Prev
Next

The power you might not realise you had

Peter Harris

by Peter Harris

20 May 01:28pm

Must Reads

The Punch is moving house - this is a caption

The Punch is moving house

385

Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this? - this is a caption

Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?

122

Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming” - this is a caption

Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”

251

Filed under: Business, Market Research, Marketing, Society

17 comments

It seems like every other week there is a new poll giving us an approval rating for our PM, or a new piece of research providing insights into everything from the packaging of tuna to whether red wine is good for you or not.

The power to make or break a product

There are thousands of research topics bubbling away around the country, yet they all have one thing in common – they all rely on ordinary people to give honest opinions on what they think.

Market research is a growing industry in Australia, thanks largely to the many ordinary Australians out there who pick up the phone, fill in an online survey or attend a focus group to have their say on a whole range or products and issues each week.

Whether it’s a corporation, a government department or a political party, social and market research is the link between power and the people.

Organisations undertake research not so they can tell us the results, but because they know that when they listen to people, they make better decisions.

They know that research is the basis of good decision-making.

If you are one of the many people who take part in research each year, you are effectively exercising your democratic right to have a say.

And many people exercise that right because they know there are stringent industry guidelines that ensure what you say is treated in an ethical and secure way.

Tonight the Australian Market and Social Research Society who oversees those guidelines will be holding its third Research Effectiveness Awards. These awards recognise the very best in market and social research.

These awards showcase research that is effective and makes a difference to business performance and social policy planning. Without research we wouldn’t know how best to tackle homelessness, help encourage more responsible drinking habits, or get people to be more water wise. Research can have a massive effect on how we live our lives.

Yet despite all this, it is an industry that is often hidden behind the scenes. And that’s why it is so important to recognise the efforts of not only the industry, but the many people who get involved in research each and every day.

Research is an immensely important industry that not only develops better products and services, but also helps us understand the world around us.

And without the input of millions of generous ordinary people everyday, market research would not be able to provide the insights that it does.

So next time you pick up the phone and are asked about your voting intentions, invited to join a new product’s focus group or simply asked to fill in an online survey, do it for Australia’s research industry and say yes to research.

Most commented

17 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • Ronk says:

      02:46pm | 20/05/10

      Why are you patting people on the back for “generously” doing unpaid work for political parties and corporations? This has nothing to do with being “democratic”.

      Whener I am asked for “10 minutes of your time” I ask what’s in it for me and they say “nothing”, or at best there’s a chance I might win some cheap and nasty “prize”. I ask them how much they pay each of their other (full-time) employees for ten minutes work for the company which has no personal benefit to the employee - $10 should be the minimum surely.

      Of course the laugh is on them, as the statistics they come up with are meaningless. The only people who take part in their surveys are people who think their own time is worth zero, or people who deliberately give false answers because they have an axe to grind or just find it funny to see what results they can produce.

      Reply

    • AntiMajorMistakes or Others Man says:

      03:54pm | 20/05/10

      @ Ronk, you may be onto something there mate.

      The red/green/getup/labour coalition leadership allegedly don’t fart, until they have had Hawker/Britain do extensive polling, focus groups etc. Yet they continually come up with policy that is the 180 degrees opposite of what, 60% to 80% of the people want.

      Where are they getting this stuff from?

      How could they possibly, be so wrong?

      I would gladly put them on the correct track, or line of inquiry. (notice i did not say the right track)

      I would even do it for free, but i get the impression that their idea of doing a focus group is the same as, “Sir Humphrey Appleby’s” idea of doing a survey.

      First find a group of idiots who agree with all your bulls#*^ anyway. Then ask a heap of leading questions, that herd the sheeple along the guidelines, to supporting your ridiculous, indefensible, Communist propaganda anyway.

      regards the former snag & swinging voter

    • sam says:

      05:15pm | 20/05/10

      $60 an hour? You’ve clearly never worked in a call centre.

    • iansand says:

      03:00pm | 20/05/10

      It is why I am always happy to answer market research surveys.  It is the most direct way to influence how corporations and governments provide services to me.

      Cold callers trying to sell stuff to me get rather different treatment.

      Reply

    • Louisa says:

      03:09pm | 20/05/10

      Thanks for calling, but no thanks

      Reply

    • Daniel says:

      03:13pm | 20/05/10

      I used to do heaps of market research but these days its seemed to have dropped off.

      Reply

    • Simonious says:

      03:14pm | 20/05/10

      The next time i get asked to partake in a survey i will refuse like i always do. Most surveys are a ruse used to extract information about you so some telemarketer can call you 30 mins later with some offer they are trying to plug. it is very difficult to work out whether the survey is in the genuine interests of the country or just another marketing organisation gathering information on you and your family. You dont know who is on the other end of the phone really so why give out any information.

      Reply

    • A Bob says:

      03:19pm | 20/05/10

      “I’m a white male, age 18 to 49. Everyone listens to me, no matter how dumb my suggestions are.” - Homer Simpson

      Reply

    • Jim says:

      03:35pm | 20/05/10

      A one-minute call to 1300 792 958 will block nuisance calls, except from charities and politicians. Try dialing it it now.

      Reply

    • Tails says:

      03:39pm | 20/05/10

      Market research is a waste.
      A shocking waste of time, money and energy. Giving hope to morons that their input is valued and valid, and giving soft-cock decision makers a fallback position to blame when things don’t work out.
      Research never sold a problem. All it does it make people feel like they need to have an opinion on your solution.

      Reply

    • Tani says:

      04:06pm | 20/05/10

      I happily do paid surveys on line and in other ways…  i now refuse phone surveys for companies that cold call (am happy to give info to government for some reason!) as I can make money online doing surveys.  It is not big bucks, but in 18months i’ve made $800 (and would have made heaps more if I had kids and could qualify for those surveys).  Not bad pocket money I reckon.

      Reply

    • CJ says:

      05:05pm | 20/05/10

      Real market or social research has to adhere to strict guidelines and ethics. Telemarketers are a completely different breed.

      Reply

    • Cat says:

      06:05pm | 20/05/10

      Okay you are on the Do Not Call register but you still get called by charities (and we never give over the phone - how do you know who is really calling)
      and government - and Newspoll. Now Newspoll called here recently and I told them “sorry we don’t answer questions over the ‘phone”. They hung up.
      Now, have you noticed - there is nowhere in their polls to say how many people refused to answer! So much for accurate polling.

      Reply

    • Ronk says:

      09:47am | 21/05/10

      Exactly. The only people who take part in these surveys are those who are so desperately lonely and bored that any interaction with another adult, even answering 100 mindless questions to a total stranger about the minutiae of their personal details and their “feelings” about a phrase describing a cleaning product on a scale from 1 (screaming horror)  to 10 (head over heels in love), seems like a fun and interesting way to spend their time.  Principally the long-term unemployable unemployed, and housebound disabled and elderly pensioners.

    • Tom says:

      07:13pm | 20/05/10

      Hahaha so Peter Harris, the Managing Director of a company that relies on people doing surveys to make money, is trying encourage more people to do surveys so his company can make more money! Nice try

      Reply

    • marley says:

      07:46pm | 20/05/10

      The kind of market research we’re talking about here - contacting people (by phone/mail/e-mail - it doesn’t matter) and asking them to respond to questions about their buying patterns/health/lifestyle/political opinion, etc is the kind of research that has been done for the last half century or more.  And frankly, I think it’s nonsense.  There’s a huge amount of raw data out there - from department stores, supermarkets, traffic cops, hospitals, car dealers, Centerlink, et al, about how we live our lives.  Use it.  Surveying individuals and hoping to build some sort of paradigm is so last century - and so out of touch with the interconnected cynics who are going tor respond to the survey.

      Reply

    • Gabrielle says:

      08:26pm | 21/05/10

      To the cynics…companies ask questions so products/services/ideas/policies are more relevant or appealing to you and therefore better for you and ultimately them. Why waste your time on developing things no-one wants…just ask them what they prefer…seems like common sense to me. Not sure what kind of info you hand over to your local supermarket but i doubt you can get how people think/feel from store data or Centrelink (derr…private data under strict privacy laws!!??) You would clearly be surprised by who actually does respond to surveys and attend focus groups…I suspect you actually have no idea and are making assumptions and there in lies the exact reason why companies ask questions, so THEY are not making the same stupid assumptions as you. The next time a decision is made you don’t agree with or a product you like changes in a way you don’t like, don’t complain because you probably had your chance but refused to answer the phone or a survey.

 
Sorry, comments are now closed for this article.

Facebook Recommendations

Read all about it

Punch live

Up to the minute Twitter chatter

ToryShepherd

ToryShepherd 18 May 13 10:48PM

. @mcguiremi is journo of the year! #samediaawards

ToryShepherd

ToryShepherd 18 May 13 10:35PM

.@mariamosco @msmarto Super Smarto. And Shirley Stott Despoja into the Hall of Fame #samediaawards

ToryShepherd

ToryShepherd 18 May 13 10:14PM

Best print journo to @mcguiremi woot! #samediaawards

Anthony Sharwood

antsharwood 18 May 13 10:11PM

The AFL needs a special draw song. Feels weird having no club song at the end of #AFLSwansFreo. But what song?

See all tweets

Recent posts

The latest and greatest

The Punch is moving house

by The Punch Team

385

The Punch is moving house

Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…

Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?

by Hannah Harborow

122

Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?

I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…

Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”

by Sarrah Le Marquand

251

Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”

In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…

Nosebleed Section

choice ringside rantings

From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go

Tim says:

They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]

From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go

Kel says:

If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]

Light weight

Gentle jabs to the ribs

Superman needs saving

Superman needs saving

Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more

28 comments

Newsletter

Read all about it

Sign up to the free News.com.au newsletter