In the dynamic world of market research, in-house insights professionals are the crucial link between companies and consumers. At Southpaw Insights, we partner with clients to uncover what drives their target audiences. But this time, we turned the mirror around to get a rich understanding of insights professionals themselves: their responsibilities, challenges, and supplier relationships. Here’s what we found.
One (or just a few) that Serves Many
Insights professionals are integral to their organizations, often embedded within the marketing department and reporting to the CMO. Their primary clients include product, brand strategy, and innovation teams, though their reach extends to departments like UX, sustainability, and legal.
Despite their wide reach, insights teams are typically quite lean and often have to “triage” research requests to align with company objectives.
The Daily Grind: Challenges Faced
Internally, insights professionals face challenges around time and communication:
· Volume and Timelines: With numerous stakeholders demanding insights, professionals often feel stretched thin by the sheer volume of requests and tight deadlines.
· Data Utilization: Disseminating relevant data to stakeholders is another significant hurdle. Many insights go underutilized due to time constraints and uncertainty about the level of detail required for decision-making.
· Interdepartmental Communication: Siloed communications and a lack of visibility into ongoing research activities can lead to missed opportunities for collaboration and redundant efforts.
Externally, they’re wary of issues like fraudulent respondents, data security, and the limitations of “quick and dirty” research tools, though the potential of AI and VR excites them.
Navigating Supplier Relationships
Insights professionals rely on a trusted set of suppliers. When evaluating new partners, they prefer recommendations from their network, and value:
· Deep Business Understanding: Suppliers who know their client’s business can provide tailored, relevant insights.
· Strategic Partnership: Beyond just delivering data, great suppliers offer context, connect dots, and tell compelling stories.
· Service Orientation: Proactive and collaborative suppliers who go the extra mile to make life easier for insights teams stand out.
Insights professionals are the voice of the customer within their organizations. While they face numerous challenges, their ability to adapt and innovate keeps them at the forefront of market research. By leveraging new technologies and fostering strong supplier relationships, they can continue to drive meaningful change and strategic decision-making in their organizations.
