The GreenBook Research Industry Trends Study Summer 2010 is Released

At long last, my baby grows up!

Way back in 2003 I came up with the idea for an annual study to track methodology adoption and other key metrics for global MR. At the time it seemed like a good way to understand the market I was tasked with penetrating into to, but the effort quickly took on a life of it’s own. The GreenBook came on board as part of that initial effort, and since then we’ve worked with a select group of leading companies to make the study more impactful, relevant, and insightful. Over time, The GreenBook Research Industry Trends Study has become an annual high point for the industry and a respected source of intelligence for everyone involved in global MR. 

Each year has gotten better and better, and when the recession hit  in 2009 we really made an effort to use the study as a means of understanding what the downturn, in conjunction with other forces, meant for our industry. The response was phenomenal, and we realized that it was time to let our little study evolve further.  This year I think it came into it’s own, and I am incredibly proud of my little survey that could. Through the hard work of a fantastic group of professionals, the GRIT Report for the Summer of 2010 is the best one yet, just packed full of the type of information our industry needs right now in order to find it’s way through the rapidly changing world we find ourselves in.

 

So what’s the 2000 foot view? The primary findings of the report paint a picture of an industry that is slowly recovering from the recession while in flux from the forces of changing client expectations, disruptive technologies, new channels of consumer engagement, and other factors.

Bill Weylock, President of Co-sponsor Brand3Sixty summarized the findings:

“Marketers and researchers alike expressed a sense that the industry has evolved in recent years, shifting some perceptions about research. However, this did not translate into a belief that the industry overall is held in lower esteem. Instead, respondents feel that there has been a transformation in the way research is used and how its relevance is determined.

Buyers reported that they increasingly seek out suppliers who understand the intricacies of their particular business, and who deliver strategic insight rather than boring 100-page decks full of data. Suppliers, in turn, are recognizing the power of differentiating themselves by serving as confident and vital advisers who offer actionable ideas and recommendations.”

As we’ve written about extensively here, the game has changed, and here is the proof. It’s no longer a question of  just listening to the opinion of a few doomsayers; we now have data from across the planet that confirms that indeed a sea change is happening and our industry will simply never be the same when the tide recedes. We have to up our game, or we risk losing it all together at some point in the future.

With that in mind, we’re going to continue to let GRIT evolve to help provide the strategic insights our industry needs. For 2010 GRIT will conduct two studies. The first (this one) was fielded in Spring 2010 and the second will be fielded soon. Each covers key issues that have been trended since the initial GRIT study in 2003, but also focus on a select topic of interest to the industry. This survey asked a subset of questions from the annual study and focused on “Respect For Research” and probes perceptions of market research and researchers both within the profession and among other marketers. The second 2010 study will focus on Innovation and Research Technologies and will include the full complement of annual GRIT survey questions. We think this evolution of GRIT positions it as the premiere study of the rapidly changing global industry.

GRIT has always been a collaborative effort, and in late 2009 the collaboration was formalized by the formation of the GreenBook Research Industry Trends Study under the leadership of the GreenBook Marketing Research Directory. Partners for the Summer 2010 iteration include: Anderson Analytics, Brand3Sixty, iCharts, iModerate, Interviewing Service of America, The Foundation for Transparency in Offshoring, LMC Group, OnePoint Mobile Surveys, Peanut Labs, Pioneer Marketing Research, RFL Communications, and Strategy One. GRIT’s Media Partners are The MRGA and NextGen Market Research.

The GreenBook Research Industry Trends Study Summer 2010 is available for free today in either .pdf or digital formats at:

Digital Magazine format: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/b9bcdeab

Simple PDF version for downloads and printing:  http://www.greenbook.org/PDFs/GRIT_Report_Summer2010.pdf

iCharts interactive module:  http://demo.ichartsbusiness.com/RIT

 

We hope that you find as much value in the report as we do. Please feel free to pass it on to your friends and co-workers, discuss the results, and above all, use the findings to help your business succeed. Don’t hesitate to reach out if I, or any of the co-sponsors, can help you in any way; we’re here to assist as needed.