Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

Qual research – ‘the business equivalent of antibodies’

News • 27 May 2020

Online research methods are a practical alternative to the face-to-face variety in times of social distancing, but brands shouldn’t be tempted to stick with these post-pandemic as much is lost without the use of face-to-face research, a ...

Face-to-face with uncertainty: Moving qualitative research through and beyond COVID-19

Article • Drago Djourov, WARC Best Practice, May 2020

Researcher Drago Djourov outlines how online methods can help brands make sense of what’s happening right now but makes the case for why we need to go back to face-to-face research post COVID-19.

Innovating in challenging times: Research during COVID-19

Research Paper • Ipsos, WARC COVID-19 Series, March 2020

Provides advice for marketers about if they should start, stop or continue their research programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The golden rules for testing new brand ideas with consumers

Opinion • Ben Osborne, March 2020

New brands can’t come into existence without consumers, but consumers won’t always pick the winner, says Ben Osborne.

Insights from the BBC on researching ‘challenging’ markets

Article • Brian Carruthers, Event Reports, Qual360, February 2020

The BBC World Service has learned to make a small research budget go a long way in challenging markets.

The Marcel-ification of market research

Opinion • Sam Peña-Taylor, February 2020

Firms want professional-level advanced analytics, on a global scale and on a budget. But how brands know what they know is less of a discussion at IIeX as knowledge-sharing takes centre stage (and top sponsor billing), says Sam Peña-Taylor.

The changing role of the marketing researcher in the age of digital technology: Practitioner perspectives on the digitization of marketing research

Article • Robert Cluley, William Green and Richard Owen, International Journal of Market Research, Vol. 62, No. 1, 2020, pp. 27-42

After years of hype, marketing researchers are now facing the challenge of integrating new digital technologies into their work.

Customer experience, not brands will be on the iron throne

Article • Philipp Klaus, International Journal of Market Research, Vol. 62, No. 1, 2020, pp. 6-8

The author will challenge the ancient "brand-related" thinking, submitting that somehow companies are still in control of what consumers think or even how customers act.

How creatives and strategists should work with researchers

News • 13 December 2019

New research explores how creatives and strategists can bridge the gap with researchers for better advertising - here’s what you need to know.

Viewpoint: Making the case for context – Creating value from market research history

Article • Daniel Nunan and Anca C. Yallop, International Journal of Market Research, Vol. 61, No. 6, 2019, pp. 585-587

This article examines the history of the market research sector and how it can provide value. There is increasing interest in the history of market research in the UK.

Using the real behaviour behind big data to improve participant quality

Research Paper • Hugh Carling and Patrick Fagan, ESOMAR, Fusion, 2019

Brands use the wealth of information in digital footprints to reach consumers; this paper shows how it can also be used to find the best participants for research.

Unscripting the script: Re-thinking conversations with consumers and stakeholders

Research Paper • Manisha Dikshit, ESOMAR, Fusion, 2019

Presents a new model of insight generation for market researchers, by opening up research practice for imagination and creativity through a more facilitative approach.

Brands in the age of anger: The use and power of qualitative research

Research Paper • Graeme Trayner, ESOMAR, Fusion, 2019

Looks at how brands can use qualitative research to navigate the current age, defined by populism and rage.

Qualitative fast track: A new rapid-response business model allows completion of the full investigation journey for an internal client in just four days

Research Paper • José Antonio Noriega and Mark Montgomery-Reid, ESOMAR, Fusion, 2019

Introduces the Fast Track Model, a qualitative research model of rapid response, developed for Citibanamex in Mexico, which allows the completion of the full investigative journey for any existing client within four days.

I don’t know if I am allowed to say this but…': Accessing genuine feelings and opinions in the age of political correctness

Research Paper • Peter Totman, ESOMAR, Fusion, 2019

This paper explores the degree to which political correctness may affect the authenticity of responses in qualitative research, in particular among a working-class audience who voted for Brexit in the 2016 referendum in the UK.

Enabling digital transformation: The insights function beyond data science and analytic tools

Research Paper • Jeff Mercer and Marian Anderson, ESOMAR, Fusion, 2019

Microsoft, the tech giant, adapted its market research team in the US to align with its new vision.

The marketing research curriculum: Closing the practitioner–academic gaps

Article • Marco Vriens, Stephen Brokaw, Douwe Rademaker and Rogier Verhulst, International Journal of Market Research, Vol. 61, No. 5, 2019, pp. 492-501

As an industry, marketing research has enjoyed decades of systemic growth. Unfortunately, dissatisfaction with the return on marketing research investments has also been consistently voiced.

Can blockchain really disrupt market research?

Article • Laurent Florès, International Journal of Market Research, Vol. 61, No. 5, 2019, pp. 466-467

This article examines blockchain technology and its expected impact on the market research industry. Blockchain technology can record all data transactions and exchanges over time, in a secured and trustworthy way, thanks to an anonymous and decentralized system.

Qualitative semiotics: Can we research consumer meaning-making?

Article • Chris Barnham, International Journal of Market Research, Vol. 61, No. 5, 2019, pp. 478-491

The notion of "meaning" is central to marketing because it is only through the making of meaning that "added value" can be created.

Marketing neuroscience needs deeper rigour

News • 11 October 2019

Neuroscience researchers must apply a new level of rigour to their work if the discipline is to reach its full potential in marketing, according to a paper in the Journal of Advertising Research (JAR).

Building a foundation for neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience research: How researchers can apply academic rigor to the neuroscientific study of advertising effects

Article • Thomas Zoëga Ramsøy, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 59, No. 3, 2019, pp. 281-294

Since its modern inception about two decades ago, the use of neuroscience tools and insights in studying advertising has grown an increasing prominence in the researcher's toolbox.

Four challenges of a new leader in an insights organisation: Personal journey

Research Paper • Kajoli Tankha, ESOMAR, Congress, 2019

Outlines some of the challenges of becoming a leader in an insights organisation and some lessons learned.

Dear {Diary_Name}: A comparative study between humans versus chatbots on moderating online diaries

Research Paper • André Torales, Felipe Ferraz and Nick Nomm, ESOMAR, Congress, 2019

Details key takeaways from a research project by social media platform Facebook, that looks at how intelligent agents and robots could replace human researchers.

Can social listening replace surveys? Using AI to synthesize INTEL’s brand-tracking results with social listening data

Research Paper • Frank Buckler and Christiane Reimann, ESOMAR, Congress, 2019

Shows how social listening combined with modelling can give higher agility and a better early warning functionality than traditional surveys.

Practical ethics in social media research: The greatest good for the greatest number?

Article • Tara Beard-Knowland, Steven Ginnis, Research on WARC, Ipsos MORI, August, 2019

With people laying out their everyday light-hearted views – and deepest darkest secrets – for all to see,the amount of data readily available to anyone inclined to look is staggering, which raises important questions around the principles and legitimacy of analysing individuals’ data.

Research management