the magazine of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association

JUNE 2015vuevueNAVIGATING THE GREY ZONE AN ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY FOR PROMOTING POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS OF COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

NINE TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE DATA MINING

BIG DATA IS (STILL) A BIG DEAL

YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA: WHEN IS IT A WASTE OF TIME?

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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

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ISSN 1488-7320

Commentary4 Editor’s Vue

6 Letter from the Chair

Special Feature8 YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA: WHEN IS IT A WASTE OF TIME?

Doug Hohener

Features10 BIG DATA IS (STILL) A BIG DEAL

Steve Holder

12 NAVIGATING THE GREY ZONE – AN ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY FOR PROMOTING POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS OF COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE Lisel Douglas

16 NINE TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE DATA MINING Rachel Clinton

Industry News5 New CMRPs

7 MRIA Awards and Recognition

18 MRIA 2015 Conference Summary

22 People and Companies in the News

24 Off the RAC

25 AODA: A Message to MRIA Members

26 MRIA Qualitative Research Registry (QRR)

27 From the Classroom

28 Best of the Blogs

29 MRIA Research Registration System (RRS)

30 Storytelling Conference Questionnaire – Executive Summary

31 Chapter Chat

32 Education Course Listings

17 Mark Your Calendar

Columnists27 La Belle Vue

Advertisers21 ASDE

4 vue | JUNE 2015

COMMENTARY / COMMENTAIRE

Annie Pettit PhD, Chief Research Officer / Directrice de la recherche, Peanut LabsEditor-in-Chief, Vue / Rédactrice en chef, Vue • Email: annie@peanutlabs.com • (416) 273-9395 • t @LoveStats

Please share your opinions about Vue articles and columns, or submit your cartoons and infographics to the Editor. La rédactrice vous invite à lui faire parvenir directement vos commentaires, opinions, caricatures ou infographies.

Annie Pettit

EDITOR’S Vue

I learned a great new word just a few weeks ago: p-hacking. I’ve always had an intuitive sense for what p-hacking is, and that it’s a very bad thing, but I never had a word to describe it. With that word, it’s a lot easier to recognize and talk about it.

P-hacking refers to situations where a researcher picks and chooses from their data such that their results are more likely to be statistically significant. For instance, you might collect another ten responses so that a t-test or chi-square becomes significant. Or, you might ignore a treatment that turns out to be insignificant and decide it was never truly relevant to begin with. Or, you might simply fail to report on insignificant tests and instead report only those that were significant.

It doesn’t matter whether you have a qualitative or quantitative bent. The theory of p-hacking is relevant to every researcher. Most researchers would probably deny doing it but the problem is that it isn’t always a conscious activity.

We need to be consciously aware of p-hacking. At the beginning of each study, we must remind ourselves that we have predetermined biases and hypotheses based on past experience and intuition, and we must take firm steps to prevent it as much as possible. Write down every one of your hypotheses. Write down every variable, treatment, and the characteristics of each one. Write down all the specific tests you plan to conduct. Not only will this help to prevent p-hacking, this advance planning will make your analytical process run more quickly and smoothly.

If you’d like to learn a bit more about p-hacking, have a quick read here:

False-Positive Psychology: Undisclosed Flexibility in Data Collection and Analysis Allows Presenting Anything as Significant by Joseph P. Simmons, Leif D. Nelson, and Uri Simonsohn. http://pss.sagepub.com/content/22/11/1359.full.pdf

Il y a quelques semaines j’ai appris un nouveau mot : “p-hacking”. Je connaissais déjà le phénomène intuitivement et je savais que c’était à proscrire, mais je n’avais pas de mot pour le décrire. Mais maintenant que je sais comment cela s’appelle, je peux vous en parler plus en longueur.

Il se fait du “p-hacking” quand, par exemple, un chercheur pige dans ses données pour obtenir des résultats qui, statistiquement, sont plus significatifs. Il pourra ainsi collecter 10 réponses de plus, de façon à ce qu’un test t ou un khi carré devienne significatif. Ou il décidera qu’un traitement dont les résultats ne sont pas significatifs n’était pas pertinent de toute façon. Ou encore : il ne fera pas rapport des tests qui se sont révélés sans signification mais fera état de ceux qui étaient significatifs.

Le phénomène du “p-hacking” menace autant les chercheurs qualitatifs que quantitatifs – tous les chercheurs sont à risque. La plupart des chercheurs nieraient probablement qu’ils font du “p-hacking”. Le hic, c’est qu’ils le font peut-être sans même en être conscients.

Nous devons tous être vigilants face au “p-hacking”. Avant d’emtamer une étude, nous devons donc songer au fait que nous avons tous des préjugés et des hypothèses qui se fondent sur notre expérience et notre intuition, et prendre des mesures pour les neutraliser. Je vous suggère de dresser une liste de toutes vos hypothèses et, pour chacune d’elles, de ses variables, traitements et caractéristiques. Décidez à l’avance des tests ou contrôles que vous ferez. Cette démarche vous évitera probablement de tomber dans le “p-hacking” et, du même coup, accélérera et facilitera votre processus d’analyse.

Si vous souhaitez en savoir plus, je vous invite à lire l’article qui suit :

False-Positive Psychology: Undisclosed Flexibility in Data Collection and Analysis Allows Presenting Anything as Significant by Joseph P. Simmons, Leif D. Nelson, and Uri Simonsohn. http://pss.sagepub.com/content/22/11/1359.full.pdf

vue | JUNE 2015 5

Zeynep Aydin, CMRPConsultantKantar Salim Barghouth, CMRPSenior Communications AdvisorEnvironment Canada Phyllis Beckford, CMRPDirector, Business IntelligenceHudson’s Bay Company Erin Brown, MBA, CMRPResearch AssociateCorporate Research Associates

Louis Dutaud, CMRPSenior Research AnalystGfK Canada

Lynne Gillis, CMRPSenior Research AnalystCorporate Research Associates

Dan Jackson, CMRPMember Development OfficerMRIA

Ling (Lynn) Li, CMRPResearch ManagerMcCain Foods Karl MacIsaac, CMRP Social Media CoordinatorMRIA

Kara Mitchelmore, MBA, FCMA, CMRPChief Executive OfficerMRIA Denver Redman, CMRPSenior Client AdvocateEnvironics Analytics Samantha Robinson, CMRPProject Manager – Digital ServicesEnvironics Research Group Maria Cristina Snook, CMRPSelf Employed Charlotte Tonge, CMRPResearch AnalystCorporate Research Associates

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW CMRPs OF THE 2015 WINTER SESSION!FÉLICITATIONS AUX NOUVEAUX PARM DE 2015!

Successful Completion of Pathways 1, 2 or 3

Successful Completion of Pathway 4 - Experienced PractitionerDouglas Anderson, CMRPPrincipalThe Earnscliffe Strategy Group

Joseph Chen, CMRPConsumer InsightsThe Hershey Company

Stephanie Constable, CMRPPrincipalThe Earnscliffe Strategy Group

Rick Nadeau, CMRPPresidentQuorus Consulting Group Inc.

Retraction

In the March 2014 Issue of Vue and during the recent National Conference, we mistakenly indicated as a new CMRP, Christine Snook, rather than the full and correct name as Maria Cristina Snook. We regret the error.

6 vue | JUNE 2015

Carolyn O’Keefe, CMRP

MRIA Members,

I am both excited and honoured to be the Chair of the MRIA Board of Directors for 2015-16. MRIA has

played a significant role in my career as a market researcher from helping me build my business, creating professional networks, and conducting research with integrity and confidence. I am a proud holder of the CMRP designation, certification that is very important to the future of our industry.

The goal of my monthly Vue letter will be to inform members about key happenings at the MRIA such as decisions made at board meetings, the implementation of new systems/processes, and information on current events or policies which affect members.

At the board meeting in March, we reviewed and approved the audited financial statements for 2014. MRIA received a clean audit report. 2014 was a tough year for the MRIA, one of much change, and, as a result, we ended the year with an operating loss of $380,630 and a depleted reserve fund. On a positive note, things are starting to turn around and this year we are anticipating a small profit and the start of replenishing the reserve. The National Conference in downtown Toronto provides positive momentum for generating revenue this year.

Keeping with finances, the Audit and Risk Committee prepared an operational and strategic risk framework which was reviewed and approved by the Board. This framework allows for risk mitigation strategies to be developed to ensure continuous operation of the Association.

In the past year, we experienced a shrinking membership base with a decrease in both corporate and individual membership renewals. Obviously this is concerning, and member value is something that we as a Board must address. This will involve looking at the entire membership and fee structure.

I’d love to hear feedback from members. Please reach out to me with any issues or questions. I can be reached at carolyn@mqoresearch.com.

Talk next month!

À tous les membres de l’ARIM :

Je suis honorée d’avoir été nommée au poste de présidente du conseil d’administration de l’ARIM (2015-2016). L’ARIM a joué un rôle capital dans ma carrière de chercheuse marketing. Elle m’a ainsi aidée à bâtir mon entreprise, à créer un réseau de contacts professionnels et à faire de la recherche en toute confiance et avec intégrité. De plus, je suis fière d’être agrée PARM, un agrément important pour l’avenir de notre secteur.

Mon message mensuel aura pour objectif d’informer les membres au sujet des choses importantes qui se produisent à l’ARIM : les décisions du conseil d’administration, par exemple, la mise en oeuvre de nouveaux systèmes ou processus, les grands événements, de même que les politiques qui touchent les membres.

À la dernière réunion du conseil d’administration, au mois de mars, celui-ci a passé en revue et approuvé les états financiers vérifiés de 2014, dont l’audit s’est fait sans histoire. L’ARIM a connu une année 2014 plutôt difficile, au signe du changement. Résultat : une perte d’exploitation de 380 630 $ et un fonds de prévoyance dégarni. Nous prévoyons cependant un revirement de situation en 2015, qui devrait se terminer avec un léger bénéfice et la capacité de renflouer quelque peu le fonds de prévoyance. À cet égard, le congrès national, qui aura lieu à Toronto, nous aidera certainement à générer des revenus.

Toujours au chapitre des finances, le Comité d’audit et de gestion des risques a présenté un cadre d’exploitation et de gestion des risques qui a été examiné et approuvé par le conseil. Ce cadre autorise la détermination de stratégies d’atténuation des risques pour assurer la pérénnité de l’ARIM.

L’année dernière a vu une baisse du nombre d’adhésions, tant d’entreprises qu’individuelles. Cette situation nous préoccupe et le conseil d’administration devra évidemment se pencher sur la question de la valeur aux membres et passer en revue la structure d’adhésion et du règlement des frais.

Je vous invite enfin à me faire part de vos commentaires, suggestions, questions et opinions à l’adresse courriel qui suit. Je suit tout oreilles : carolyn@mqoresearch.com.

À bientôt!

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Carolyn O’Keefe, CMRP / PARM, MQO Research Chair, Marketing Research and Intelligence Association / Présidente du conseil, L’Association de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing

Email: carolyn@mqoresearch.com • 709-753-5172

COMMENTARY / COMMENTAIRE

STUDENT CASE COMPETITION AWARDS

This year’s award winners were announced and celebrated at the 2015 Excellence Awards Gala and Dinner held at the Marriott Eaton Centre, Toronto, Ontario, as part of MRIA’s national conference,

on the evening of Monday, May 25, 2015.

Previous winners are also posted online here

The eminent members of the 2014-15 Judging Panel for the Excellence in Research Awards represent research practitioners from many different areas: Chair: Kara Mitchelmore, CMRP, MRIA CEO

Judges: Ed Gibson, CMRP – CRC Research • Gail Tibbo, CMRP – Incisive Marketing • Kimberlee Niziol Jonas – Instar Research

2015

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.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

STUDENT CASE COMPETITION AWARDS

BEST IN CLASS AWARD Canadian Tire, Vision Critical

“Tested for Life”

BEST INTEGRATION AWARDAstraZeneca, IMS Brogan,

InSync Research, Angela Tsui “Brilinta”

BEST MULTINATIONAL AWARD

Ritchie Bros Auctioneers “Buying Journey”

EXCELLENCE BEHIND

THE SCENESRogers, Rogers Research

“OTC Medication”

GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP AWARD

Deborah Klotz

JOSEPH DOYLE AWARDHighest Mark Achieved

2014 – 15 CMREKara Mitchelmore, MBA, FCMA,

CMRP

PUBLIC POLICY IMPACT AWARDCorbinPartners, Questrade

Wealth Mgmt“Changing the regulation of wealth

management”

CLIENT-SIDE RESEARCHER IMPACT AND EFFECTIVENESS

AWARDRob Redford

AWARD OF OUTSTANDING MERITAdam Froman

AWARD OF DISTINCTION

Isabelle Landreville

VUE MAGAZINE – BEST PAPER: 2014

“Google and IBM get it. Do you?”John Willis

CHAPTER MERIT AWARDPrairie Chapter

1ST PLACEALGONQUIN COLLEGE

Justin Ramsay

Matthew Reichert

Colleen Wang

2ND PLACE

CENTENNIAL COLLEGE

Xue Ju

Heather Ryan

Yueying Wang

3RD PLACE

GEORGIAN COLLEGE

Jasmela Murati

Chelse Chan

Alecia Dretzkat

8 vue | JUNE 2015

FEATURE

In the first leg of a strategic marketing project, we recently encountered some research results that elicited a certain “wow” factor. For the purposes of this case study, I will refer to

this company as ABC Consulting. Prior to our engagement, ABC Consulting was about to hit “go” on several online marketing tactics, including a heavy investment in the launch of several social media networking sites and a new website installed with interactive capabilities. These days, it may seem as though engaging your customers is as simple as choosing what social networks you want to appear on, and then posting as the need arises. As it was in this case, this is often a misguided approach.

Social media should be considered a tactic, and consequently should be considered last rather than first when developing a marketing strategy. Why is that? All things considered, tactics are volatile and constantly changing. For example, there was a time when Netscape and Yahoo both seemed invincible. MySpace was once the reigning social force. Falling in love with tactics will mean constant, chaotic changes in direction, so long as tactics come first instead of last. Unfortunately, many businesses have taken this approach of using tactic before strategy and the results are often unsurprisingly poor. A tactical approach to social media is guesswork at best, and lacks focus, position and direction, all of which are the crucial first steps a business needs to drive its success.

Marketing Research: Asking the Right Questions

Digital and social media are marketing tactics much like websites, advertising, special promotions and campaigns. Like any tactic, before implementing them, their value must be validated with the people they are actually targeting. Embarking on a strategic direction requires high-quality, unbiased information that identifies who and what the targeted customers in the industry value, and what they perceive in relation to competitors. To this end, qualitative research can be a useful start.

ABC Consulting lacked qualitative data in order to validate its outcomes and objectives when using social and digital media. It is true in most cases, as it was in this research study, that finding the truth lies in identifying and asking the right questions. It is helpful to develop a research process. The first step for us is to list the competitors and the customers to be contacted, and then ask the ABC to contact their customers to let them know that we would be calling. Again, when focusing on the target audience, it is important to develop interview questions tailored for the customer or competitor. In this case, questions for the customers were tailored for either C-level or management level, as these were the primary points of contact for ABC.

Here are some examples of useful qualitative questions for customers:

SPEC

IAL

With the social and digital media bubble ever

expanding, there is high pressure to conform to

whatever new marketing trends pop up, and do

so first. For most business owners, the visibility

and connectivity accessible through social

media and other online platforms makes them

automatically seem worth their while. What is

less obvious, however, is how to measure what is

working and what is not, and when to drop a platform

that could be a waste of time, money and energy.

YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA: WHEN IS IT A WASTE OF TIME?

Doug Hohener

vue | JUNE 2015 9

• How long have you known ABC?

• Why did you choose ABC vs. other competitors?

• What type of relationship do you have with this company?

• How does this organization communicate with you?

• Have you been on its website? If so, please tell me about it.

• Do you use social media or watch the videos on this company’s site? If not, why not?

• Do you feel it provides you with an avenue to address concerns?

Following customer interviews, competitor analyses should be performed. For this type of research, it is advantageous to have a way of finding out what customers look for when seeking products or services from a certain business or competitor. For example, we discussed with ABC what types of questions it receives from potential customers and, based on their feedback, created similar questions to ask its competitors while posing as a type of company that would be seeking their services. We contacted competitors in three different areas of business, developing a separate set of questions depending on the service we were seeking. As an additional indicator, a competitor’s online presence, websites and other collateral often provide cues as to how a competitor communicates its unique value propositions to its respective customers, and the types of methods that it uses to capture the attention of the target audience.

• With some modification depending on the industry, here are some aspects of the competitors’ activities are particularly useful to know:

• To what extent does this competitor deliver the exact same services?

• What level of customer service does it provide?

• Is this company easy to deal with or, alternately, difficult to track down?

• What value-add does its services offer versus your client/company?

• How transparent is this company with pricing?

• What sort of communication methods and follow-up does it employ?

Marketing research, specifically customer analysis, can be the most powerful tool marketers have for finding out firsthand details of what customers value and why they choose one company over another. Leveraging the right tools and tactics in order to better understand the target audience will clarify what sort of messages and content are most likely to increase loyalty, drive sales, and help a company attain its goals as a whole.

Outcomes: Letting Go of Online Tactics

Despite ABC Consulting’s readiness to invest in online tactics, no customer who participated in this research expressed that they valued online communication and/or social media, stating that they rarely visited ABC’s website, and had no need for social

media. What did they value? As it turned out, these customers placed high value on personal calls, face-to-face meetings, and other direct interpersonal communication methods. The result of this research was a 180-degree shift from what this client had assumed its customers wanted. This case study presented a classic instance where proper research and asking customers “why” and “what” were of critical importance. To reiterate: tactics are not a solution that should be implemented before understanding who your audience is and what they value.

In the end, ABC narrowly dodged a common mistake that could have cost it thousands. It could have spent money on a social media or digital platform that would have ended up stagnant, thanks to a customer base that does not rely on websites, and potential customers that would rather seek out the same service via non-digital means.

This case study emphasizes the need for research in order to generate a strong strategy. In effect, a good marketing strategy dictates the need to understand your unique brand and audience before moving onto the tactics. With competitor and customer research revealing that a strong online presence and social media sites were not the key communication tools with this particular audience, the tactic selected instead was personal, face-to-face interactions. Before pursuing a new tactic, make sure you know how to choose the right digital platform, or perhaps ask yourself if you should choose one at all.

A Recap

Always put strategy before tactics. Tactics only work after determining a strategic direction. Without research and strategy, the effectiveness of social and digital media will rely on guesswork that could waste both time and money.

Ask the right questions. Get to know your audience and your industry. Create a process to collect qualitative data, tailor your questions, and find out what your customers value. Leverage your unique values by comparing yourself to your competitors.

Match your tactic to your audience. Weigh your tactics based on customer and competitor feedback. Social media and websites provide brand awareness and instant two-way interaction, but they can be expensive and lack value for somebody who is an exclusive telephone user.

The digital trend may be booming, but the tactics that go along with it are also fluctuating with rapid speed. Meanwhile, within every industry and customer base there are unique differences and perceived values that may or may not determine the success of certain tactics. Before jumping into the digital and social media trend, take advantage of marketing research and check if your customers are on board. It may turn out that the old-fashioned way works even better.

Doug Hohener is the president of CreativeWorks Marketing, an award-winning agency based in Markham, Ontario. He can be reached at dhohener@creativeworksmarketing.ca, or follow him @CW_Mktg and creativeworksmarketing.wordpress.com.

SPECIAL FEATURE

10 vue | JUNE 2015

It wasn’t one change, but a variety of trends and innovations that led to the Big Data phenomenon, including: the democratization of technology via increased data volumes and access to technology at a lower cost; the impact of

smartphones and tablets thanks to their ubiquitous use among adults and enterprise users and even children accessing mobile technology at a young age; and the sheer volume of data created and captured as we go about our everyday lives.

This democratized technology – mobile phones, social media, telemetry and more – is generating billions, if not trillions, of data points every day. Hidden in the data are signals that, when captured, add value and make life better. The challenge in the past has been to store and analyze this data, quickly and cost-effectively. Rapid innovation and lower-cost technology have lowered this hurdle.

When we search and navigate the web, we access and are instantly presented with relevant information. Behind the scenes, companies such as Google, LinkedIn and Facebook are taking all these data points, storing them, and using them to empower, predict, provide recommendations, and interact with us in a contextually relevant way. As consumers, our lives are data-driven. As employees, that often is not the case.

We have data-driven decision making available to us every day in our personal lives thanks to the work of consumer-facing companies. Yet, Monday to Friday it seems we struggle to make decisions at work as the result of the data our businesses collect. Most organizations focus on hindsight as opposed to leveraging new data to make forward-looking and optimized decisions.

In 2011, the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) published “Big Data: The Next Frontier for Innovation, Competition and Productivity.” The study discussed the financial impact of Big Data on businesses. Four years later, in 2015, McKinsey found that “achieving the level of impact MGI foresaw has proved difficult.” It’s clear the opportunity is real. But, to date, organizations have struggled to become data-driven. Now is the time for business leaders and marketers to unlock value from Big Data.

Over the years, numerous business journals and white papers have been written on the state of analytics in business. What’s

interesting is many of these show that the vast majority of business leaders still make decisions on gut feeling as opposed to trusted information generated by their systems and people. So, despite technology and a renewed focus on analytics, we’re still operating blind. In recent years, we’ve made progress on this but the race to an analytically driven business culture has been more of a marathon pace as opposed to a sprint. In fact, business intelligence and enterprise data warehouse technologies have existed since the 1990s, promising to create the data-driven organization. Yet we still struggle to manage data and, more importantly, turn that data into meaningful, actionable information. It’s not a technology problem; it’s not a people problem; it’s not a process problem. It’s all of the above.

Market-leading enterprises are using innovations in Big Data and analytics to extract that information. Hadoop, data science and data visualization are powerful tools and concepts that allow enterprises of all sizes to become data-driven.

In 2015, we see:

• Cost-effective storage and processing of huge volumes of data with technologies like Cloud, Hadoop and MapReduce.

• User-friendly interfaces to search, navigate and analyze data.

• In-memory computing, providing real-time access to the data to answer any question.

• And, most importantly, powerful analytic minds that make data come alive.

In 2015, agile access to vast amounts of data is no longer a dream, it’s a reality. How can your organization take advantage of it?

Find a champion. The world of Big Data changes quickly, and organizations must have executive alignment to ensure success and focus. At times, the landscape can be complex, technical and filled with jargon. This has led to the creation of the role of chief data officer (CDO). The CDO is usually a senior executive with a foot in both technology and business. A

FEATURE

Steve Holder

Big Data is a big deal. We’ve named it, and it’s gone mainstream. In the past,

management and storage of data and its analysis was a black hole of arcane

terminology and technology. It was exclusively the realm of technology

professionals and statisticians. Now, Big Data is on our minds and is even in the

daily news. It has seeped into our everyday vocabulary. What’s changed?

BIG DATA IS (STILL) A BIG DEAL

vue | JUNE 2015 11

CDO helps educate the business about Big Data, while keeping IT aligned to business goals. A CDO creates and supports the vision and makes sure analytics deliver insights that are meaningful.

Start small. The very definition of agility is the ability to move quickly and easily. The Big Data approach of the past was slow, cumbersome and costly. As you begin your journey of building a data-driven culture, it’s best to start with high-value, well-defined, quick wins that the business can rally behind. These small victories open the floodgates. Starting small allows organizations to build the skills, the infrastructure and the process rigour required to move people to an analytic state of mind.

Fail Early. Failure can be a bad thing. In the past, the cost to wrangle technology and business requirements into a meaningful solution caused organizations to shy away from failure. With this new Big Data world, we should adopt an iterative approach to projects that allows an organization to weed out early approaches that don’t work. In other words, save time and resources by failing early and often. Define success. Once you have your champion and your charter, it’s key to determine what success is and align that to a business goal. The lower cost of entry to Big Data analytics and an agile approach to development can lead to quick wins. But teams have to ask themselves so what? And who cares? Defining success helps the quick wins become projects that show value as opposed to just science experiments. Over the years, I’ve seen situations where analytics has been implemented and the teams declare success. Yet it never went anywhere beyond a proof point. In nearly all the cases, these proof of concepts lacked a goal aligned to a problem. In 100 per cent of the cases, these proofs had really smart people who did cool things behind them who found the business leaders responsible viewed what they did as novel at best, or at worst a distraction from more meaningful projects. This may sound obvious to most people. However, as organizations embark on a Big Data journey they need to double down on what defines success, because the use case and value is there, but you need to know where you’re going.

Take care of your brains. Data scientists deliver on Big Data and analytics. They’re scarce. They’re in demand. They’re creative. Recognize their value; give them the tools to succeed. Don’t saddle them with mundane tasks like data preparation or be protective of their process and insights. The new world makes them partners with the business through deep analytics. Organizations that focus on attracting and developing data scientists will create a data-driven culture.

While Big Data is important to every line of business and industry, marketing is a key passenger on the Big Data bus. In some ways, marketing was doing Big Data before Big Data was cool. Concepts like segmentation, offer management and propensity to turnover have always required data and analytics. Big Data doesn’t change the marketer’s role. It makes it evolve.

It allows marketers to use all data, not a just sampling, to do what they already know how to do while giving them the ability to do things they only dreamed about. Take Vail Resorts. By embedding radio frequency (RF) technology in every ski lift pass, the company captures, stores and analyzes real-time data, starting with the very first lift ride of the day. The data is accessible in real time at the company’s digital customer experience and loyalty platform, EpicMix.com, and through the resort’s mobile applications, and used to enhance customer experience in real time.

Throughout the day, EpicMix tracks what guests are doing – such as how many vertical feet they’ve skied – and it delivers statistics guests can use for “bragging rights.” They have delivered on Big Data for both the consumer by giving them information about themselves they can use, and for their marketing group by being able to see how the consumer interacts with the mountain and the associated services. Ultimately, they are able to use the data generated by guests to deliver better services and bottom line to the business.

It’s a win-win. In its first season alone, nearly 100,000 guests activated their EpicMix accounts. Forty per cent downloaded the mobile apps and nearly six million digital ski pins were given out. Plus, 45 per cent of the users shared their accomplishments on Facebook and Twitter – resulting in more than 35 million social impressions.

Canada’s very own Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation is another great example. This organization is responsible for 250 campgrounds and 14,000 campsites that receive more than 1.8 million overnight visitors every year. It implemented analytics to tease insights from its customer surveys in an effort to improve satisfaction ratings from visitors to its sites.

In the past, the organization would spend weeks at the end of the season inputting the text data, manually assigning a code to each comment. Now Alberta Parks is using SAS Text Miner, which applies information retrieval and data mining techniques across a variety of feedback channels – phone calls, email, surveys and social media – with both structured and unstructured data. Instead of waiting for an end-of-season slideshow, Alberta Parks’ regional and district management get weekly feedback based on those text comments.

That feedback leads to midstream operational changes with an immediate impact on the customer experience. Alberta Parks can respond throughout the season to customer feedback about everything from the cost of firewood to the timing of caretaking operations. And the results from the analytics also assist park managers in prioritizing their capital spending.

These are just two examples of how technology and data have delivered new and unique outcomes. With analytics and Big Data we need to reevaluate how we measure success and, in some cases, what we measure. The possibilities are endless and the impact of Big Data is real. It’s here to stay, and it’s a big deal. Don’t get left behind.

Steve Holder is the national lead analytics for SAS Canada. Steve tweets at @holdersmTO and can be emailed at Steve.Holder@SAS.com.

FEATURE

12 vue | JUNE 2015

FEATURE

It is easy to make assumptions about who belongs to these groups. Perhaps CI practitioners have to work to change the misconceptions of the general public. However, there may be a lack of clarity about the definition of CI, even

within the industry itself. Then the solution would entail more than merely educating the general public about what CI is in theory, but developing guidelines and best practices for the industry to follow, and then spreading the word.

The Problem

The typical conceptualization of CI is that it involves legal actions, in contrast to CE, which involves illegal acts. Here is one definition from the web:

Competitive intelligence research is distinguishable from industrial espionage, as CI practitioners generally abide by local legal

guidelines and ethical business norms.1

However, understandably, this distinction is not so clear in everyone’s minds. While the law does make boundaries regarding certain practices, there are others for which the law fails to make a distinction. Also, law or not, there are practices, although the law may not deem them illegal or to be spying, about which people may still hold negative opinions. This is the realm of ethics. As long as people have ethical issues with CI, and ethical preferences regarding the collection of data, they may still consider CI to involve spying, especially if it involves some kind of deception.

The difference of opinion among practitioners themselves demonstrates this. One matter of contention is misrepresentation of self, whether it is acceptable to:

1. Omit certain details regarding one’s identity.

2. Keep one’s identity a secret while in public when overhearing confidential information.

3. Lie about how information will be used.2

One well-known example is in the case of Procter & Gamble. Its CI team members hired “spies” who misrepresented themselves in a number of ways, and practiced “dumpster-diving” in order to obtain documents detailing competitor Unilever’s three-year business plan for a line of hair products. A number of people, including then CEO John Pepper, voiced their opposition to these practices. This can happen in CI: the original assignment may support using CI in theory, but the practitioners may end up using practices that, on the ground, end up being ethically problematic.

Indeed, there is often a distinction between CI and CE in theory that that is quite different in practice. There is plenty of grey area where the law does not shed any light on the appropriate thing to do. Additionally, ethical standards vary, and so there is room for practitioners to be creative and deceptive within the confines of the law. (And tight deadlines and firm directives from above to get results may inspire them to push the rules.) But worse, in Canada, there are no laws specifically identifying corporate espionage, as there are in the United States (see Economic Espionage Act).

In order to develop the public’s trust, there must be a clear definitions of acceptable practice and practitioners should be held to specific standards, and should be held accountable. Then, the discourse surrounding CI can involve not just aiming to be distinct from CE, but continually develop and demonstrate strategies that make clear this distinction in practice, both legally and ethically.4,5,6

Lisel Douglas

Some members of the general public believe competitive intelligence (CI) practitioners in the marketing research industry are “corporate spies.” To develop an industry program that addresses misconceptions about CI and also corporate espionage (CE, which by definition is spying), it is important to understand the true nature of the problem. Who has these misconceptions? Where do they come from? Who do they affect? Who has to overcome them?

NAVIGATING THE GREY ZONE – AN ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY FOR PROMOTING POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS OF COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

vue | JUNE 2015 13

FEATURE

Strategic Plan and Initiatives

Figure 1 presents, based on the discussion of the problem, a theoretical map of the process towards overcoming perceptions of competitive intelligence.

Below are recommended approaches in the form of various initiatives. Each step corresponds to an aspect of the theoretical process in Figure 1.

Obtaining an Accurate Understanding of the Source and Scope of Problem

Determine what misconceptions exist, both internal and external to an organization, and where they originated. Ideally, this should involve all of the organization’s stakeholders, as well as members of the general public.

The organization should conduct qualitative research that would explore the following issues:

• Conceptualizations of CI. How do particular stakeholders define CI?

• Perceptions and opinions about CI. What do particular stakeholders think about CI?

• Knowledge of and opinions on how the law may impact CI. What knowledge do stakeholders possess regarding how the law applies to CI and CE, and what do they think about it?

• Awareness of scandals involving CI. What do they know about past incidences where CI practitioners were involved in scandals, or conducted research in a way that they disagreed with?

• Sources of information about CI. Which sources of information have they used to form their opinion about CI?

• CI in practice and ethical dilemmas. What are their ethical preferences regarding CI in practice, and regarding the decisions that should be made in questionable situations?

Expressing Understanding and Concern

Acknowledge that the problem exists, and that such concerns may be valid. It

is important to engage with an important matter that affects the practice and success of CI. This tells stakeholders that their concerns are being considered.

• Make contact with CI-governing bodies such as Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) and MRIA to learn more about ethical CI and legal developments affecting the industry.

• Produce online content or media that demonstrates awareness of concerns, and organizational perspectives on relevant issues.

• Engage with the government and champion the need for law specific to CE, emphasizing how this can make CI more trustworthy and provides more clarity to stakeholders.

Creating Clarity, Consistency, Accountability in Organizational Ideologies

Deal with misconceptions head-on by initiating organizational changes and implementations related to this issue. Develop and further strengthen the ethical stance of the organization on CI practices.

• Consult with CI authorities such SCIP and MRIA Canada to develop specific best practices and policies as well as a code of conduct that is explicit about what the organization believes is ethical action in a variety of specific situations.

• Develop a process of penalization for violation of any policies.

• Establish an ethical and disciplinary committee in charge of research methodology integrity evaluations.

Demand rigorous disclosure of information sources and research techniques (encourage disclosure reports) from researchers and practitioners.

Figure 1: Theoretical Process for Changing Perceptions

Research

Acknowledgement

Development

14 vue | JUNE 2015

FEATURE

Facilitating Consistent and Accountable Practice

Educate and train CI practitioners and other employees in accordance with company policy and ethical guidelines or stipulations outlined in the organization’s newly developed code of conduct.

• Regularly assess the knowledge and awareness of practitioners about appropriate ethical practice and legal practice, as well as the code of conduct.

• Conduct regular evaluations of employees’ CI practices.

• Hold regular workshops and training programs so that employees can develop skills and continually learn new analytical approaches and techniques and seek new sources of information.

Addressing Perceptions

Inform stakeholders and the general public of the changes within the organization, why

they are happening, and where they can get information about the firm’s CI practices.

• Collaborate with industry stakeholders to hold a meeting – or piggyback on an industry conference – with presentations on relevant topics. Allow various stakeholders to speak and share their perspectives on the topic or provide feedback.

• Create press releases about organizational changes regarding your organization’s approach to CI ethical practices.

• Print, share and provide public access to any new polices.

• Make information sources available to stakeholders online or in print to encourage trust through transparency.

Any organization that employs these strategies will be well on their way to making a positive impact on the perceptions and conceptualizations of the CI industry.

Conclusion

Since negative perceptions and misconceptions pose a challenge to any industry, it is the responsibility of CI firms to take the lead in informing employees, stakeholders and the public about their approaches to this sometimes controversial approach to marketing research. It is necessary for any organization that aims to be perceived positively to engage actively and openly in a dialogue about the grey areas of this practice, especially as the nature of data collection and research adapts to an increasingly technologized world. Clarifying this issue will help CI practitioners raise their profile in the industry – in a good way – and help the marketing research industry overall maintain a good name with industry and with the public.

References1 Competitive Intelligence vs. Espionage. Mirium Net. Retrieved: Jan. 27, 15. Source: http://competitive-intelligence.mirum.net/gathering-information/competitive-intelligence-vs-espionage.html.

2 Trevino, Linda; Weaver, Gary: Ethical Issues in Competitive Intelligence Practice: Consensus, Conflicts, and Challenges; Competitive Intelligence Review, Vol. 8, No. 1, Spring 1997.

3 Finkelstein, S; Jordan, J. The ethics of competitive intelligence. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. 2005. Retrieved: Jan. 27, 15. Source: http://mba.tuck.dartmouth.edu/pdf/2005-1-0095.pdf.

4 Horowitz, R. The economic espionage act: The rules have not changed. Legal and Investigative Services. 1998. Retrieved. Jan. 27, 15. Source: http://www.rhesq.com/CI/CIR.pdf.

5 “Canadian companies lose billions a year to spies.” CBC News. 2011. Retrieved: Jan. 27, 15. Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/canadian-companies-lose-billions-a-year-to-spies-1.1059284.

6 Crowne, E; DeFreitas, T. Canada’s inadequate legal protection against industrial espionage. Journal of Intellectual Property. 2013. Retrieved: Jan. 27,

15. Source: http://studentorgs.kentlaw.iit.edu/ckjip/?attachment_id=1278.

Lisel Douglas is a student at Algonquin College in the Marketing Research and Business Intelligence program, and an intern at the Public Opinion Research Directorate of Public Works and Government Services Canada. This paper won the Jim Matthews Award and Fellowship 2015 sponsored by Aurora WDC. Lisel tweets at @LiselErienne and can be reached at lisel.douglas@gmail.com.

Education

Dissemination

CONGRATULATIONS TO JOHN WILLIS, CMRPfor winning the Vue Magazine Best Paper 2014 -

“Google and IBM Get It - Do You?”

To view the article, click on the cover image

Visit mria-arim.ca/publications/research-buyers-guide/renew-edit-buy-listings

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2015 Research Buyer’s Guide Online and on time, with up-to-date contact infomation on research service providers in eight different categories. Exclusively for MRIA members to post and advertise year round, and for everyone to view.

The database is fully searchable by company name, contact, city, services offered and keywords.

Ask us about special half year rates and other offers. Write us at rbg@mria-arim.ca or call 1-888-602-6742 x8723

16 vue | JUNE 2015

Think carefully about which projects you take on.

Focus on those projects that are most clearly aligned with important business issues such enhancing customer loyalty, identifying cross-selling opportunities or detecting fraud. It’s tempting just to dig around in your data for awhile, but exploring problems on the basis that they sound cool, ethereal or challenging is a risky business. Once you’ve disappeared down that rabbit hole, you could be there for a long time, whilst adding nothing to the profit margins of the business.

Use data from as many places as possible.

When you’re modelling customer behaviour patterns, it helps to have access to data both on customers who

are very influential and also those who may currently be less influential but are susceptible to being influenced. Over or underrepresenting either group in your population will skew your model and may cause you to overlook key variables found in the underrepresented segment.

Don’t just use internal customer data. If you’re limiting yourself to your internal customer data, you may be overlooking external data such as

social media activity that could contain the variables you need to build into your churn, cross-sell or acquisition model. Even if you’re looking at the right population, building your training set from the wrong sources means you may be inadvertently skewing your model to the most convenient variables, not the most valid variables.

Rachel Clinton

In my career, I’ve seen many examples of successful and unsuccessful data mining

projects. I’m often asked how clients can maximize the chances of their project

being successful and, based on the many projects I’ve been involved with over the

years, I think there are nine things that really help. When these factors are in place,

it always suggests to me that the project has a much higher likelihood of success.

NINE TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE DATA MINING

vue | JUNE 2015 17

FEATURE

Have a clear sampling strategy.

You may have a powerful analytics platform that enables you to train your model from the entire population

dataset. Typically, though, you’ll train it from a much smaller sample. Your sampling might be simple, focused on ensuring that you extract a representative subset of the total population or complex using more advanced techniques. Either is fine as long as you’ve considered it and have a clear strategy as to which approach you’re going to use, and why.

Always use a holdout sample.

A holdout sample enables you to check the predictive performance of your model over time. If you’re

building models from old, inaccurate and inconsistent versions of data, then they will need extra, scrupulous testing on new and unseen data to make sure they stand up in the real world. Testing ensures you haven’t built a model to make a point-of-sale, cross-sell recommendation on a piece of data that isn’t actually available at that point in the process (an example I have seen) or that you haven’t overtrained a model into perfectly learning the nuances of one set of data.

Spend time on “throwaway” modelling.

Identifying the best predictors from a wide range of independent variables is the first part of the modelling

process. Throwing all the information in, testing multiple models and then refining the selection process down, all in the first day of your project, gives a leap forward in productivity. This is known as throwaway modelling. It’s a valuable part of the process because throwing out the things that don’t work and keeping the cream from the top means that the bias of the analyst or the slowness of programming a new routine will not interfere with the accuracy of the results. If you skip this part of the process, there’s a risk that you’ll miss an important relationship in your data that you hadn’t thought of or that doesn’t fit with your own pet theory.

Refresh your model regularly.

If you think that the predictive model you’ve just built will always fit your real-world data perfectly, think

again. Model quality often vanishes in an instant. You may need to score your models with fresh data every month, week, day or even every hour. Choosing the scoring and iteration frequency is essential if your models are going to retain their predictive validity over time.

Make sure your insights are meaningful to other people.

Translating your insights across the organization into pictures or patterns that can be easily understood by non-statisticians is vital. The elegant model you have created may be extremely complex under the hood, but knowing this will not help lesser mortals to understand and use the insight you have gained. Confuse people with statistical jargon and they won’t be able to make practical use of your findings. Make your findings clear, accessible and usable and you’ll be asked for more.

Use your model in the real world.

If you don’t deploy your model into the frontline and use it to affect your business’s performance in some way,

then you have spent a lot of time and expertise on an interesting research project that’s has no practical impact whatsoever. Make sure you have clear deployment routes in mind right from the start. You need to ensure that marketing can use your cross-sell model, that contact centre staff can see your churn-risk scores and that your acquisition modelling is being applied to new prospect campaigns. If you don’t ensure your models are deployed, then you’ll never be able to demonstrate the power of your work.

Rachel Clinton is a business development director at Smart Vision Europe Ltd. She tweets at @RachClinton and can be emailed at rclinton@sv-europe.com. This article originally appeared on Data Science Central (www.datasciencecentral.com/profiles/blogs/9-tips-for-effective-data-mining).

Mark your CalendarSeptember 2015 - Toronto Golf Tournament - details to follow

October 7-8 2015 - CMRE Prep Course - Toronto, ON

November 7-8 2015 - CMRP Exam - various locations

November / December 2015 - event TBD - Vancouver, BC

January 2016 - QRC Conference - Toronto, ON

18 vue | JUNE 2015

storytelling

INDUSTRY NEWS

Paul Long, CMRP

The 10th MRIA National Conference was held in Toronto on May 24-26, at the Eaton Centre Marriott. As in previous years, the conference started out on Sunday with a speed-networking session that gave respondents the opportunity to speak with other researchers for six-minutes on various research topics. I have always found this part of the conference to be a lot of fun, as you can meet people that you otherwise would not necessarily meet.

MRIA 2015 Conference Summary

The conference was jam-packed with fascinating keynote speeches, and a wide variety of breakout sessions. Most of the breakout sessions were brief, at 25 minutes long, meaning that presentations were succinct. Many of the presentations focused on how to present research to clients through the frame of storytelling, to help insights be impactful and memorable. The conference also included presentations on social media and its impact on research, ways to address challenges in research, the impact of shrinking budgets on researchers and the role of big data in research.

In keeping with the spirit storytelling, at many of the presentations an artist drew a story to represent the presentation that was being given.

As is always the case at MRIA conferences, it was not strictly about presentations. Along with the Sunday night opening party, the Monday night gala and the Tuesday night salsa party, there were activities during the day to let attendees unleash their competitive nature at both a ping pong table and Rock Paper Scissors competitions.

Two new awards competitions were added to the conference: student researchers were invited to work as teams, and come up with a way to address a hypothetical research problem, and exhibitors gave their best 90 second “elevator pitch.” In both cases the winners presented in front of conference attendees,

Welcome to the Conference! You Think Live Blogging Is Challenging? What About Drawing a Story Live?

2015 Gala Awards Dinner – Carte Blanche

vue | JUNE 2015 19

INDUSTRY NEWS

and in the case of the student winners, the groups judged as one of the top three were presented with a cash award at the Monday night gala.

Also, at the Monday night gala a total of 18 new CMRP designates were announced, with 10 of them in attendance. Congratulations to all of the new CMRP holders, including MRIA CEO Kara Mitchelmore and MRIA staff members Karl MacIsaac and Dan Jackson.

The Presentations

Keynote speakers Paul Smith and Kristin Luck spoke of the importance of using storytelling to engage people in presentations, and help the audience remember key information. Each gave examples to illustrate the point:

Paul gave six reasons why he thought storytelling worked well (simple, timeless, demographic-proof, contagious, easy-to-remember and inspirational). He also provided a story about students in Florida who were tasked with improving the jury process within the state. They looked into many different elements about the process, but finally realized that rectangular tables led to faster trials, as one person at the end of the table often led the conversation – with a smaller amount of input

from other jurors. The students came to the conclusion that this should change, and that round tables would provide fairer trials as input from jurors would be more evenly provided. When they presented this finding, the decision was made to use rectangular tables to improve the speed – and therefore cost and efficiency – of trials. Paul suggested that conference attendees would likely remember this as an example of the power of storytelling, though they would likely not remember the six steps. Kristin shared personal information about herself: growing up in Oregon, sibling rivalry with her brother, as well as being diagnosed with and fighting breast cancer. Kristin demonstrated that providing this information to the conference attendees helped to build a bond with the audience. Kristin then mentioned giving her first sales presentation, and failing to get any type of interested reaction from the person she was speaking with whatsoever. Finally in desperation she started trying to talk to ask about his summer vacation, and found out that he had gone to a guitar camp for his vacation. While she knew nothing about guitars, Kristin made a reference to a Simpsons episode involving a guitar camp. After making this reference Kristin and the potential client began to have a conversation. Kristin was successful in making a sale that day, and the man that she was speaking to became one of her biggest clients.

Algonquin College students won first place in the case competition.

New CMRPs being giving their designation at the MRIA 2015 Conference gala.

Keynote Speaker Paul Smith.

Keynote speaker Kristin Luck.

20 vue | JUNE 2015

INDUSTRY NEWS

Using A Story to Solve a Business Problem

Paul Smith spoke of a situation in which P&G was trying to determine why growth rates for Pampers diapers sales stagnated in the early 1980s. It turned out that it was because transition from cloth to disposable diapers that had started in the 1960s had fully taken hold. Once everyone he had presented to understood this, the recommendations from his presentation were acted on. Smith mentioned that for this to work successfully, you must take the audience on your discovery journey.

Keynote speaker Lisa Ritchie (Sun Life), spoke about role storytelling played to solve a business problem in her previous role at Scotiabank. Eight years ago they were trying to solve a problem that Scotiabank had regarding attrition rates among young account holders, after noticing that there was a high level of attrition once account holders went to university. In conducting qualitative research with young customers, research that Scotiabank conducted uncovered that young customers were interested in going to see movies in theatres but found it too expensive to do so.

Qualitative research further found that focus group attendees were voracious users of loyalty programs, as attendees had stacks of loyalty cards in their wallets. This suggested that creating a loyalty program on a credit card, with credit toward being able to view movies, might be a potential product to attract millennial customers. Scotiabank then had the idea tested through quantitative research, which backed up that the idea had potential. Based on this Scotiabank came up with the branded Visa Scene credit card that gave loyalty points toward seeing movies.

The Changing Role of Market Research

Lisa spoke about how research had changed over the 15 years she led Scotiabank’s research team. One of the most dramatic pieces of evidence of the increasing importance of market research over that period is that the department grew from 2 people to there currently being approximately 180. Beside the growth in the function however, Lisa mentioned several other changes that have taken place:

• research now includes data warehousing, data support, campaign execution, analytics and insights, brand and communication research

• at one point market research was the core of information, however, as companies started to get repositories of data, other sources of information also became relevant

• with respect to big data, Lisa argued that the volume of data is not new, though it has been presented as new by vendors

According to Lisa the real change is the velocity with which the data can be evaluated, examples Lisa gave are the ability to know how many times people have walked into a specific branch or made a savings deposit or what channel they use to deposit.

What Do Market Researchers Need to Do Now?

Lisa argued that internal clients have become more demanding and now “want it all”. They know that big data is at their fingertips, but do not know what to do with it. They need to be trained by client-side market researchers to know what questions to ask about research. Clients now want 2-3 page reports, and need to have market researchers that can synthesize information.

Keynote speaker Marie Wolfe (Unilever) spoke passionately about market research as a profession that is in need of being “re-launched”. According to Marie the profession is challenged by a quickly changing pace, and shows no sign of slowing down. These changes are due to trends such as the Internet,

artificial intelligence and mobile access. At the same time, marketers want researchers to act more strategically. However, much of research:

• emphasizes the process and not the potential of what researchers can do to transform their businesses

• is focussed on researching the past

• is perceived of as boring by young talent entering the industry

Marie argued that to move research forward researchers need to take steps such as:

• ending reliance on norms and trended data

• search to find what people are talking about now

• leverage the best in new methods to unveil new ideas

Keynote Speaker Lisa Ritchie interviewed by Julie Sylvestre.

Keynote speaker Marie Wolfe.

vue | JUNE 2015 21

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Social Media and ResearchLuke Stringer (Twitter) and Alexandra Cohn (Google) originally came from Ipsos, and now work with online companies that are defining and changing the nature of the internet. Both spoke about the role research plays at their companies and how it differed from when they worked from a traditional research company. One of the key similarities is that each talked of working in very collaborative environments, with an overwhelming amount of data. Despite this amount of data though, both mentioned that since the data was strictly behavioural it was not possible to tie it to specific users. Twitter for example, still needs to use traditional research techniques to be able to understand the individual.

Alexandra spoke about Google Consumer Surveys, and mentioned that they partner with full service research companies strictly because Google is not a research company; they provide the data and the platform but they still need researchers to interpret the data that they collect. Behind this is the understanding by Google that asking the appropriate questions is a skill held by researchers.

Best Practices

Kamal Sharma (Hersheys) and Susan Innes (BMO Financial Group) spoke about best practices that researchers should follow, focusing mainly on client-side researchers. Regardless of the changes in the research environment for researchers, they stressed that researchers need to work strategically with internal clients and work co-operatively with suppliers.

In the process behind creating an RFP, for example, both spoke of the importance of ensuring researchers ask their internal clients questions to ensure that the request that goes out to suppliers both accurately captures the scope of the research, and ensures that the resulting research will be useful to the organization.

Perhaps most importantly, during the presentation Susan cited research that internal clients should take note of. She indicated that senior executives are increasing the information sources they are using in making decisions, meaning that market research is playing less of a role. Another study she cited indicated that market researchers are far more likely to be viewed by research users as technical, and not strategic thinkers.

There were many other fascinating presentations during the conference, but of course space limits the ones that can be included. Of the ones I saw, all were quite engaging, and well received by the attendees viewing them. It will be interesting to see what the theme will be for the 2016 Conference in Montreal.

Notes:

• All photographs taken by Annie Pettit and Paul Long• Author has supplemented his conference notes with blog

posts from Annie Pettit’s blog posting

Further reading:

Paul Long’s conference blog posts Annie Pettit’s conference blog posts

22 vue | JUNE 2015

Former Harris Poll Leader Launches Own Firm

In New York, former Harris Poll head Regina Corso has

launched her own full service research company, focused on

research specifically designed for public release. Regina Corso

has more than twenty years’ market research experience,

including more than a decade at Harris Interactive, working

on high-profile opinion survey The Harris Poll – and eight

years heading it up. She also worked for public relations firms

on research for use in campaigns, including studies among

specialised audiences such as children, teachers, IT decision

makers, corporate counsel and small business owners. While

at Harris, she also served as the firm’s Head of Corporate

Communications. Read full article

MediaCom Australian CEO Steps Down

Mark Pejic, the CEO of Australia’s second largest media

agency MediaCom has left after four years leading the

WPP firm, which was recently embroiled in a controversy

over faked campaign reports for three major clients. The

departure adds to a number of key roles already vacant at the

company. According to Australian media site www.mumbrella.

com.au Asia Pacific CEO Mark Heap will stand in until a

successor is appointed. MediaCom already has vacancies for

a Finance Director, Sydney MD, General Manager and Head of

Insight; while parent company GroupM has lost its CEO John

Steedman. The two firms have stressed that none of the recent

departures relate to the misreporting scandal, in which the

personnel concerned were not implicated. A dozen executives

left the agency last year when an audit by consulting firm EY

began, with at least one being fired and the rest resigning.

Read full article

Ipsos ProductQuest Adds Neuroscience Feature

Ipsos’ product testing wing ProductQuest has integrated the

neuroscience technique known as Implicit Reaction Time

(IRT) into its evaluations, to help clients probe consumers’

non-conscious perceptions of their products. The firm says

traditional approaches can overlook attributes which hold the

key to meaningful product improvements. IRT measures how

strongly consumers feel about a product, versus a benchmark

or competitive product, by ‘succinctly capturing how much

time it takes a respondent to associate multiple attributes with

the product’. Read full article

AskingCanadians Builds on a Strong Performance in

2014 with New Hires, Promotions

Online data collection company continues to experience

double-digit growth this year – Following a strong year in

2014, AskingCanadians, one of Canada’s leading online data

collection companies, is continuing to experience double-digit

growth into 2015 and positioning its team for the future with

new hires… Read full article

MRIA Members Health Insurance Benefit

MRIA has partnered with LMS PROLINK Ltd. to provide Member

Insurance Programs tailored to the marketing research and

intelligence industry. These Insurance Programs are available

exclusively to MRIA members.

GROUP HEALTH & DENTAL BENEFITS FOR 1 OR 2 LIVES

• Group Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Extended Health

Insurance, Dental Plan, Critical Illness Insurance and

Members Assistance Plan.

vue | JUNE 2015 23

• Access to large group extended health coverage rates – savings of up to 20 to 30%.

• Programs offered and accessed through LMS PROLINK Ltd.

• If you have additional questions please contact Frank Palleschi, Group Benefits Coordinator, at LMS PROLINK. Toll free at 1 800-663-6828 ext. 7725 or email FrankP@LMS.ca

Research Now Launches Dermatology Panel for Online Market ResearchResearch Now today announced the launch of its Dermatology Panel, providing a resource for deeper insights into the practices, treatments and sentiments related to dermatology. This is the seventh market research panel based around therapeutic areas to be launched by the company. Researchers now have access to a targeted audience of hundreds of thousands of deeply-profiled panelists who have been diagnosed with one or more of the following: skin cancer, acne, psoriasis, eczema, nail fungus and rosacea. For a more holistic approach, Research Now also provides access to hard-to-reach healthcare experts including dermatologists, plastic surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, histopathologists and general practitioners. Read full article

New Name and Broader Focus for Communispace

Boston-based consumer collaboration specialist Communispace has changed its name to C Space. With a new focus on ‘Customer Inspired Growth’, the firm says it has expanded its consulting and innovation teams, and its capability in storytelling and creative services. Founder and Chairman Diane Hessan, who as CEO led the firm’s sale to Omnicom Group in 2011, comments: ‘It’s exciting to have all of our global brands under one new name. More importantly, this shift is a reflection of our broader set of capabilities. Where we were once known mainly as a community provider, we have real depth in many new areas’. The company is headquartered in Boston, London and Shanghai, with offices in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Amsterdam and Mexico City. C Space is a part of Diversified Agency Services, a division of global marketing and corporate communications company Omnicom and is online at www.cspace.com

Obituary for Keith Bull

At Kingston, Ontario, April 19th, 2015 in his 93rd year. Beloved husband of Primula Bull. Dear father of Catharine, Avril and Owen. Grandfather of seven, and great-grandfather of nine. Uncle of two nephews. Memorial Service was held at St. George’s Cathedral, Kingston on Saturday, May 23, 2015.

AskingCanadians & Corby Spirit and Wine Ltd. recognized as 2015 Confirmit ACE Award winners

Awards honour companies that successfully use the Voice of the Customer to drive business results AskingCanadians, one of Canada’s leading online data collection companies, and Corby Spirit and Wine Ltd., a leading Canadian marketer of spirits and imported wines, have been jointly awarded… Read full article

Research Now Sweeps the Online Sample Categories for the Second Year in a Row

Unprecedented topping of the charts solidifies its standing as an industry leader in five categories PLANO, Texas – April 29, 2015 – Research Now Group, Inc., the leading digital data collection provider powering analytics and insights, swept all five dimensions among online sample providers for the second consecutive year in the recently released “2015 Annual Survey of Market Research Professionals.” Sponsored by MarketResearchCareers.com, the tenth edition surveyed customers of online market research suppliers to identify the top firm along each of the following five dimensions: is a thought leader; offers unique methodologies; provides quality deliverables; has the best employees; and effectively uses technology. For an unprecedented second year in a row, Research Now received top honors across all five categories. Heather Milt Manager, Public Relations Tel: | Mobile: +1 206 200 8207 Research Now | Seattle, WA, United States … Read full article

Georgian College NOW ACCEPTING JOB POSTINGS FOR FALL INTERNS

Dear Industry Partners: Consider hiring a student intern this fall. The internship period is from September 8 – November 27. Students must complete a minimum of 12 weeks to graduate from their post-graduate program. There is no obligation to continue employment after the 12 weeks, however, students can continue in a contract, part-time, or full-time role. Please contact me for more information. You can submit your posting to me or post it directly on our job portal: https://careerandcoop.georgiancollege.ca/home.htm

P.S. If you have immediate hiring needs, please let me know. I can connect you to students and grads who are looking for work.

Pat Roberts Career Consultant, Co-op and Career Services (B110) Georgian College, One Georgian Drive, Barrie ON L4M 3X9 705.728.1968, ext. 1226 | GeorgianCollege.ca

Interested in sponsoring People and Companies in the News? Contact Anne Marie Gabriel at 416-642-9793 x8723 or amgabriel@mria-arim.ca

n To read more news online, or to submit your “People and Companies in the News,” simply fill out our online form at http://mria-arim.ca/news/people-and-company-news

n The Vue editorial team reserves the right to select and

edit your submission for appearance in Vue.

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

24 vue | JUNE 2015

Recognizing the contribution of Gold Seal members

MRIA’s Gold Seal members make significant contributions to upholding industry standards, and display their commitment to the future health of our industry. Organizations that have earned the MRIAs Gold Seal go above and beyond MRIA’s Code of Conduct and Good Practice, adhering to an MRIA audit of their practices.

As an appreciation of this commitment we have instituted an event celebrating Gold Seal members annually at the MRIA national conference. This new tradition was kicked-off at the 54th annual conference in Saskatoon held in 2014, where the MRIA recognized 29 corporate research agencies that have continuously held the MRIA Gold Seal since its inception in 2006.

Gold Seal members who have continued their commitment to the certification will receive recognition at each 5 year milestone. This year, at the Gala Awards dinner on May 25th, the MRIA celebrated 22 Gold Seal members with 5 or more years of continuous certification.

Get to know the updated MRIA Standards

January brought the announcement that our professional Code of Conduct had been updated…for the first time since 2007! This long-awaited revision aligns our Code with the principles of the ESOMAR Code on International Market and Social Research. This will allow us to leverage global resources to provide regular updates in areas that are developing or advancing rapidly.

The new Code continues to cover the same areas as the prior code and retains regulations and customizations specific to Canada. The purpose of the Code also remains consistent: fostering public confidence and demonstrating practitioner recognition of their ethical and professional responsibilities.

The most notable differences are:

• Principle based structure, moving away from the more prescriptive nature of the old Code, but covering similar areas

(i.e. honesty, professional responsibility, transparency, and data protection/privacy).

• A dedicated Qualitative Code, not included in ESOMAR, but updated in Canada.

• Change in definition of child to 14 years and under (from 13 years), to match global definitions.

• Up-to-date guide for online research plus specific focus on methodologies such as passive data collection, social media, and mobile to name a few.

• Finally, the Complaints procedure is revamped and includes mandatory non-disclosure for both parties, prescriptive sanctions, and most importantly a defined (and shorter) timeline to make the whole process more efficient.

MRIA’s Annual Financial Activity Survey – your window to the Canadian MR industry and its trends

Each year the MRIA’s Financial Activity Survey provides corporate members with a view into the health and evolution of the industry. After consultation with corporate members, the MRIA and your Research Agency Council updated this important industry survey to make the process easier. In addition, a webinar was created to help organizations understand how to complete the survey. As in the past, the results from the survey will provide information about the overall annual revenue and related breakdowns by specific types of research services to help gauge the direction of the industry. Results are presented at the MRIA annual general meeting. Gold Seal members will also have exclusive information about staffing positions and levels of compensation.

The MRIA’s Research Agency Council (RAC) is focused on identifying opportunities to increase the visibility, value and importance of the MRIA and support the Gold Seal as our industry’s symbol of best practices. RAC members represent MRIA member suppliers, big and small, across Canada.

OFF THE RAC Paul Long, CMRP

Updates from the MRIA’s Research Agency Council

INDUSTRY NEWS

vue | JUNE 2015 25

The purpose of AODA and accompanying standards is to achieve accessibility for people with disabilities in Ontario by 2025, which began January 1, 2012 for the private sector. The goal is to identify and remove barriers within the government and organizations in the province of Ontario that keep people with disabilities from fully participating in activities such as employment, shopping, going to restaurants, accessing services and goods, applying for government and other services on the Internet etc.

The AODA includes every person in the public and private sector and provides standards and enforcement procedures. Under the AODA the government has been developing mandatory accessibility standards to identify, remove and prevent barriers for persons with disabilities in key areas of daily living. These Accessibility Standards are meant to aid organizations to achieve accessibility for the largest number of people with disabilities.

The AODA requires the persons or organizations named or described in the standard to implement those measures, policies, practices or other requirements within the time periods specified in the standard.

Businesses with fewer than 20 employees do not need to prepare written documents based on the requirements found in the standard, or file annual accessibility reports with the government. Nonetheless, as of January 2012, organizations with fewer than 20 employees still have responsibilities to

perform, they are still obligated to comply with the law and must make policies, practices and procedures. Although businesses do not need to document them, the best practice is to document accessibility policies, practices and procedures to avoid workplace confusions and legal complications.

So what does this mean?

The AODA is about understanding that people with disabilities may not be able to access your goods and services unless barriers are removed. The AODA is about being willing to be proactive by anticipating those barriers and taking measures to reasonably remove those barriers. For the barriers that cannot be anticipated, the AODA allows you to be reactive once you have been made aware of these barriers and be willing to deal with them. MRIA believes this Act impacts the way you conduct your day to day operations in providing your products and services to the Ontario public.

Please note that MRIA does NOT govern the rules and regulations relating to AODA, but the Provincial Government of Ontario does. As such, this is a notice to our MRIA Members to ensure that they are compliant to the standards and requirements of the enacted AODA Act.

For more information on implementation of the AODA to your organization please visit http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/accessibility/understanding_accessibility/aoda.aspx

AODA: A MESSAGE TO MRIA MEMBERS

INDUSTRY NEWS

The Government of Ontario created the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) with the goal of developing standards that would improve accessibility for people with disabilities across the province. The AODA allows the Provincial Government to develop specific standards of accessibility and enforce them. The standards are made into regulations pursuant to the AODA. Naturally, this Act applies to marketing research companies.

26 vue | JUNE 2015

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REGISTRYIn 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.

Rules of Conduct and Good PracticeEffective January 1 2015, MRIA announced that the Association has updated its professional Code of Conduct, to align with the fundamental principles of the International Code on Market and Social Research (the “ESOMAR Code”).

ESOMAR is a worldwide association of research professionals. It promotes standards for research and professional ethics endorsed by members in over 130 countries who share and uphold the conviction that “market research depends for its success on public confidence – that is carried out honestly, objectively and without unwelcome intrusion or disadvantage to its participants.”

MRIA’s Code of Conduct is self-regulatory and intended to reflect the standard of “best practice” in Canada, providing explicit assurance of consumer protection in how the industry interacts with and serves the Canadian public. MRIA’s newly introduced Code of Conduct replaces MRIA’s previous Code of Conduct and Good Practices (dated December, 2007).

THE FOLLOWING CORPORATE MEMBERS HAVE SUBMITTED NAMES TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REGISTRY UP TO JUNE 10TH

Barbara C. Campbell Recruiting Inc. (BCCR Inc.)Dawn Smith Field Management ServiceDecision Point ResearchHead CountNexus Market Research Inc.Quality Response Inc.Research House Inc.

Decision Point Research MBA RechercheQuality Response Inc.

Decision Point ResearchQuality Response Inc.Trend Research Inc.

Quality Response Inc.

ONTARIO

QUEBEC

WEST ATLANTIC

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.

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.

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!

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

If you have any questions about or wish to submit to the QRR please send an e-mail to: qrr@mria-arim.ca

Information regarding the QRR can be found at mria-arim.ca/about-mria/qualitative-research-division/qualitative-research-registry

Starting in 2015, all QRR fees are included in MRIA’s Corporate Membership Fees. To view the fee scale, visit

mria-arim.ca/membership/join-mria/corporate-memberships/corporate-dues-fees

INDUSTRY NEWS

CO

LUM

NIS

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vue | JUNE 2015 27

FROM THE CLASSROOM

Unilever and the Georgian College RAP are very excited to announce a Market Research workshop for RAP’s post graduate students in July. The workshop will provide future marketing research professionals with a more complete picture of the marketing research function and how each internal/external stakeholder impacts the growth of a business. With speakers from Unilever’s CMI and Brand Marketing teams, Millward Brown, the Nielsen Company, and Vision Critical, it is shaping up to be a very informative, thought provoking day for all involved. Contact: Tim Krywulak, Professor, tim.krywulak@georgiancollege.ca

MRBI teams assessed proposed locations for a four star T-Hotel in Ottawa, and shared their findings with a planning committee including Windmill Development Group, who have partnered with Algonquin College on the eco-revitalization of former industrial lands on the riverfront. At Applied Research Day in April, MRBI students showcased client projects exploring users’ experiences with learning management systems, the college recruitment process and the student’s association. Four MRBI students have been hired into full time positions with Abacus Data, iTracks, Phase 5 and Ramius (Recollective). Thank you to our industry partners! Contact Nancy Johansen, MBA, CMRP, Program Coordinator at johansn@algonquincollege.com

GEORGIAN COLLEGE RAPP PROGRAM

ALGONQUIN COLLEGE MRBI PROGRAM

Each of these RAP Program Colleges along with Lambton College, Centennial College, and Sheridan College sent teams of students, to compete in the first-ever, live at conference.

Congratulations to Algonquin College for winning first prize! For a full list of student winners, see page 7 of this issue.

INDUSTRY NEWSC

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Les funambules de la publicité préventive.

Les usages et objectifs de la publicité se sont multipliés de façon exponentielle depuis les premiers balbutiements du domaine au début de l’ère du marché de la consommation. On ne fait plus de la publicité que pour vendre des produits de nos jours. L’objectif qui m’apparaît encore à ce jour le plus difficile à exploiter correctement est celui de la publicité préventive. On a qu’à penser aux publicités qui cherchent à encadrer et décourager l’abus d’alcool, des jeux de hasard et d’argent, de drogue ou encore les multiples campagnes visant la vitesse excessive au volant.

À chaque année il semble que les messages se radicalisent, tant par les mots choisis que par les images utilisées pour convaincre le public qu’on ne plaisante pas avec l’abus. L’aspect qui me dérange des publicités de ce genre ne vient pas du contenu et de son objectif mais plutôt du contenant et de son effet potentiellement négatif. Est-ce que quelques

secondes de l’attention d’une personne suffisent pour faire la différence? Mais, surtout, malgré que le message soit apparemment clair dans ce type de publicités, quel est l’effet réel sur ceux et celles qui reçoivent ce message?

Je doute qu’une personne avec une propension à abuser de l’alcool reçoive une publicité qui l’accuse de ne pas considérer les conséquences de ses gestes accepte sagement le message en faisant le vœu de ne plus jamais abuser d’alcool. Je doute aussi que l’amateur de voiture fasse la réalisation soudaine qu’il joue avec le feu en conduisant au-delà des limites permises parce qu’il a vu une publicité lui expliquant ce qu’il risque en agissant de la sorte.

Finalement, je doute principalement de ce médium qu’on dirige vers des problèmes sociaux si complexes. La publicité a beau pouvoir nous mettre des jingles en tête pendant des heures, je ne crois pas qu’elle soit au stade de propagande positive.

Stéphane DrapeauAnalyste chez Ad Hoc recherche

La Belle Vue

28 vue | JUNE 2015

INDUSTRY NEWS

Facebook’s New Patent: Influence is only part of the equation

This came over my newsfeed this morning [February 17, 2015]: “Facebook Patents Clever Way To Advertise Just To Important People”. The TechCrunch article elaborates:

“The idea is that Facebook could watch the rate at which a piece of content like a link is shared, then figure out whose posting led to a sudden increase in share rate in their network. Those people are the influencers, and the people that they discovered the content from are the experts.”

Facebook could then target those people with ads and presumably charge businesses a boatload to reach them. It makes perfect sense. Why would it cost the same amount to reach someone famous, powerful, or widely cited as someone whose endorsement won’t sway people?

In essence, Facebook is looking at marketing to “influencers” with a hope to stimulate (and no doubt measure) virality. Based on our research and experience, this is only part of the “secret sauce” in using social media influence.

As per our [zinc tank’s] Canadian Social Media Segments

(click above to expand), this will be akin to targeting Front-

Liners. Thus, akin to the Diffusion of Innovation, the Front-

Liners are the “early adopters” of ideas/products/services

worth sharing on Facebook. However, such mavens only have

influence over a certain categories and types of information.

Reality: Influence is contextual

As I outlined in an earlier post about Snapchat, the success of

this platform (and its evolution as it is currently pivoting its

business model) was its ability to connect with the Socializer

segment. Thus, the collective action of members of this

segment was able to stimulate rapid adoption of this platform.

Another example is social media in emergency management

(#SMEM). Given my experience in the Calgary floods of

2013, I have had the opportunity to connect with the SMEM

community. In times of crisis, the challenge of authorities is

to connect with the Friendlies (i.e., those whose primary form

of social media is anchored to Facebook). These are people

who may have a low involvement and/or connection with a

crisis, but play an important role in sharing and amplifying the

message of authorities. And only when this has taken root, do

Front-liners, who have a strong contextual relationship to the

crisis, and bring their influence to the situation.

It is my educated guess that this is a start for these new

marketing tools. Over time, Facebook will get a better handle

on influence and context, and refine their targeting algorithms

and ad sales accordingly.

Related: Facebook Fears, Way Back in 2010

Editor’s note: this blog post was originally published February 17, 2015, and can be found here

In this post Brian Singh, President of Zinc Research, writes on the “Identify experts and influencers in a social network” patent that Facebook was granted earlier this year. Singh points to the implications that it has for Facebook to be able to niche-target “influencers” and charge ad rates appropriately based on their Facebook profiles and activity.

Chosen by Paul Long, CMRP

BEST OF THE

vue | JUNE 2015 29

Academica Group

Advanis Inc.

Advitek Inc.

BBM Analytics

Bond Brand Loyalty (Formerly Maritz Research Canada)

Campaign Research

Canadian Viewpoint Inc.

Cido Research

Consumer Vision Ltd.

Corporate Research Associates

CRC Research

EKOS Research Associates Inc.

Elemental Data Collection Inc.

Environics Research Group Limited

GfK Canada

Ipsos Reid

Leger, The Research Intelligence Group

Market Probe Canada

MBA Recherche

MD Analytics Inc.

MQO Research

Nanos Research

Nielsen Consumer Insights

Nielsen Opinion Quest

NRG Research Group

Numeris

R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd.

Research Dimensions

Research House Inc.

Research Now

The Logit Group Inc.

GOLD SEAL CORPORATE RESEARCH AGENCIES

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 in 2015 up to June 10th

Rules of Conduct and Good Practice Effective January 1 2015, MRIA announced that the Association has updated its professional Code of Conduct, to align with the fundamental principles of the International Code on Market and Social Research (the “ESOMAR Code”).

ESOMAR is a worldwide association of research professionals. It promotes standards for research and professional ethics endorsed by members in over 130 countries who share and uphold the conviction that “market research depends for its success on public confidence – that is carried out honestly, objectively and without unwelcome intrusion or disadvantage to its participants.”

MRIA’s Code of Conduct is self-regulatory and intended to reflect the standard of “best practice” in Canada, providing explicit assurance of consumer protection in how the industry interacts with and serves the Canadian public. MRIA’s newly introduced Code of Conduct replaces MRIA’s previous Code of Conduct and Good Practices (dated December, 2007).

RESEARCH REGISTRATION SYSTEMSince 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.

http://mria-arim.ca/about-mria/research-registration/research-registration-overview

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.

All Gold Seal and 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. Starting in 2015, RRS fees are included in MRIA Corporate Membership Fees.

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 Erica Klie, Manager, Member Support Services, at 1-888-602-6742 or (416) 642-9793, ext. 8727 or eklie@mria-arim.ca.

INDUSTRY NEWS

GOLD SEAL AGENCY - PENDING Illumina Research Partners

CORPORATE RESEARCH AGENCIES

Barbara C. Campbell Recruiting Inc. (BCCR Inc.)

Decision Point Research

30 vue | JUNE 2015

CONFERENCE OVERALLThe highest rated items in this category were staff helpfulness and networking opportunities, while value for money was rated lowest (see Figure 2. Conference Overall). Furthermore, 62.5% of respondents reported the conference met their expectations, 33.3% reported their expectations were exceeded, and only 4.2% did not have their expectations met (See Figure 1. Conference Expectations).

TED TALKSDelegates would have liked time between each session so they could move to different rooms if needed. This prevented them from seeing all of their most preferred talks. “Need time to change rooms.” Others commented that the Ted Talks “were great”. Overall people seemed to like the Ted Talks format, with an average score of 4.26 out of 5.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERSOf the keynote speakers, Paul Smith was the highest rated, followed by Marie Wolfe, then Kristin Luck (see Figure 3. Keynote Speakers). Comments praised the keynote speakers in general, calling them “great” and “exceptional”.

SNAP AFTER PARTY & GALASNAP after party had the lowest score of any section, 2.83 whereas the Gala had one of the highest scores of all items on the questionnaire, 4.59.

VENUE & FOODThe food and beverages had scores in line with other items on the questionnaire. Food quantity and variety scored higher than food quality (See figure 4. Food & Beverages). Other than parking, people rated the venue highly (See figure 5. Venue).

STORYTELLING CONFERENCE QUESTIONNAIRE – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Paul Long, CMRP

INDUSTRY NEWS

Figure 1: Conference Expectations

Figure 2: Conference Overall

Figure 3: Keynote Speakers

Figure 4: Food & Beverages

Figure 5: Venue

31 vue | JUNE 2015

The Alberta Chapter hosted its annual General Meeting on Friday June 19th at 10am. Both members and non-members were welcome to attend this free event.

Those who could not attend in person were able to participate by teleconference (conference bridge details provided when you register).

OTTAWA CHAPTER

TORONTO CHAPTER

ALBERTA CHAPTEROn June 17th, the Ottawa Chapter hosted an event called “We Want It All: Conjoint Analysis in Public Sector Research”, exploring how discreet choice can be applied in a public-sector setting. Will Daley, Vice President, Public Affairs, Ipsos Reid (pictured left), reviewed a few examples where Ipsos Reid has used the approach to help

Government of Canada clients learn more about how citizens respond to key program and policy elements and offer a few creative suggestions on how the approach might be used in the future.

Over 70 people came out for the MRIA Toronto Chapter Summer networking event on Tuesday June 16th. Students and alumni from local marketing research programs came out to mingle with members of the Toronto Chapter and the Emerging Leaders Task Force. Several MR students and graduates managed to establish important networking connections, all while enjoying the Ballroom’s games area and patio. Ain’t summer grand? Stay tuned for the Golf Tournament planned for September.

Have any news or photos you want to share? Contact associate editor Jeff Hecker (jeff.hecker@athenabrand.com)

Members and guests are welcome at all MRIA events. Check our online calendar at mria-arim.ca/events-awards/calendar for more information on all events and how to register. Members receive emails

directly with event updates, so please check your inboxes for instructions on how to register for all upcoming events! MRIA Portal: www.mriaportal.ca

Opt-In to Communications. If you would like to opt-in to receive MRIA communications, click here and fill in the form.

vue | JUNE 2015 32

2015-16 COURSE OFFERINGS CORE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES

Course Name Course Date Duration Deadline to Instructor Location Register

402-Advanced Analysis Techniques September 10, 2015 2 August 30. 2015 Chuck Chakrapani Toronto

Create Winning Research Presentations and Reports that Deeply Connect with your Audience September 22, 2015 1 September 15, 2015 Shane Skillen Toronto

CMRE Prep Workshop October 7, 2015 2 September 28, 2015 Robert Wong Toronto

Conjoint Analysis: Design, Analysis and Reporting that Leads to Better Marketing Strategy October 14, 2015 1 October 5, 2015 Ken Deal Toronto

Semiotics, Introduction: HSPAC October 20, 2015 1 October 13, 2015 Charles Leech Toronto

CMRP Examination - Part A November 7, 2015 AM September 28, 2015 Proctor Various

CMRP Examination - Part B November 8, 2015 AM September 28, 2015 Proctor Various

203- Marketing Research Statistics and Data Analysis October 29, 2015 2 October 20, 2015 Chuck Chakrapani Toronto

101-Introduction to Marketing Research November 4, 2015 2 October 27, 2015 Robert Wong Toronto

401-Online Research, Best Practices and Innovations November 6, 2015 1 October 28, 2015 Jordan Levitin Ottawa

201-Marketing Research Design: An Applied Course November 18, 2015 1 November 10, 2015 Robert Wong Toronto

Measuring Customer Satisfaction, Loyalty & Retention November 26, 2016 1 November 16, 2015 Chuck Chakrapani Toronto

Measuring Customer Satisfaction: Advanced Analytical Techniques November 27, 2015 1 November 16, 2015 Chuck Chakrapani Toronto

Moderator Training: Basic December 2, 2015 3 November 24, 2015 Margaret Imai-Compton Toronto

Crowdsourcing December 8, 2015 1 November 30, 2015 Sharon M. McIntyre Toronto

Market Segmentation Research January 14, 2016 1 January 4, 2016 Chuck Chakrapani Toronto

202-Questionnaire Design January 20, 2016 1 January 11, 2016 Jordan Levitin Toronto

303-Marketing Management for Researchers January 21, 2016 2 January 11, 2016 Jordan Levitin Toronto

204-Qualitative Marketing Research January 27, 2016 1 January 18, 2016 Kelly Adams Toronto

403-Advanced Qualitative Marketing Research Techniques February 2, 2016 1 January 25, 2015 Kelly Adams Toronto

CMRE Prep Workshop February 9, 2016 2 Robert Wong Toronto

Communicating Research Results with High Impact Graphs February 18, 2016 1 February 8, 2016 Chuck Chakrapani Toronto

CMRP Examination - Part A February 18, 2016 AM Various

CMRP Examination - Part B February 19, 2016 AM Various

401-Online Research, Best Practices and Innovations March 3, 2016 1 February 25, 2016 Jordan Levitin Toronto

302-Market Intelligence March 22, 2016 1 March 14. 2016 Eleanor Austin Toronto

Moderator’s Tool Box: Mapping & Projective Techniques March 29, 2016 1 March 21, 2016 Margaret Imai-Compton Toronto

Metrics Madness April 8, 2016 0.5 March 30, 2016 Tema Frank Toronto

SPSS: Analyzing Survey Data: An Introductory Workshop April 12, 2016 1 March 31, 2016 Ken Deal Toronto

SPSS: Analyzing Survey Data: An Advanced Workshop April 13, 2016 2 March 31, 2016 Ken Deal Toronto

102-Ethical Issues 1 Toronto

Gamification October 30, 2015 1 October 23, 2014 Toronto

Writing that Gets Results February 24, 2016 1 February 10, 2015 Patricia Davies Toronto

Categorical Data Analysis September 17, 2015 1 Derrick Gray Toronto

301- Research Intelligence March 10, 2016 1 February 28, 2015 David Lithwick Toronto

SCHEDULED COURSES

Visit our website, www.mria-arim.ca/education, for course details, registration deadlines and pricing.The next CMRE Prep Course is in Toronto on October 7–8, 2015.Core courses are available online, and please visit our web site for details.

If you are interested in taking any of our listed courses that are not yet scheduled please send an e-mail to education@mria-arim.ca.

COURSES TO BE SCHEDULED