The Insight250 spotlights and celebrates 250 of the world’s premier leaders and innovators in market research, consumer insights and data-driven marketing. The inaugural list was revealed this April and created renewed excitement across the industry whilst strengthening the connectivity of the market research community.
With so many exceptional professionals named to the Insight250 it seems fitting to tap into their expertise and unique perspectives across an array of topics. This new weekly series will focus on doing just that; inquiring about the expert perspectives of many of these individuals in a series of short topical features. This introductory article, explores with Mark Langsfeld (ML), CEO of mTab and Chair of the inaugural Insight250 selection committee and Finn Raben (FR), Director General of ESOMAR, the Insight250 initiative, why it was launched and why it is so important.
Crispin: Why did you launch the Insight250 and feature individuals globally across market research and data insights?
Mark: “Many different professions have this type of celebration highlighting industry achievers on an annual basis. However, this was lacking in market research. There are so many impressive contributions and advancements to market research and consumer insights that we felt it was long overdue to celebrate these individuals and their achievements.
Finn: “When I learnt of mTab’s intention to compile this global compendium of our sector’s “fairest and finest”, it immediately ticked two important boxes for me. The first – as you have often heard me say – is that we don’t shout loud enough about the extraordinary contributions that data, insights and research make to businesses and governments all over the world, and perhaps more importantly, the wonderful people that make it all happen.
Secondly, many national associations and communities conduct annual award ceremonies to celebrate their local “heroes,” but in many instances, the rest of the world doesn’t have an opportunity to learn of these individuals. This provides a platform to help shout out loud-er about the great things we do, and to highlight and celebrate our “superheroes” no matter where they are in the world.”
Crispin: Do you feel the timing of the inaugural Insight250 was important,given the challenges the industry has faced over the past year or so?
Finn: “It has certainly been a trying time over the past year, both professionally and personally for so many of us. So, as we start to come out of this pandemic it’s very uplifting to have this type of positive celebration for our industry, particularly on a diverse, global basis. In saying that, we should also recognize that there may well have been some regions or some methodologies that were under-represented in this initial report. This should not detract from the good intentions of the initiative, and should simply spur us on to make the listing as globally inclusive as we possibly can”
Mark: “With the nature of COVID isolation, the market research industry has really been challenged to become resourceful and innovative in how insight is sourced and distributed. So, yes, I think the timing for the inaugural Insight250 was certainly ideal in this manner.”
Crispin: With such an impressive response from the industry worldwide, where do you see the Insight250 going from here?
Mark: “We are working now to make the Insight250 an annual celebration and expand it with some strategic partnerships to further elevate its credibility and expand its reach across the globe. So, we have quite a few discussions going on to help facilitate this, and it’s exciting to see so many people who are so supportive of this initiative.”
Finn: “I can certainly see the Insight250 becoming an important annual event for the market research sector. We were particularly pleased that the release of the report coincided with International Market Research Day, as we now have two global initiatives that, as a sector, we can support and congregate around. Given the increasingly important contributions that data and insights make in guiding innovation, business improvement and legislative development, not to mention the informative role it plays in social research and opinion polling, establishing a worldwide “Who’s Who” of the sector – particularly as the sector broadens into ResearchTech – is a key measure of the role and influence of what we do. This also underscores the need to be as inclusive as we possibly can be, and as transparent (and comprehensive) in the criteria for inclusion.”
Crispin: One of the important dimensions of the Insight250 that has been mentioned previously is the ‘connection of community’ across the industry. Why is this so important in elevating the industry?
Finn: “Making strong connections to others, both near and far, are so important in order to learn and grow on an individual professional level. Beyond this though, having a more closely tied network across the global industry enhances the study and application of research and insights, as well as the development of best practices. So, this community connection is incredibly important to the sector and it’s really never been easier to accomplish given our digital world.
In addition, we cannot underestimate the importance of having a globally recognized and industry-supported celebration, to underscore to the next generation of insights professionals that we are a truly worldwide sector – it’s essential to have this sort of celebration applauded by so many around the world. Having a unifying dimension like the Insight250 is a catalyst to strengthen these connections and so sincere thanks are due to mTab for this report, and of course the Turkish Association TUAD for instituting International Market Research Day.”
Mark: “As Finn said, having a strong network of professionals that you can engage and learn from is important in every industry, but this is particularly important in market research given all the evolving approaches and innovative advancements that are evolving. This organized ‘network effect’ has been somewhat lacking in the space, and given the disconnection that resulted from COVID, having the Insight250 build and strengthen these connections further spotlights its importance.”
Thank you both. It is great to hear the thinking behind the Insight250 and I for one hope the Awards becomes an annual feature in the research calendar. I am also delighted to have been asked to interview such an inspirational bunch of industry leaders and look forward to sharing their views on innovation and topical issues in the weeks ahead.
