SEEK: BLOG

Top 3 Thoughts from Digital Non-Conference 2010

Last week’s Digital Non-Conference (#DigNC) was an enlightening one!

 While geared towards digital marketers, the content was extremely relevant to the market research industry.  As I’ve found, analogous experiences often yield new thought.  

Here are the top 3 new thoughts from the conference that raised questions for me as a market researcher:

1. Game Theory.  Lindsay Grace from Miami University’s Advergaming Laboratory talked about opportunities for motivating consumers through game.  As a market researcher, it caused me to think about the motivation behind completing market research for the consumer.  What drives them to participate?  Right now it’s a stipend.  At Seek, we have created game-based methods with the objective of taking the respondent’s eye off their overt consciousness and opening up deeper responses.  We have found that they are often more willing to share when the conversation is in the set-up of a game – not to mention the time being much more fun!  Still, I have to wonder, what other ways could game theory be utilized in market research?

2. Organizational Structure.  Wendy Lea from Get Satisfaction and Pete Blackshaw from NM Incite both touched on the need for agility within the organization to be able to really meet the consumer’s need in the most effective way.  While I definitely don’t have the answers, the whole issue has caused me to question: which functions would benefit from market research thinking?  I believe that community managers, PR and a variety of roles outside the consumer insights function need market research skills.  Market researchers have an opportunity to share their people understanding skill set to make a huge impact.

3. Collapse of the University.  Glenn Platt and Peg Faimon from Miami University’s Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies discussed the collapse of the University.  What struck me most was the role of the modern professor: an experience designer who creates opportunities for critical thinking.  I often think of my role as just that: creating experiences for research teams that allow them to think deeper and more holistically about their target consumer.  I don’t think that has been how market researchers view themselves.  It isn’t always about getting the right base size or the right questions asked – I think researchers need to step back and think about the whole experience they are creating, and ask themselves whether the experience will inspire action.

Written by Renee Murphy, Seek {LEARN}

renee@seekresearch.com

@ReneeMMurphy

IT AIN'T EASY BEING GREEN

Did you know that Seek has made many efforts to be GREEN and take care of our little part of the planet.

 

Specifically when designing our rentable meeting space, we consulted with Karen Sullivan, a registered architect with more than fifteen years of experience in designing and managing retail, hospitality, and sustainable design projects.  Karen helped Seek with creating a more sustainable interior design and natural atmosphere.  Some interesting “green” aspects of Seek:

• We serve reverse osmosis filtered water in glasses - the good 'ole fashion way!  No bottles of water here.
• All of the beams throughout the building are covered with wood reused from an old barn 
• The coffee used at Seek is local and organic from Seven Hills Coffee Co. 
• We maintained the integrity of the original building utilizing exposed brick, beams, doors, old windows and hardwood floor 
• We used manufacturers striving to reduce their environmental footprint and local vendors 
• Much of our lighting is energy efficient compact fluorescent 
• We recycle.  

 

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to be inspired while holding a consumer project or offsite team meeting at Seek, come check us out soon! 

By Pamela Hickey & Jordann Clark with Seek SPACE

pamela@seekresearch.com  & jordann@seekresearch.com

SPOTLIGHT ON KELLEY EDELMANN

Role: Project Director

Team: Seek LEARN

Most Recent Big Win: This past July, I had the opportunity to attend a GIANT research project in Denver with two of Seek’s QRCs.  It was a really difficult project to pull off, given the large number of recruits and all of the logistical hoops we all had to jump through, but the project ended up going very smoothly.  I am using this experience to develop a more refined process for getting all Project Directors involved hands-on in projects, rather than always being at a desk at home base.  I learned that it’s really important to see the research executed, and I want that opportunity for all Project Directors, and much more frequently!  I’m currently test piloting this process and am planning to attend many more projects in the future to further develop Project Directors and improve how LEARN does research.

So, you recently joined Seek.  What do you think of this crazy place? 

I couldn’t love it more if I tried.   It’s the first work environment that I’ve felt free to be who I am—and that’s encouraged.  I am built up by my team mates, and we have great respect for each other.  They are excited with me when great things happen, and are a support system for when things aren’t going so great.  They encourage me and rejoice in my strengths, while constantly pushing me to improve my weaknesses.  I have always had a passion for market research, but it’s the people at Seek that make me excited to come to work every day.  I never thought I’d be one of those people who loves their job until I found this place—and now I’m home. :)

What excites you about the future?

I’m typically always excited about the future, and recently found out that my #1 Strength according to Strengths Finder 2.0 is that I am Futuristic (sounds like I should wear a space suit or something).  I’m excited to be in at Seek while we’re still relatively small, because I see an incredible amount of growth that we’ve still got left to do and I want to be part of that journey.  I’m excited to see how I grow personally and professionally  and I think it will be fun to look back and see how we’ve grown.

What is on your playlist, reading list, or movie queue? 

Music: I typically listen to Pandora and MuteMath is the best station I’ve found (MuteMath, Coldplay, Phoenix, a little Postal Service, things like that).  

Books: I intend to get through C.S. Lewis’ signature classics box set before too long. 

Movies: I’m told that I really need to see Inception, but I’m also anxiously awaiting the release of the Arrested Development Movie. Don’t disappoint us, Bluth family!!

What are 3 of your favorite things on this planet?

1.      My husband, Dan

2.      Wine and Cheez-Its

3.      Adventure (whether in a car ride, in a knitting pattern, in learning about animals, singing, or exploring new ideas…)

Just a thought…

innovation... 

It's a strange word, hm?  And what does it mean, exactly?  I think it's just a suit-n-tie version of the word, "improvement."

You find a shorter route home: innovation.  [bear with me if you disagree] 

You simplify your shopping trips by first ordering some things online: innovation. 

You rent out some storage space because your 2 BR can't hold any more baby toys: innovation.

Some of this doesn't feel like innovation, right?  Yeah, I feel that...but the fact of the matter is: innovation is what happens when you intellectually adapt to a challenge.  Some innovations are small.  Some are more badass.

The levers, as I see it, are:

- The relative strength of the challenge 

- The relevant impact of the solution

So, let's take the "shorter route home" example.  If the route isn't drastically shorter and your trips home aren't all that time sensitive...it's a comparatively small innovation.  If the long way home has effectively been the only way home for not only you--but everyone around you--and has held up who-knows-what for who-knows-how-long...it becomes a more substantial innovation.

By Ben Doepke with the Seek CREATE Team

ben@seekresearch.com

Reinventing Old Research

You face a challenging task. You need to get more insight for less investment, and you need to do it faster than ever before. 

A great way to save time and get more bang for your buck is to go back through past research to uncover ‘new’ information that was overlooked, not immediately actionable, or simply ignored. After all, why drop the cash on a new study when you could be getting more mileage out of one you’ve already paid for?  

Some quick ideas:

1_Combine studies to find synergy.
 Spend a few hours reading through topline reports from past projects and identify major themes that merit further attention. You may discover a common thread with significant implications for the business.  
 

2_Scan through old reports for information that isn’t well-represented visually.
 Look for graphs, charts, diagrams, or sets of data that don’t immediately leap off the page. Chances are that if it doesn’t click for you, it didn’t click for anyone else.  
 

3_Supplement primary research with secondary research from other sources.
 This can be as simple as keeping a lookout for studies that sound relevant to your business. You may find broader trend information that adds context and importance to an insight that previously gained little attention.   

The delivery is half the battle when it comes to research reporting. At Seek, we’re getting more and more requests to pick up where a written report left off, driving engagement with information that was once met with confusion, rejection, or just plain apathy. There’s nothing stopping you from presenting different aspects of the same research in multiple ways over time. Nor should you stop, until you’re absolutely sure that everybody “gets it.” 

I know what you’re thinking, “That all sounds great, but I still have to pour through all that research and tease out the missed or underdeveloped insights, right?”

Well, no.  

You see, Seek doesn’t just do research and storytelling, we do storytelling through research. In short, this means that you can hand us the outputs from an old project and we’ll work with you to go back through the trenches and establish which overlooked or underused nuggets of knowledge are best suited for a phoenix-style resurrection. Then, we can help you decide the best format to bring it to life.  When the right information--even old information--meets the right creative deliverable, the sky is the limit.  

Cool, huh?

By Jonathan Smith with the Seek INSPIRE Team

jonathan@seekresearch.com

“Moments” A Video Inspiration

“It goes so fast. We don't have time to look at one another. I didn't realize…Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you. ...Do human beings ever realize life while they live it? — Every, every minute?” – Emily Webb, an excerpt from Act III of “Our Town,” written by Thornton Wilder

 

Have you ever found yourself thinking, “Where did my summer go?” or, “Is it really almost 2011? I swear I just started signing 2010 on my checks!”  This seems to be an ever-increasing sentiment in today’s fast paced world. Being a goal oriented, success minded individual, it is natural to keep your “eye on the prize” and “nose to the grindstone.”  However, all this focus could potentially cause us to miss out on the little milestones and everyday moments that make life beautiful and complete.

 

We spend a lot of time in our office talking about how to unleash the full potential of people (it’s a big part of our Purpose, and a little bit of an obsession).  To realize the full potential of our lives, we must first learn to recognize and appreciate the everyday.  It’s something that us qualitative researchers get to do every day; it’s our job to look for the extraordinary insights in everyday life... but rarely do a find a video like the one above that makes the everyday-extraordinary so accessible.

So please take a moment to watch this video and be inspired.  Remember that while you are focused on accomplishing the extraordinary, never forget to take the time to appreciate the rich and wonderful ordinary.  My guess is that you’ll discover that what we tend to consider “ordinary” rarely is.

 

This video is a stunning reminder that life is simply a collection of moments, each uniquely beautiful and uniquely human.  From the first breath we take to the last, every day is filled with joy, sadness, triumph, and defeat.  These are the things that make us human; these are the moments that fill our lives.

 

In the immortal words of John Hughes’ character Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” 

By Courtney PeGan with the Seek LEARN Team

courtney@seekresearch.com