Social media brings benefits to market research that go well beyond new methodology!
About a month ago, one of our Next Gen Market Research (NGMR) members, Jean Fasching, opened a discussion thread on our group’s LinkedIn forum with two questions about CASRO’s proposed ISO standards:
1) Will US MR firms embrace international MR standards?
2) Will being certified matter to US market research buyers/clients?
Who knew two simple questions would lead to one of the most vigorous - and at times heated - open debates I’ve ever seen in research quarters!
I’ll reserve my responses to Jean’s questions for the thread, which has since neared 100 posts, covered a broad range of topics and viewpoints, and taken on a life of its own.
What is worth noting here, however, is the extent to which social media has begun to democratize the MR industry. There is a radical transformation underway, and the dialogue currently taking place on the NGMR thread exemplifies this.
Like other professions, policy in the market research industry has traditionally been set by trade organizations. Or to be frank, by a handful of individuals often with board affiliations to multiple trade organizations whose positions typically represent the interests of a relatively small but powerful constituency. And let’s be honest: the beneficiaries are usually determined by virtue of scale.
As a result, much of what has passed for progress under the auspices of these organizations to date has been little more than defense of the status quo. This is not an indictment of any individuals, or big suppliers or our trade associations, per se, but of the system, itself.
Fortunately, that system is now being turned on its ear with the advent of social media, which has ushered in a new era of transparency. Issues that affect the MR industry in the future will likely be debated openly on channels like NGMR and countless others, not behind closed doors.
This will encourage participation from a much broader spectrum of industry stakeholders, and give voice to a much richer variety of perspectives, which I believe will ultimately benefit the industry as a whole.
Not everyone shares my opinion, I know. Change is seldom met without resistance. To those whose interests are tied to business as usual and who have relied on political heft to set the agenda, you have my sympathies. That sun is setting.
To everyone else in market research, I say welcome to a vivacious, egalitarian and innovative dawn!
@TomHCAnderson
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3 responses so far ↓
1 Kevin // Jun 29, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Spot on commentary Tom.
Let the disruption begin!
2 Ted Kendall // Jul 1, 2010 at 11:14 am
Amen, bro. We have seen it since it’s inception that the Internet is great at leveling the playing field. It tends to be both feared and dismissed the the power brokers in any industry and often leads to change by taking some of their power over the masses and vesting it into the hands of the wired masses. Market research is not immune to this and it looks like the power of the association is waning. Having sat on a board for one of the larger US associations, I can tell you that you are absolutely correct-those sitting on the boards are typically more interested in maintaining the status quo and assuring that the powerful entities in the industry maintain their grip on business as usual. Fortunately, the smaller players are also the more nimble, the more innovative and social media is allowing us to begin to set the agenda and the standards-based on practicality and results, not on an academic or power-based perspective. Nice call on this new trend.
3 Does MR Need A Grassroots Voice? « // Jul 9, 2010 at 11:52 am
[...] for research, is passionate about our industry, and he raises a good point in his recent blog post An Ode to Disruption: Social Media’s Impact on Research-As-Usual: Fortunately, that system is now being turned on its ear with the advent of social media, which has [...]
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