The third rail of Resarch

Jeffrey Henning did such a nice job of blogging the ESOMAR Online Research Conference that I recommended his blog in a previous post.  But I've just read his summary piece on communities and worry that he has missed a key point, one that I tried to stress in no uncertain terms in my closing remarks. 

In virtually every conversation of any length about social media in MR and especially about branded communities the subject of marketing rears its ugly head.  The discussion in Chicago was no different.  The key point that way too many people don't get is that our ability to function as an industry is tied to our maintaining a clear distinction between research and marketing.  It's a line in the sand we dare not cross.  The third rail we dare not touch.

It was not that long ago in the US that we were sweating bullets because of the fear that MR would be subject to the then-pending National Do Not Call legislation.  It was widely understood that inclusion in the legislation would kill telephone research in the US.  We eventually were exempted because we do not deliver commercial messages.  Raise the same issue with European researchers and they will share their continuing fear of being lumped in with Direct Marketing by the EU and thereby suffering all sorts of restrictions that will strangle research.

MR is being transformed by technology and part of that has meant a whole new group of practitioners entering our industry, many of whom have yet to understand the long-term values of our industry.  While we welcome them we also need to educate them.  It's not a matter of some quaint ethical principles.  It's a matter of survival.

Comments

[John Griffiths]

OK OK - but can you please explain to me which rail is social media - because to mix metaphors - that is the elephant in the room. Clients are getting the idea that if they are in constact contact with customers that the research and selling can intertwine because social media forces both to be done respectfully. I put it to you that the social media monorail is causing major disruption to the two rail model. Partly because the train rides on a cushion of air - no friction - just high speed and all the sales and customer feedback you could wish for. Now that IS scary. And that's why we're trying to rebuild the railway - not keep people away from the live rail

[Jeffrey Henning]

The original article I submitted specifically mentioned sugging and some attendees' complete unfamiliarity with it as a phrase, a practice and a pernicious influence. It was disappointing to see that this basic tenet wasn't known to all.

Unfortunately, my article was too long and Research did an admirable job of trimming it while preserving most of my intent.

Thanks for the kind words and for linking to my blog. Since I tried to keep the editorial to a minimum in recapping each session, please keep in mind that just because I documented a presentation doesn't mean I agreed with it.

[Robert Bain]

I see your point, Reg, but I'm not sure DNC lists are the best example. The law might distinguish between marketing and market research in that regard, but the people signing up to the list or receiving the calls do not – once they've signed up, they begin to resent all unsolicited calls. We looked at these issues in the October issue of Research Magazine:
http://bit.ly/yQlcc
and got this response from the Market Research Standards Board on the specific issue of client incentives:
http://bit.ly/3pe2o9

[Gregory Yankelovich]

am one of these ignorant newcomers, you have mentioned, so please forgive my naivete.
I am not questioning the roots of your concern, but I do have a problem in pretending that MR is not one of the pillars of Marketing discipline. MR used to generate knowledge about a market and all market participants, that used by other disciplines of Marketing to learn what products to make, how to package and price them, and who to sell them to. What am I missing? Universities are not being confused with Encyclopedia salesmen (I have no idea whether it is still practiced).

[Katie Harris]

I couldn't agree with you more Reg; we really need an education campaign around this issue.

But not only for the excellent and hard hitting points you have raised above; also because mixing marketing and research in the same community would unquestionably compromise the usefulness of the research output itself.