • approximating statistical reliability for claims of different types • questionnaire wording • minimum statistical results for different types of claims • rules for disclaimers • proactive and reactive troubleshooting.

Competitors targeted by comparative ads may count on these same guidelines as ammunition for challenging advertising that offends their sense of fairness or truth.

The authors acknowledge, with thanks, the time and input of Rafe Engle and Janet Feasby of Advertising Standards Canada; Sean Campbell of Davies Ward Phillips and Vineberg; and David Gibb, executive vicepresident and managing director of the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency.

Endnotes 1. As reported on June 28, 2011, by LuAnn LaSalle, The Canadian Press, and the Financial Post.

2. For a thorough foundation on principles that guide the trade dispute procedure, see “Guidelines for the Use of Comparative Advertising and Guidelines for the Use of Research and Survey Data to Support Comparative Advertising Claims,” available from Advertising Standards Canada at http://adstandards.com/en/ASCLibrary/guidelinesCompAdvertising-en.pdf.

3. R.S.C. , 1985, c. T-13.

4. R.S.C. , 1985, c. C-34.

5. ASC Guidelines, R.S.C., 1985, c. T-13.

6. (1988) 47 C.C.L.T. 279, 22 C.P.R. (3d) 512 (Ont. S.C.) [Rust Check v. Young].

7. Rust Check v. Young, ibid.

8. Vidal Sassoon, Inc. v. Bristol-Myers Company, 661 F.2d 272 (2d Cir. 1981).

9. BC Tel Mobility Cellular Inc. v. Rogers Cantel Inc. (1995), 66 B.C.A.C. 62, 108 W.A.C. 62 [In Chambers], aff ’g (1995), 63 C.P.R. (3d) 464, [1995] B.C.W.L.D. 2631 (B.C. S.C. [In Chambers]).

10. Mattel, Inc. v. 3894207 Canada Inc., 2006 SCC 22, at para. 45.

11. There are decisions in a wide range of practice areas in which triers of fact take the ordinary trade practices of an industry into account, such as Progressive Homes Ltd. v. Lombard General Insurance Co. of Canada, [2009] BCCA 129, 307 D.L.R. (4th) 460; J.K. Expressions Jewelry Inc. v. Gerling Global General Insurance Co., [2002] BCCA 86, 164 B.C.A.C. 135, aff ’g (1999), 13 C.C.L.I. (3d) (B.C. S.C.); Procter & Gamble Inc. v. Colgate-Palmolive Canada Inc., 2010 FC 231; National Football League Properties, Inc. v. New Jersey Giants, Inc., 637 F.Supp. 507 (D. N.J. 1986).

12. Masterpiece Inc. v. Alavida Lifestyles Inc., 2011 SCC 27.

13. (1995), 59 C.P.R. (3d) 374, 17 B.L.R. (2d) 172 (Ont. Gen. Div.), additional reasons at (1995), 60 C.P.R. (3d) 462, 17 B.L.R. (2d) 172n (Ont. Gen. Div.) (Toronto: Carswell Thomson Professional Publishing, 2000) at 107.

Dr. Ruth M. Corbin is managing partner, CorbinPartners Inc., adjunct professor of intellectual property law at Osgoode Hall, and a corporate director. Samantha Schreiber is a student-at-law doing summer research and investigations at CorbinPartners Inc.

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Our Future Is Calling:

Do You Hear?

What do three recent anglophone graduates, and new members of MRIA, have to tell us about the marketing research industry and our national association? And how do their views impact our future directions?

Sean Copeland, research associate, Environics Research Group, Toronto

Maria Popova, senior project manager, Project Services, Uthink Online, Toronto

Tracy Rideout, research director, MarketQuestOmnifacts, St. John's

At the MRIA conference this past May, all members were challenged to go out there and make our industry known to young students and the population in general. My colleague Jeannette Bellerose and I took this call to arms seriously. Indeed, all members who care seriously about the health of the industry should be spreading the word about it. Moreover, student outreach is one of the mandates of MRIA’s Institute for Professional Development; so we care, indeed. But there’s the rub: Where should we concentrate our efforts? What attracts young professionals to our industry? What do they expect from a career in marketing research?

To assist in this mission to spread the word, we had the disarmingly simple idea of interviewing young professionals who have joined our industry in recent years. Jeannette interviewed three young francophone members (her article about three young francophone professionals appears in French only on page 29); I interviewed three young anglophone members. So allow me to introduce you to the following newcomers to our industry: Sean Copeland (research associate with Environics Research Group, Toronto), Maria Popova (senior project manager, Project Services, at Uthink Online, Toronto), and Tracy Rideout (research director at MarketQuest-Omnifacts, St. John’s).

They took the time to talk to us; let’s hear them out. (For a link to these young professionals’ full statements, please visit the Institute for Professional Development’s main webpage at www.mria-arim.ca/EDUCATION)

Fergus W. Gamble, CMRP

Maria started with a bachelors degree in marketing management and was introduced to the idea of marketing research but felt the few courses she had taken were not sufficient for her to pursue a career in the industry, so she sought more experience before entering the field.

Tracy started with her undergraduate degree in psychology and, like many a graduate, her degree not lead her to a fixed career objective. She went on to a master’s degree that involved a significant focus on research methodologies, design, and many of the components of marketing research. It may be fair to say that she was an easy catch for the industry after that.

Why Marketing Research?

What brought Maria into marketing research was the recommendation of a friend who had recently been hired in the industry. The stories of the potential career path, the atmosphere and the people persuaded her to join her friend.

Not surprisingly, given her exposure to so many of the skills common to her master’s program and marketing research, it was almost a natural step for Tracy to enter the industry. She was attracted by the never-ending diversity offered by our field and, as with most researchers, a strong desire to assist clients in making their businesses more successful.

As the son of an MRIA fellow, I can quite relate to Sean’s experience hearing, as a teenager, about marketing research from his father. Sean was strongly motivated to understand, in the words of the Research Analyst Program description, “what makes people tick.” Aren’t we all?

Academic Path?

Like almost all of his more senior colleagues in the profession, Sean did not make a beeline to marketing research but tried his hand at a variety of other businesses. Then, he observes, “it dawned on me that I was more interested in how businesses were managed and marketed.” Searching for his ideal job, he came across the Research Analyst Program (RAP) at Georgian College. Says Sean, “I can confidently say that the program was crucial.”

… and MRIA?

Tracy is quite possibly representative of many young people in the business in first hearing about MRIA from her employer – in Tracy’s case, when she was asked about attending an MRIA national conference. Sean is probably equally typical, hearing about MRIA from his RAP course instructors. There really are not many places where MRIA can be encountered outside these two options. vue September 2011

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I doubt it would surprise anyone that MRIA is not a household name – as the old joke goes, even in my household!

However, the apparent indication – that it takes someone to be actively involved in the industry before learning about our association – signifies what a huge challenge we have in bringing MRIA into the purview of the broader business community and the business education faculties.

Suggestions to Attract More Young Professionals?

Reflective of the comments made at the MRIA conference, Maria votes for more communication to students who are taking post-secondary education and to their advisors, via job fairs and our senior members’ getting out and being advocates. Tracy’s comments are similar and stress the importance of the exciting career path marketing research offers in terms of working with major companies, and assisting and influencing their success.

Sean, in his response, actually questions the current value of MRIA and makes many suggestions to improve our organization. While they are too lengthy to include in this article, he summarizes by saying, “I believe, that with creative and youthful guidance, MRIA can be something truly valuable for the next generation of research buyers, suppliers and users.” I suspect MRIA will be hearing more from him in the near future; and we will welcome his ideas and energy. We can always use them.

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What We Learned

The fact that few professionals currently working in marketing research have an academic background related to this field is no secret. Many of them never knew it existed before falling into it.

However, five of the six young professionals we interviewed received an education that they feel was relevant and prepared them very well for their chosen career. Is this a new trend? We hope so. With a more targeted and up-to-date academic background, these young professionals are better equipped to benefit from their practical experience than most of the old guard were.

We’re grateful that they have chosen to join MRIA, because they can assist our industry in remaining current. We also wish to congratulate their employers for the foresight they show by allowing even young employees to join MRIA. Unfortunately, some employers reserve MRIA membership for senior employees: what a loss, not only for young professionals who miss out on networking opportunities, but also for our industry as a whole.

Fergus W. Gamble, CMRP, is the president of Radix Market Research. He is also a director-at-large of the MRIA board of directors and the chair of the association’s Professional Development and Certification portfolio.

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La relève nous parle.

Écoutons-la!

Jeannette Bellerose, PARM

Marc Grégoire, MSc., Analyste Marketing, Rogers Communications Inc., Montréal

Caroline Lévesque, Chargée de recherche, Léger Marketing, Québec

Élise Roy-Pepin, Analyste recherche, MétéoMédia – Pelmorex Media Inc., Montréal

Lors du congrès annuel de l’ARIM en mai dernier, l’appel a été lancé aux membres de faire connaître l’industrie aux étudiants et à la population en général. Cet appel, mon collègue Fergus Gamble et moi l’avons pris à cœur. En effet, sensibiliser la population étudiante à la recherche marketing est non seulement l’affaire de tous les membres soucieux de la vigueur de notre industrie, mais c’est aussi un des mandats de l’Institut de développement professionnel. Or, voilà le hic : Où doit-on concentrer nos efforts? Qu’est-ce qui attire les jeunes professionnels dans notre industrie?

Qu’attendent-ils d’une carrière en recherche marketing et de notre association?

Pour trouver des pistes, nous avons eu l’idée d’une simplicité désarmante de poser quelques questions à de jeunes professionnels qui se sont joints à notre industrie au cours des dernières années. Fergus1 s’est entretenu avec trois jeunes membres anglophones et moi, avec trois jeunes membres francophones. Je vous présente donc : Marc Grégoire, MSc., analyste Marketing, Rogers Communications Inc., Montréal; Caroline Lévesque, chargée de recherche, Léger Marketing, Québec; et Élise Roy-Pepin, analyste de recherche, MétéoMédia – Pelmorex Media Inc., Montréal. Ils ont pris le temps de nous parler, écoutons-les…2 Parcours universitaire?

En poursuivant son BAA et sa MSc à HEC Montréal, Élise a suivi, entre autres, des cours d’analyse de marchés, de recherche commerciale, de psychologie et de comportement du consommateur. « Ces cours m’ont appris plusieurs méthodes d’analyse de données quantitatives et m’ont très bien préparée au marché du travail. »

Caroline pour sa part a obtenu un baccalauréat en Sciences de la consommation de l’Université Laval, un programme qui inclut : méthodologie de la recherche, méthodes quantitatives et qualitatives, mesure de la satisfaction, plan d’intervention. Ce programme comprend aussi un stage où elle a réalisé des études de satisfaction de la clientèle. Désirant se préparer encore mieux à la recherche marketing, elle s’est concocté un diplôme d’études supérieures sur mesure combinant un MBA Marketing et des cours en Mesure et évaluation.

Quant à Marc, il voulait acquérir encore plus de connaissances à la fin de son baccalauréat en administration des affaires : « J’avais le sentiment que je n’avais pas suffisamment accumulé d’outils pour justifier les décisions marketing que j’aurais éventuellement à prendre dans le milieu des affaires… » Il a donc poursuivi un programme de maîtrise en marketing qui comprenait plusieurs cours axés sur la recherche : « Je considère que le programme de maîtrise en marketing de l’Université de Sherbrooke m’a bien préparé à la recherche une fois sur le marché du travail. » Pourquoi la recherche marketing?

« J’ai toujours été quelqu’un de très rationnel et donc, je me dois d’analyser toutes les possibilités avant de prendre une décision… Une maîtrise en marketing s’avérait un choix logique pour acquérir les outils qui me manquaient, et c’est de cette façon que j’ai découvert la recherche marketing, » explique Marc.

Pour Élise, son choix lui semblait évident : « Je trouvais que c’était naturel pour moi d’analyser, de faire parler des chiffres dans un contexte de consommation. … Étant très cartésienne, c’est un fit parfait pour moi! » vue September 2011

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Pour Caroline, la réalisation s’est faite lors de son stage au bac. « À ce moment, j’ai eu le coup de cœur pour la recherche marketing. » Plus loin, elle ajoute : « Ce qui m’a attiré en recherche : l’aide à la planification stratégique, c’est-à-dire l’utilité de nos recherches pour les entreprises et ministères. » …et l’ARIM?

Dans les trois cas, l’adhésion à l’ARIM est fortement encouragée par leur employeur actuel. Caroline a découvert l’ARIM lorsqu’elle travaillait chez Impact Recherche avant de se joindre à Léger Marketing. Marc a d’abord connu l’ARIM grâce au concours de la Relève en Recherche Marketing géré par le chapitre du Québec. C’est signe que le programme de sensibilisation de ce chapitre porte fruit.

Voilà un point à retenir dans le partage des pratiques exemplaires avec les autres chapitres.

Suggestions pour attirer plus de jeunes professionnels?

Leur message est clair et retentissant : il faut se faire connaître. « Se faire connaître auprès des étudiants par des concours, des présentations, l’offre de bourses. Travailler plus étroitement avec les universités, » suggère Caroline.

Promouvoir aussi ce à quoi la recherche marketing sert, selon Élise : « Une fois que la recherche a été achetée à l’externe ou menée à l’interne, quels ont été les changements réalisés ou l’impact sur l’organisation ? » Pour sa part, Marc souligne l’importance pour les jeunes professionnels de réseauter tôt en début de carrière : « que ce soit pour dénicher un premier emploi ou pour avoir quelqu’un pour nous guider lors de nos premières années de carrière. L’ARIM pourrait donc offrir un programme de

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mentorat aux jeunes diplômés qui débutent dans l’industrie de la recherche. » Ce que nous avons appris

Le fait que peu de professionnels œuvrant en recherche marketing à l’heure actuelle aient reçu une formation universitaire dans ce domaine est un secret de polichinelle.

Toutefois, ce n’est absolument pas le cas pour ces jeunes professionnels. Est-ce une nouvelle tendance? Nous l’espérons. De par leur formation ciblée et de pointe, ils sont beaucoup mieux préparés à bénéficier de leur expérience pratique que plusieurs d’entre nous de la vieille garde ne l’étions.

Nous sommes reconnaissants qu’ils aient opté d’adhérer à l’ARIM, car ils peuvent aider l’industrie à demeurer à l’avant-garde. Nous félicitons aussi leurs employeurs pour la prévoyance professionnelle dont ils font preuve en encourageant même les nouveaux venus à réseauter au sein de l’ARIM. Malheureusement, certains employeurs réservent l’adhésion à l’ARIM aux employés des postes plus élevés. Quel dommage, non seulement pour ces jeunes professionnels qui n’ont pas l’occasion de réseauter, mais aussi pour l’industrie au complet.

1 Voir la section écrite par Fergus Gamble au sujet des trois jeunes professionnels anglophones.

2 Pour accéder aux récits intégraux de ces jeunes professionnels, veuillez visiter la page principale de l’Institut de développement professionnel à www.mriaarim.ca/EDUCATION/.

Jeannette Bellerose, PARM Doyenne – Institut de développement professionnel de l’ARIM Associée – Les Solutions Arcturus

I N D U ST RY N E W S

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REGISTRY (QRR) In accordance with federal privacy laws, MRIA’s Qualitative Research Registry (QRR), or Registre de la recherche qualitative (RRQ) in French, was created to provide an ongoing, user-friendly vehicle for tracking those who do not want to be contacted or should not be contacted for qualitative research studies.

QRR is a comprehensive do not call list of those who have recently participated in qualitative research studies, those who have asked not to be contacted further, and those felt by recruiters and moderators to be best served by not being contacted. These respondents are marked as “do not call” in accordance with established MRIA Standards.

All field and full-service companies are encouraged to submit a list of their qualitative respondents for entry into the QRR system each month, including those who do not wish to be contacted.

THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES HAVE SUBMITTED NAMES TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REGISTRY FOR JANUARY - JUNE 2011 ATLANTIC OPINION SEARCH

ONTARIO BARBARA C. CAMPBELL RECRUITING CONSUMER VISION

Participating firms will receive monthly updates of respondents to be screened from qualitative recruitment samples. QRR works effectively to increase the quality and integrity of the qualitative research process, by serving as a control to ensure respondents are not contacted more frequently than is necessary.

DAWN SMITH FIELD MANAGEMENT SERVICES INC.

However, the ability of the system to function effectively is directly related to the co-operation received from firms who provide recruitment services. If you are a full service research firm or field supplier that is currently participating in the Qualitative Research Registry program – thank you very much and keep up the good work!

RESEARCH HOUSE INC.

If you are not currently participating, please get involved! If you are interested in submitting to QRR, please visit the MRIA website at www.mria-arim.ca/QRD/QualResearchRegistry.asp for further explanation and guidance on how to submit qualitative research participants’ names, along with the required electronic forms.

CRC RESEARCH

I & S RECRUITING NEXUS MARKET RESEARCH INC. OPINION SEARCH QUALITY RESPONSE R.I.S. CHRISTIE RESEARCH PROFESSIONALS TANN RESEARCH/HEAD COUNT VALYRA RESEARCH SERVICES INC.

QUEBEC MBA RECHERCHE OPINION SEARCH R.I.S. CHRISTIE

WEST OPINION SEARCH

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REGISTRY SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO: QRRQ@mria-arim.ca Submission templates and payment forms can be found at www.mria-arim.ca/QRD/QualResearchRegistryForms.asp

R.I.S. CHRISTIE RESEARCH HOUSE INC. SMARTPOINT RESEARCH INC. SYNOVATE TREND RESEARCH INC.

Rules of Conduct and Good Practice for Members of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (2007), Section C Rules Specific to the Conduct of Qualitative Research: 20. Recruiters should provide accurate data to the Qualitative Research Registry, where such exists, on a consistent basis and check all respondents against the Registry.

21. Moderators buying recruiting services should give primary consideration to recruiting agencies which submit to the Qualitative Research Registry, where such a service exists, on a regular and ongoing basis.

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PEOPLE AND COMPANIES

• To read more news online, or to submit your “People and Companies in the News”, simply fill out our online form at www.mria-arim.ca/PEOPLE/People.asp.

• The Vue editorial team reserves the right to select and edit your submission for appearance in Vue.

IN THE NEWS

• MRIA is neither responsible for the accuracy of this information nor liable for any false information.

Global Research Agencies Bounce Back – Honomichl The world’s 25 largest research firms had revenues of $18.8 billion in 2010, up 4.9% on the previous ‘dismal’ year – a ‘very healthy turnaround’ according to industry authority Jack Honomichl.

However, ‘real’ revenues were not quite back to their 2008 levels, and some companies continued to shrink. Out of the total 25 firms included in the report, 15 are U.S.-based, while the other 10 are headquartered in Japan (3), the U.K. (3), France (2), Brazil and Germany (1 apiece). Honomichl sums up the overall figures: “…while the global research industry’s 2010 revenue growth was healthy – and most welcome – it was not enough to recover the downside of 2009. And, relatively, firms owned or managed in the U.S. were laggards.” The Honomichl Global Top 25 report is published by Marketing News, the flagship publication of the American Marketing Association. The full report can be accessed at www.marketingpower.com/marketingnews

To Support Its Continuing Growth Research House Is Pleased to Announce Two New Appointments Angela Henry has joined Research House as Vice President of Business Development. Angela started her research career at Research House and over the past 20 years has held a number of project management and operational roles in major research companies. Angela looks forward to renewing acquaintances in the industry and introducing a new range of products from Research House and Environics.

Jared Hildebrandt has joined Research House as Project Manager – Online Services and Data Management. He is a recent graduate from UWO with a Masters in Information and Library Science and comes from a content management role at one of Canada’s largest management consulting firms. Jared will be working on online projects and special assignments at Research House. www.researchhouse.ca

CASRO Drafts Social Media Research Guidelines; Association Seeks Comments from Industry Now available online for review and comment are draft Social Media Research Guidelines from CASRO, which provide an ethical framework for research work performed within the unique formats, behaviour systems, terminologies and varied privacy expectations of the social media space. In preparing the draft guidelines, members of the Task Force had extensive discussions with many researchers doing work in all facets of data collection, research and reporting. In addition, these guidelines have been written in consultation with ESOMAR to ensure as much uniformity of definitions and practices as possible. To read more, www.casro.org/SMR_guidelines.cfm

Showing Consumers’ Innermost Thoughts Propels Qualvu to Outstanding 4,900% Growth Rate Manufacturing is in the dumps, real estate still hasn’t recovered from the bubble, and we buy more from other countries than they buy from us. But a company in suburban Denver has enjoyed spectacular growth in this dismal economy – doubling its revenue and workforce every year for each of the past three years – by following the time-honored practice of giving its customers something they didn’t have before, and never needed as much as now: a way to get inside the heads of consumers to gain astonishingly revealing insights about products and services.

Qualvu, which pioneered the use of technical-sounding “asynchronous video research,” started four years ago with two entrepreneurs who thought they could develop a way to turn consumer research – vital to companies’ success – on its head.

That they did, and in the process created 75 jobs in the past three years and will add their 100th employee soon – a scorching 4,900% growth rate. www.qualvu.com

Poynter to Lead Vision Critical London Panel and research technology firm Vision Critical has appointed industry veteran Ray Poynter as Executive Vice President and Managing Director of its London office, responsible for development of the U.K. business. Poynter joins with more than 30 years’ experience of market research, technology and advanced techniques. He is author of The Handbook of Online and Social Media Research (www.mrweb.com/mrt/soc10aug.htm ) and the chapter on the Impact of Technology on Market Research in the ESOMAR Handbook of Social and Market Research.

Ipsos Agrees to Buy Synovate for £525m Ipsos has agreed to acquire Synovate for £525m (EUR 595m), creating the world’s third largest market research company. The deal is to be funded with cash, new debt financing, and a rights offering to Ipsos shareholders. Last month, the Aegis Board confirmed it was planning to sell Synovate to Ipsos in an “exclusive” deal and excludes the retail scan data services division Synovate Aztec, which will now be run separately as part of Aegis Media. www.aegisplc.com, www.synovate.com and www.ipsos.com

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CASRO and ESOMAR Partner in the Development of Online Sample Quality Standard CASRO and ESOMAR have announced that they will partner on the development and implementation of an online sample quality standard that will assure consistency and transparency in online sampling processes. This standard will codify best practices in four areas: (1) respondent authenticity; (2) survey engagement; (3) within-survey and cross-survey de-duplication; and (4) participation frequency, with a focus on survey content categories. Compliance with this quality standard will be subject to verification through auditing and certification procedures conducted by independent and objective certification bodies. www.casro.org www.esomar.org

I N D U ST RY N E W S

AskingCanadians™ Welcomes Roy Gonsalves to the Team AskingCanadians™, a Delvinia company, is pleased to welcome Roy Gonsalves as Director of Sales. Gonsalves brings 15 years of market research experience to his new role at AskingCanadians™, a data collection firm with an online research community of 160,000 Canadians. Throughout his career, Gonsalves has worked with some of the largest global data collection companies in the industry, including Ipsos ASI and Research Now. Visit www.corporate.askingcanadians.com Studentawards Inc. and BigReach Learning Inc. Understand Youth: FACESofCHANGE Study Reveals Hidden Insights in How to Engage Youth BigReach Learning Inc., a Toronto-based marketing services company, partnered with Studentawards Inc., a youth marketing and market research firm, to understand the relationship between youth, media and brands by applying the new FACESofCHANGE methodology. FACESofCHANGE, is a revolutionary approach to market research that harnesses the power of video interviews plus panel surveys to bring consumer insights to life. Talking to students revealed their priorities and values. Students belong to a variety of virtual and real world social groups. For example, membership in religious groups (30%) is almost the same a membership in online special interest or hobby groups (29%). www.bigreachlearning.com Note from Stephen Popiel, CMRP, SVP, Hotspex As of July 4, my new home is Hotspex where I am SVP in the Client Service team. I joined Hotspex because just like me, they have a passionate belief in the role that emotions play in product development and marketing, and the tools to back up this passion. Hotspex specializes in the link between the rational and e-rational drivers of purchase, which is what I’m aiming to leverage to help our clients evolve their brands, develop products, ideas and communications. Given a chance to reconnect with you and learn about your latest initiatives, I can provide some relevant case studies and more details. Stephen.Popiel@hotspex.com New Certificate Targets Evolution of Values-Based Leadership in Business Royal Roads University will launch a new graduate certificate in values-based leadership this fall. The certificate addresses a growing opportunity in the marketplace to provide learning and practical resources for organizational leaders to align actions and decisions with their values and those of society. The new graduate certificate in values-based leadership provides nine graduate credits and professional certification in the use of the Cultural Transformation Tools. The credits from this certificate can be used

toward electives in other Royal Roads programs such as nine credits towards a master’s in interdisciplinary studies, six credits towards a master’s in business administration (MBA), or three credits towards the master’s in leadership. www.royalroads.ca Leger Analytics Launched The president of Leger Marketing, Mr. Jean-Marc Léger, is proud to announce the launch of Leger Marketing’s newest division, Leger Analytics, providing advanced statistical and modeling consulting to Leger Marketing's clients through Leger’s Canadian and U.S. offices. As well, Leger Analytics will consult on advanced analysis with Leger's global partners through the WIN network. Dr. Chuck Chakrapani, President of Leger Marketing’s Toronto office, will be the head of the new division and Dr. Hemant Sangwan will be Leger Analytics Knowledge Officer. www.legermarketing.com/documents/SPCLM/11761ENG.pdf Vector Research has helped the Canadian Federation of Nurses Union create the first patients’ national report card on nurses, a 12-point evaluation of how nurses dealt with patients the most recent time the patient was treated by a nurse. For details see www.nursesunions.ca/the-national-patients-report-card-givesnurses AskingCanadians Adopts MarketTools TrueSample to Ensure Research Quality for All Online Consumer Research MarketTools, Inc., the leading provider of software and services for market research and enterprise feedback management, and AskingCanadians™, a full-service online data collection firm with an online research community of 160,000 Canadian consumers, today announced that AskingCanadians has adopted MarketTools® TrueSample® as its quality solution for all of its online consumer research. AskingCanadians joins the expanding roster of multiple survey platforms, research companies, and sample suppliers who have adopted TrueSample, largely driven by client requests for reliable research results. www.corporate.askingcanadians.com Qualvu Named to #12 on “GRIT Top 50” by GreenBook, a Leading Market Research Publication In an annual ranking compilation based on feedback from their clients, which include many of the world’s largest brands, Qualvu moved into the top echelon of Greenbook Research Industry Trends GRIT Top 50 – an impressive achievement for a young company. In the report Qualvu was ranked #12, which assessed technology attitudes and adoption towards various methodologies in the market research industry. www.qualvu.vom

People and Companies in the News sponsored by:

Your Sampling and Data Specialists • • • •

35 years of fast and accurate service Targeted sampling, modelling, profiling Analytics, data appending and enhancement Advanced media analytics

SMRinfo@smres.com • 905.474.5271 • www.smres.com

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RRS

RESEARCH REGISTRATION SYSTEM Since 1994, the RRS has allowed respondents to verify the legitimacy of a research project; helped legislators and regulators differentiate between legitimate survey researchers and unscrupulous telemarketers, phishers and scammers; and protected the industry from unnecessary and unwanted regulation.

RRS

MRIA’s Research Registration System (RRS) has long been a cornerstone self-regulatory mechanism for the marketing, survey and public opinion research and market intelligence industry in Canada.

THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES HAVE REGISTERED RESEARCH PROJECTS WITH THE RESEARCH REGISTRATION SYSTEM DURING JANUARY – MAY 2011:

Combined with other self-regulatory initiatives such as our Code of Conduct and Good Practice and our Charter of Respondent Rights, the RRS has paid huge dividends in protecting the industry’s positive reputation and good name with Canadians.

GOLD SEAL CORPORATE BASIC CORPORATE RESEARCH RESEARCH AGENCIES AGENCIES Academica Group ERIN Research Acrobat Research Ltd. Ideaspace Research Advanis Inc. Illumina Research Partners Justason Market Intelligence Advitek Inc. M. Leduc & Co. BBM Analytics Market Dimensions BBM Canada Metroline Research Group Inc. Blue Ocean Contact Centers Network Research Field Services Inc. Campaign Research Nexus Market Research Inc. Canadian Viewpoint Inc. Panoptika Inc. COMPAS Inc. Prophis Research & Consulting Inc. Corporate Research Associates Quality Response Inc. Corsential ULC Sylvain Laroche, Consultant, Inc. CRC Research Sylvestre Marketing EKOS Research Associates Inc. Vancouver Focus Elemental Data Collection Inc. Winning Research Forum Research Inc. GfK Research Dynamics INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH Harris/Decima Inc. AGENCIES Hay Research International Consumer Vision Ipsos Reid Corporation Opinion Search Leger Marketing Research House Maritz Research Canada SOM Inc. Market Probe Canada MarketQuest-Omnifacts Research Tann Research Matrix Research Limited RESEARCH AGENCY MBA Recherche PENDING MD Analytics Inc. concerto research inc.

Nanos Research NRG Research Group Phase 5 Consulting Group Inc. POLLARA PRA Inc. R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. Research Dimensions Research Now Synovate Ltd. Tele-Surveys Plus / Télé-Sondages Plus The Logit Group Inc. TNS Canadian Facts Trend Research Inc.

All Gold Seal and Basic Corporate Research Agency members of the Association are obligated to register all of their research projects with the RRS, and Client-Side Corporate members are encouraged to require their agency suppliers to do so.

MRIA’s Research Agency Council provides strategic, policy-level oversight of the Research Registration System, and receives aggregate data-only on the System’s performance.

Questions about the Research Registration System should be addressed to Sylvie Corbeil-Peloquin, Manager, Member Services, at 1-888-602-6742 or 905-602-6854, ext. 8726 or scorbeil@mria-arim.ca or, in her absence, Executive Director Brendan Wycks at ext. 8724 or bwycks@mria-arim.ca.

Rules of Conduct and Good Practice For Members of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (2007):

Section A (5) Members must uphold the MRIA Charter of Respondent Rights.

Charter of Respondent Rights, Article 2 You can verify that the research you have been invited to participate in is legitimate in one of two ways. You can either obtain a registration number and the MRIA's toll-free telephone number for any research registered in the MRIA's Research Registration System or you can obtain the contact information of the research director who is conducting the study.

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mria-arim.ca/RRS

P RO F E SS I O NAL D E VE LO P M E N T

Stupid Answers Aren’t Easy

MRIA Institute for Professional Development

Fania Borok I would like to thank the brave participants and fearless host of the recent CMRP-related game of Jeopardy held at the 2011 MRIA conference in Kelowna. Daniela Hassman of Smartpoint Research, Kent Waugh of the BC Automobile Association, and our winner, Shane Skillen, CMRP, of Hotspex: you all played with fantastic effort. Cam Davis, CMRP, your made-for-TV hosting personality helped deliver an educational and memorable fifteen minutes.

During the game, the contestants seemed to favour the Stupid Answers category. The following question was posed under that category: “A statistical test first published in Biometrica in 1908 by William Sealy Gosset under the pen name Student, to hide the fact that he was using this ‘proprietary test’ for Guinness Brewery at the time.” The correct answer would have been “What is the Student’s t-test?” Unfortunately for our contestants, this question proved a bit of a challenge.

Then the following questions were posed under the MCP (Maintenance of Certification Program) category: “This is the number of MCP points a CMRP will get for attending the two-day conference in Kelowna,” and “This is the number of points CMRP holders are required to accumulate in this period of time to maintain their designation.” Correct answers: “What is 40 points?” and “What is 50 points in two years?”

So what lessons were learned from these fifteen minutes of zany fun?

The audience became increasingly aware of the CMRP designation and MCP requirements, and they had a refresher on some MRIA standards. The participants had the privilege of being embarrassed live on stage, in front of nearly 300 of their friends and colleagues. The Professional Development and Certification leadership team received a strong reminder that substantial work remains to be done in raising the profile and value of the CMRP, and in ensuring a clear understanding of the MCP requirements.

Ultimately, everyone involved had fun and shared a few laughs.

So are CMRPs smarter? Although I suspect Shane Skillen would like to think so, our sample group was too small to verify that. However, maybe next year we should host Are You Smarter than a CMRP? Until then, we would like to try

something new and ask what you, our industry insiders, feel are the important steps that must be taken to raise the profile of the CMRP, its value, and the desire to attain and maintain the designation.

Fania Borok is the manager of MRIA’s Professional Development and Certification portfolio. She can be reached at fborok@mria-arim.ca vue September 2011

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The Future of the CMRP

Fergus W. Gamble, CMRP

It seemed that much discussion at Kelowna revolved around the standards of the industry and how they must evolve. In the most extreme perspective, some thought we currently risk the very survival of market research. I suspect this perspective has been the undertone of many conferences, but it did seem to engender a more serious discussion this year. Many positive approaches were suggested about how to improve the industry and engage the respondent population with members, even committing to actions.

There was also a pleasing (to those of us involved in the Education Committee) number of mentions of professional standards and the importance of the CMRP in bringing them about. Of course, having the recent CMRP graduates presented on stage at the gala certainly helped.

All this allowed me to ask attendees about their feelings with regard to the CMRP and its relevance. In addition, I have received comments from others in response to my request for input. As well, there have been comments from a selection of the graduates with regard to their experience of the CMRP. While it may still be a work in progress, here is a synthesis of comments, so far.

The CMRP is highly regarded. Almost universally, members of the association see the CMRP as a positive and notable achievement. It is seen to advance the careers of members who take the courses and, in turn, these individuals are perceived as bringing a higher standard to the industry. It might even be fair to say that some are slightly intimidated by the CMRP and see it as something that is a serious achievement.

The CMRP may represent the future of the industry in Canada. Again the CMRP is seen as becoming a potential standard for future employment and rapid advancement in the marketing research profession. This perception was a common one, not only among younger members with CMRPs, but also among those who do not hold the designation. However, there is a major question as to 36

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whether the CMRP is seen as being this important within the C-suites of the industry.

So much for the good news.

The CMRP is seen by some as anachronistic and bipolar.

Some younger people feel that the CMRP represents many of the old values of the industry and that its requirements are based on outdated standards and methods. Some felt that the current situation – most CMRP holders being “grandparented” and the newer holders being younger and new to the industry – excludes the substantial group in between.

There is seen to be little incentive for those with a moderate level of experience and an established career to step up to take the CMRP. So to date, here are what appear to be the potential strategic directions for the CMRP: • We must encourage an industry-wide commitment to the CMRP, led and supported, most critically, by senior executives within client and supplier companies.

• The CMRP must remain or become relevant and beneficial to those who already have established careers in market research, and become mandatory for new career-minded entrants.

• MRIA members in senior positions should support the CMRP by requiring their staff and suppliers to have their CMRP designation, or to be actively acquiring it.

I welcome your further comments.

Fergus Gamble, CMRP, has been a member of MRIA-PMRS for over thirty years. He was a student in the first formal education course, helped organize the initial PMRS annual conference, and has served as chair of both the Membership and the Special Projects portfolios. Fergus is president of Radix Market Research Inc. and can be reached at fergus.gamble@radixmr.com

CO LU M N I ST S

CO L U M N IST S

These commonalities provide a shared model of group interaction. Many of the behaviours we expect from Client-Side Researchers Connect in Toronto participants (such as listening to each other) have been Kristian Gravelle internalized in the context of the education system. This model Kraft Canada helps manage time effectively – and gives participants comfort by providing a behaviour guide in a potentially unfamiliar This past June 9, 2011, the Client-Side Researcher Council setting.

(CSRC) hosted an event in Toronto where client-side However, the classroom experience isn’t identical to the focus researchers were invited to share best practices in bringing group (and not just in the lack of spit balls and ridicule); its insights to life. The event also provided a great opportunity to function as a shared reference point can pose barriers to connect with researchers in a number of organizations and, in uncovering insights. some cases, reconnect with past colleagues.

We say that any answer is valid if it reflects how participants During the event, researchers from Unilever (Monica feel, but their default is to tell us what they think (rationalize).

Alfonso), Kellogg’s (Camilla Jenkins) and Kraft Foods (Kristian They’ve learned this behaviour where we all did: in the Gravelle) shared examples of how they brought insights to life classroom. Students are rewarded for having a right answer, or in a memorable way and got engagement from their respective a rationally cohesive argument. Less positive reinforcement is business partners. Examples included activation of consumer given to unanchored emotions or answers that “feel” true. As segmentation, business partner immersion, and insight children, we learn the lesson thoroughly; is it a surprise, then, activation to engage creative development. Presenters that it governs our responses as adults? showcased how they succeeded in bringing insights to life. It Hence the need for projective techniques – “Write a love was exciting to see that, even though the organizations are letter to the brand,” and “What if it weren’t a chocolate but a different, common themes emerged: book.” Those techniques that make viewers uncomfortable, by • Know your audience, and adapt your message to it. supposedly wasting time, serve the vital purpose of getting • Give context and concrete business impact of the insights. grown-ups to forget about being rational and right for a • Get your audience engaged and participating in the moment, and just let out the answers that really speak for activation. them.

• Go out on a limb and take risks: do something different.

Don’t get me wrong: I think rational discourse is good. We The event was well-attended, and the relaxed atmosphere just need to be vigilant in making sure that participants don’t provided a great forum for the audience to brainstorm always act like good students. Messy, irrational feelings are immediate actions that can take place to increase the level of often where the best insights come from – even if they aren’t on engagement of the business partners, and it afforded the the exam. opportunity to share experiences of do’s and don’ts.

We encourage all MRIA members who are client-side QRD researchers to come and participate in future events. The “Qual is Dead! Long live Qual!”

CSRC is planning additional social events in Toronto, in Montreal, and in Western Canada to provide opportunities John McGarr for engagement and best practice sharing. Look for notices Fresh Squeezed Ideas of these events in future communications.

The theme for this year’s qualitative half-day conference was QUALITAS inspired by The Who song “Rock is Dead – Long Live Please, Sir, I’m Ever So Smart!

Rock,” which was a defiant rejection of the suggestion that rock ‘n’ roll music in the early ’70s was a fading fad. In the Ken LeClair blogosphere – if you listen to it – many consultants who are Ipsos Camelford Graham focused on social media, data mining, and other emerging Having been a teacher and a moderator, I’m struck by the research tools are at least hinting at the “death” of qualitative research. similarities between the classroom and the focus group room.

CSRC

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The purpose of this year’s conference is for the qualitative research industry to celebrate what is great about qual, in the face of what sometimes appears to be a struggle for legitimacy.

The speaker topics assembled by the conference committee suggest that the way to achieve this aim is for the industry to be clear about what qual does best; provide the highest quality version of that; and have eyes wide open about developments, positive and negative, that impact the role of qual.

It is in the collective interest of qual practitioners and research buyers to have the industry aligned to a positive vision for qual. This conference will hopefully point us all in that positive direction.

Sessions will include a wide array of topics, in various formats. What they will all have in common is that the topics and talks will be provocative, with the intent of making the industry think hard about where value is created.

Conference date: Friday, October 28, 2011.

Location: downtown Toronto, at Consumer Vision (2 Bloor Street West, 3rd floor). Registration for the event will open soon. Watch for updates at www.mria-arim.ca/QRD/News.asp

THE INNOVATION ACCELERATOR Connecting Ideas Margaret Imai-Compton, CMRP Imai-Compton Consulting

“To create, you must quiet your mind. You need a quiet mind so that ideas will have a chance of connecting.”

(Eric Maisil, Creative Coach) Eric Maisil’s quote instantly caught my attention as I, like everybody else in today’s world, am bobbing around in our frenetic, multi-tasking, media-intensive culture. Even as someone who actively works and trains others in a creative capacity, I find it challenging to “quiet my mind.”

Think about a typical day: Our smart phones are poised and ready, emails drop into our inbox without interruption, and people demand our attention. And this isn’t just about work, it’s about the intensity of our personal lives as well. Be really honest: How much quiet time do you really have?

Without deliberately making time to quiet our mind so we can make creative connections, our ideas have little or no chance to percolate. This doesn’t mean you have to take up an intensive meditation practice, but it does mean knowing and recognizing that creative ideas have little opportunity to break through in today’s frenetic world.

Creating a quiet mind can be as easy as taking five or ten minute breaks during the day to just be still with no agenda.

For example, I sometimes build in this time after lunch as a 38

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way to encourage creative connections before I launch into afternoon and evening activities.

How you rest your mind is very individual. Some of us meditate, others daydream and most of us draw inspiration from music, reading or gentle physical activity like walking.

Be careful, however, not to confuse quieting your mind with becoming unconscious – this is not an excuse for a nap!

Making a regular practice of giving your mind some rest will lead to creative connections, which then leads to good and productive ideas.

RAC Beyond the RAC Adam Froman Delvinia

The Research Agency Council is an important part of the MRIA. Any company operating as a business in Canada and that derives at least 75% of its revenue from the provision of marketing and survey research, or business intelligence services, to other companies or organizations can apply to become a Corporate Research Agency member.

While the MRIA represents both individual and corporate members, the Research Agency Council is specifically mandated to represent the interests of the MRIA’s corporate members. This representation is so important to the MRIA that the Board of the Research Agency Council is an elected council.

Apart from providing representing corporate members on the MRIA Board, the RAC Board oversees the Research Registration System, the annual Gold Seal certification process and monitors the financial health of the industry through monthly sales reporting and an annual survey of all corporate member agencies.

A major mandate this year is to review and reassess the mission and vision of the Research Agency Council. The process is aligning with the overall strategic planning process that the national board is going through. As the RAC Board goes through this process, there are four areas that the RAC will focus its mission. These are our representation of corporate members, promoting and supporting industry self-regulation, providing industry leadership and facilitation of progress. This new mission and vision will be completed this fall.

Another mandate of the RAC Board is to better inform corporate members about the initiatives and issues that are important to corporate agencies in Canada. As part of this mandate, we will be using Vue Magazine to share the issues and topics that all corporate members need to be top of mind about, as well as sharing the progress of the RAC Board. Each issue will highlight a different priority that the RAC Board feels important to share with the industry.

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For more details or to register, visit our website at www.mria-arim.ca

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