As you may know, Market Research is one of the Awards Categories that folks can be
nominated for at the Analytics Hall of Fame. Our Analytics Hall of Fame membership is
global and is open to professionals who work in the following disciplines:
Recently I read a blog on the IIA website by Brian O’Neill, owner of a design and UX
consultancy. In the blog, titled Garbage In, Garbage Out, Mr. O’Neill provided guidance
for undertaking end-user / stakeholder research, most notably around pitfalls that can
derail success in primary research. Specifically, Mr. O’Neill identified: the need for
empathy when engaging a customer, objectivity in the research process, and the ability
to ask questions that will yield meaningful answers.
I appreciate his perspective. Earlier this Spring I had the opportunity to guest lecture on
the role of market research in the new product development process for a class of MBA
students. The students had some familiarity and an indirect association with market
research and the research process and would most likely work with research
professionals in their corporate roles. I felt it essential to help them understand, as non-
researchers, when and how research could enable the product development process,
their roles, and the value a professional researcher could bring.
I spoke about the values of empathy, non-judgment, and objectivity, and why these
traits are essential for effective data collection in primary research. I would add a few
other characteristics and skills to the list that are hallmarks of the market researcher,
apart from knowing their discipline or having project management skills.
Respect, empathy, and objectivity foster and support successful research skills, including the ability to:
I hope the next time we engage in market research or seek to fill a research position, we are conscious of the full value a professional market researcher can provide the business. Their inherent respect and empathy for the customer, their objectivity, their ability to ask meaningful questions, to listen to what we are being told, and to create and share objective learning are powerful qualities and skills to have in the business’
arsenal.
Mark Weber
Awards Judge: Research
The Analytics Hall of Fame
I’m the Chief Data and Analytics Officer for Ahli United Bank. Previously, I was CDAO for ASB Bank Limited — a wholly-owned subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, CAO for Citibank North America, and CDO for Embrace Home Loans. I was also a Clinical Professor of Marketing and Customer Intelligence at Pace University’s Lubin Graduate School of Business for nine years. I’m published in the Journal of Marketing Analytics and CIO/MIT Sloan Magazine. My business expertise includes Artificial Intelligence (AI), business analytics, data science and engineering, CRM, marketing analytics, and customer intelligence as a business strategy. I hold an M.B.A and a Ph.D. in Marketing from Pace University. I’m the founder of the Analytics Hall of Fame, a rewards and online recognition community.