Melanie Courtright
CEO, the Insights Association
Three wishes for 2020?
As you may have guessed, I have needed to revise my wishes during the past several weeks.
Top of mind for me now is the health and well-being of all of us. As it pertains to our industry – for our country and the entire world, really – is that our economies bounce back quickly. Insights will take on an important role in our recovery. We have been quick to advocate for the need to continue collecting data during this crisis. Only by consistent measurement can we track the shifting sentiments of consumers and identify key turning points.
Another wish is that IA will continue to be a trusted source of information, connection and reassurance for our members. We have been proud to deliver timely information to our members and offer them a place to connect with peers when they’ve needed it the most. We quickly launched a survey that provided visibility into project pipelines and client-side plans, and we have hosted several Virtual Town Halls in which members received expert advice on contracts/cancellation policies, contingency planning, macro-economic impact, and shifting consumer sentiment. These forums have also enabled them to hear directly from business owners and other leaders about how they are managing through this crisis.
We’ll also deliver additional webinars and bring the content planned for our NEXT conference to a virtual platform, June 1-3. Just like our members, we will need to be agile – how can we facilitate networking and engagement among attendees during an online event? We’re excited to try some things and learn what works.
I’m also hopeful that we will welcome many new members this year. We’re already off to a very strong start. I’m having wonderful conversations with providers of insights services as well as heads of corporate departments. They are enthusiastic about what IA is doing and how we can help them achieve their goals. With the participation and involvement of these new organizations, many on the leading edge of work in data analytics, it will bring fresh and innovative perspectives that will help inform and energize our entire membership.
Top challenges facing our sector in the next 3 years?
The current health crisis has made it a challenge for many companies – particularly startups and small- and mid-sized firms – to simply remain open and viable. I’m hopeful that many will be able to tap into the loans and other resources made available through the U.S. government so they can ride this out. And we will continue to push for additional federal resources for the insights and data analytics industry.
Companies across the industry also must learn from this crisis. It has become abundantly clear that every company must have established contingency plans, an agile mindset, and the systems, structure and workforce to match. Those able to quickly pivot from in-person qual to online qual platforms, for example, were able to mitigate some of the initial impact to their businesses.
Looking ahead, companies must assess the potential long-term impact of this crisis. Will it change the way we do research? Will it change the priorities of brands? Will it change how we engage participants in research? We must not simply follow along the new paths that may emerge; we must predict what those paths are, inform the industry as things evolve, and help our clients optimize these new opportunities. We must lead from the front.
Companies operating in our space need to remain keenly aware of new data streams. This is an issue in terms of data privacy, but also how businesses evolve to lead in a new era.
In terms of data privacy, here in the U.S. we currently operate under a patchwork of state legislation, which is difficult for research companies to stay on top of and manage. IA is a founding member of Privacy for America, a leading consortium that is working at the highest levels to develop a national data privacy law. By having a seat at the table as this legislation is crafted, we are working to ensure that it is as friendly as possible to those working in our industry.
So, we are hopeful that a national data privacy law will be enacted and that this will bring needed clarity and consistency. Advances in technology and new ways to collect data from individuals will continue and at a more rapid pace. As an industry, we need to be proactive by setting clear guardrails and staying true to our commitment to integrity and a strong ethical compass. This way, no matter how the insights practice evolves, we know we’re doing all we can to ensure that we remain a largely self-regulated industry.
As data streams continue to emerge and evolve, market research must prove its value. Analytics alone won’t provide the insights and strategic action that businesses need. Making sense of the data, connecting the right dots, leveraging our consumer behavior expertise to craft the most effective, impactful messaging and campaigns. As some corporations phase out the traditional position of CMO and others merge UX and MR, and still others perform data analytics across companies in various silos, we need to know where we fit. We need to quantify and pronounce where we add value – now and as these organizational structures shift and analytics functions broaden and strengthen.
Staffing and skills development also will be a challenge. The competition for data scientists is fierce and companies in our space are competing for talent against many other industries. There’s also a demand to infuse soft skills into the mix. We feel IA can help in these areas through our education programs and conferences.
Biggest opportunities facing our sector in the next 3 years?
Data will continue to drive business decisions, but not raw data alone. This is where the expertise and skills applied by those in insights can really shine and prove instrumental. Our knowledge of data sources, our knowledge of marketing and the entire corporate structure, and perhaps most importantly, our knowledge of the consumer and how individuals interact with the world around them. But to secure a place at the forefront, it’s crucial for insights teams to maintain that curiosity and thirst for learning. To remain important partners within corporations, insights must continue to prioritize and invest in the study of human behavior, neuroscience, and technologies of all kinds.
Another opportunity we have is to excite and engage a new generation. Our industry has so much going for it, and it’s up to all of us to showcase it to those about to enter the workforce. We need to highlight that we’re on the front lines of important decisions, illustrate the wide variety of roles which exist across the field – for introverts and extroverts, for those who love the social sciences or statistics or technology or innovation. It’s also proven to be an excellent pathway into the highest roles in marketing and the C-suite. And there’s a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit here as well. IA has strong ties to many colleges and universities across the U.S. and we’re looking to leverage that to help our industry.
Little known / fun facts about Melanie?
I grew up in a small town in Florida, and we grew up very modest, but happy. My father worked on a dredge boat, the boats that dredge up sand and other materials to make channels deeper for boats, and to build beaches and bridges. After high school, I went to college as a voice major and languages minor, and then joined the US Army as a linguist. I actually found my way to research after the Army and five years at Texas Instruments by doing translation work for a Dallas-based full-service research firm. And I still sing actively in my personal life as a first soprano in choirs. I have three children and four grandchildren.
