By Pervin Olgun
Global research community is heading for an exciting week; ESOMAR Summer Academy at 06-07 June followed by a seminar on sensory testing at June 8th in Amsterdam.
From 2010, almost a thousand of research professionals attended the Summer Academy and were highly satisfied, 4.2 score out of 5.
The biggest groups are Research Buyers (37 %), Research Suppliers (27%) and Research Consultants (18%). Additionally in recent years, Software Suppliers participated more and reached to 10%. Last year’s attendees stated that their understanding in a specific topic increased approximately by 10% in ESOMAR Summer Academy. At this point I want to remind that only 42% of attendees are less than 35 years old, in that sense, the increase by 10% is really important for experienced professionals.
This is the eighth year. Academy is getting mastered and this year presents a superb programme to target research buyers, agencies and academy.
We are in a fast flourishing business area in a fast changing world. The main challenge for research community is to become consultant to the client. We have to follow issues and solutions in marketing world, apply innovations to satisfy the client needs better, to astonish them, to surprise them, to delight them.
First two days of the event, inquisitive minds of researchers will be satisfied with three of-the-moment topics, run parallel in six workshops.
First topic is insight, which is the touchstone of being data provider or consultant. One of the workshops is “Insight Extraction” and the other about next step “Turning Insight into Action”. Both are for intermediate level.
The second topic is for futuristic minds in fast flourishing business area; measuring a new world. The first workshop “Technology and Research” will force the limits of the research and discuss various subjects from big data to artificial intelligence. At the second workshop, “Open up the Open Source Mindset”, attendance will apply open source tools.
The last but not the least topic is nextgen. I wish, generation-proof research was possible to understand human. However, it is only a dream since diversion between generations is big. “Cross Generational Insights & Branding” workshop aims to understand the diversity better to create future proof branding strategies. Connecting with Frontrunners” workshop participants will learn how to find and understand Millennials, not only in hall but also in the streets.
Another exciting day will be 8th, Sensory Seminar. It is a one day seminar to explicate measuring multi-sensory user experience and impacts to branding.
The most sensitive issue will be discussed in the Client Event at 9TH of June for research buyers only: The Good. The Bad. The Cheap. Does cheap research always have to be bad or does new technology provide researchers cheap at the same time good research? The discussion is very interesting and also critical for the future of marketing and social research.
I am sure the participants will enjoy the workshops and the interaction with their colleagues from all over the world.
Pervin Olgun is Founder and President at Barem Research and ESOMAR Council Member, 2017-2018.
