Ponderings from the Perch

A rising tide lifts all ships. When the going gets tough in business, it takes a special kind of leader to reach out in the spirit of collaboration, using creativity and action to forge a path forward. Sarah Kotva, Executive Partner and VP at Fieldwork is that kind of leader. 

Flight Patterns with Fieldwork is a special miniseries hosted by Momma Bird Priscilla McKinney to showcase a selection of leaders at Fieldwork, Inc., qualitative research recruitment and supporting service experts. Fieldwork’s ethos of sharing ideas, collaborating, and being a resource for the market industry was put to the test when the pandemic caused a series of global closures and restrictions on in-person research. They responded by becoming a knowledgeable resource and advocate for the entire industry. 

Sarah Kotva began working with Fieldwork as a project manager in 2000, and has risen through the ranks to become Vice President. Her long tenure is notable, but also indicative of the loyalty and opportunity for growth that is pervasive in all of Fieldwork’s 15 locations. To help unify their efforts, Fieldwork initiated a campaign around #facetofacemrx, an effort that has kept clients, employees, and competitors in the industry in the know about ever-evolving safety concerns, restrictions, and creative solutions to perpetuate growth in difficult times. Through this, and their other efforts, they have become a hub of understanding for the qualitative insights industry. 

Sarah and Priscilla discuss the importance of in-person research for providing insights that cannot be easily replicated - tactile responses, nonverbal communication, full-sensory research, and the ability to capture in-the-moment glimmers of client and respondent wisdom. Sarah highlights Fieldwork’s adaptability in these times, and their ability to crowdsource solutions that allowed them to roll with the punches (there were many punches!), and stresses the importance of communication. 

In addition to Fieldwork’s nation-wide base of high end focus group facilities, they offer an entire suite of research-related services. Priscilla describes them as “the concierge desk of the MR industry,” with an innate understanding of hospitality, service, and thoughtful design. 

The two also discuss the commitment to help others - a claim boasted by nearly every company that often falls far down on priority lists. Fieldwork's commitment to #AlwaysBeHelping is evident in their longstanding contributions to Women In Research and their recent partnership with the Market Research Education Foundations Race Around the World for Education. 

SPONSORS:

The Market Research Podcast Award is back! And it’s time to nominate your favorite kick-ass market research podcast for a chance to win the coveted title of MR Podcast of the Year. 

Nominations are open now through June 30th and voting will open from July 1st to August 12th. 

Nominate your absolute favorite podcast in the insights industry at littlebirdmarketing.com/mr-podcast-award! 

The winner will be announced at Greenbook’s IIEX Behavior. Will your favorite insights podcast make the cut?

Fledgling. Novice. Greenhorn. Tenderfoot. Noob.

We have a lot of words for people who are trying things for the first time, and generally, the more words there are to describe a thing, the more prevalent and complex that thing is. This issue presents itself in two common ways in the market research industry:

1. A steady stream of new researchers entering the field, and

2. A continually shifting landscape full of new methodology, new technology, new objectives and new(ly reduced) budgets.

Researchers everywhere are being asked to do more with less, and for many, the prospect of doing everything themselves seems like the only option. But it's not.

Meet Edward Staples, Senior Director of Business Development at Prodege. Edward has been in the insights industry since 2006, and has worked in both qualitative and quantitative research, including trackers, concept testing, in-person and online across a broad client base including finance, travel, CPG, QSR, apparel, retail and more. At Prodege, he helps leading brands, marketers and agencies uncover answers to their business questions, acquire new customers, increase revenue, and drive brand loyalty. 

In this episode, Momma Bird and CEO Priscilla McKinney and Edward discuss Ed's true passion: helping. 

"There's nothing more interesting and fascinating to me than working with somebody to help them understand 'how are we communicating with people?'"

Edward (and Prodege) believe that the new DIY is actually DIT - Do It Together. DIT represents a more consultative approach to research, infusing experience and wisdom into projects that otherwise find researchers struggling against knowledge barriers that end in missed insights. 

Along the way, Priscilla and Edward discuss the importance and challenge of behavioral data, the evolution of Prodege, and a societal shift toward better discussions around gender, race and ethnicity. 

"I'm very proud of our industry, because we are the industry that looks at these issues and takes them head on. We're here to assume that we don't know, and to listen in order to find the information. And that's what we, as humans, could be doing in general about these things." 

Connect with Edward on LinkedIn, or drop him a line. 

Sponsors:

Global sampling, field management, data collection and more - Gazelle Global’s ad hoc services give you access to global experts as an extension of your team, without the extra overhead. Our team is ready to lend our expertise to complete projects to your specifications today. Visit our website to learn more!

It’s no surprise there has been a scramble recently as companies adapt to economic conditions and ever-changing consumer behaviors. Rapid inflation has meant that consumers are becoming more critical of their spending– putting pressure on companies both big and small. So what can brands do to adapt and ensure the best shopper experience and most effective brand strategy moving forward?

We’re LIVE from IIEX Austin with a familiar face, Anne Stephenson, shopper insights expert and founding partner at Explorer Research. Anne sits down with Momma Bird, Priscilla McKinney, to discuss the future of retail in the face of the largest inflationary increase in 40 years. They dive into the different forces and factors that brands need to take into consideration when trying to navigate these unstable times and shopper behaviors. Listen in as we take a look into how shopper insights can help brands navigate the future of retail.

Writing a book is hard, luckily, you don't have to do it alone.

CEO of Scribe Media, Jevon McCormick sits down with Momma Bird, Priscilla McKinney to discuss what it takes to move forward on your path to authorship. Whether you need coaching, a ghostwriter, or marketing to spread your message, Scribe is there to assist you along the way. Listen in as we (hopefully) convince you to take that leap and finally write that book you've always dreamt of.

Research is great. Consumer insights are great too. But at the end of the day, if those insights aren’t being leveraged strategically to create lasting business and consumer impact, what’s the point? With consumer needs continually shifting, it’s become more important than ever to be mindful and strategic when it comes to consumer behavior research.

"In order to make insights more impactful and make projects last, we need to be more mindful and strategic in the work we're doing." Scott Sabin

Joining Priscilla on the Perch is Scott Sabin, Senior Manager of Customer Loyalty and Insights of Health & Wellness at Walgreens. Whew, that was a mouthful. The point? He's an expert worth listening to. 

Through his years in the insights industry, one thing has remained the same– his mantra to ensure that the consumer and customer’s needs remain at the heart of everything he does. So how does Scott execute this customer-centric mindset to drive impact for both the business and the consumer?

Tune in to discover Scott’s keys to driving impact through customer centricity!

Joy /joi/noun: a feeling of great pleasure and happiness

In the last few years, it’s been hard for many to “find the joy” in life. Given the pandemic has put the stability of every sector of our lives to the test, it’s not hard to see why. But what if we told you there’s a science behind living a more joy-filled life? 

Joy connoisseurs Debby Schlesinger-Hellman and Andrew Cannon join Priscilla on the Perch to discuss all things “joy.” Debby and Andrew are on a mission to inspire and empower people to live more joy-filled lives. So much so that they’ve built an entire brand around “The Art and Science of Joy.” You’re in for a treat with this episode as they explore the recipe for joy and how it impacts company culture, self-empowerment and our overall outlook on life.

Looking for more joy-filled content? Check out The Art and Science of Joy Podcast!

Grab the balloons! Pop the champagne! It’s time for a mindset shift about LinkedIn, and it’s a FUN one. Long gone are the days when you viewed LinkedIn like it’s a ho-hum social media platform. It’s a fabulous cocktail party! And you’re invited!

CEO and Little Bird Momma Priscilla McKinney is here to help you make a vital mindset shift about LinkedIn. Get ready to take a BIG step toward building social influence in a way that is meaningful for your business goals and your career objectives. 

All too often, people engage with others on LinkedIn in a manner that is atrocious and completely inappropriate. How many times has someone sneakily tried to enter your LinkedIn life by hiding their intentions: “Hey’ I’m just trying to expand my network,” and then BAM! They’re moving in for a hardcore sale. That’s the equivalent of someone walking into a party and shouting from the door: “Hey! I’m over here! Who wants to sleep with me?”

When you consider LinkedIn a cocktail party, you can better spot and avoid faux pas, and make sure you’re handling yourself in a matter that makes you a beloved host (or guest!) that is a master conversationalist and the life of the party.

Being a master conversationalist at a cocktail party isn’t about talking about you, you, and more you. It’s about narrowcasting, not broadcasting. And about curating your conversation based on what the person you’re talking to might find interesting. Brushing up on something interesting, new, or novel about your area of expertise makes you all that more enjoyable to listen to.

Plus, it’s important to go into other people’s LinkedIn feeds and listen and get engaged with the conversation happening over there— laugh, ask questions, offer advice and tag people in the comments who you feel need to be brought into the conversation. A master conversationalist at the party knows you have to go from group to group to group to engage with different people. It’s not about standing in the center of the room and talking just about yourself.

This Ponderings from the Perch podcast episode features Little Bird Marketing’s master conversationalist herself - and she’s dropping dozens of unforgettable party favors - in the form of actionable insight and advice - like confetti! Tune in. Soak up the knowledge. Then, RVSP for the cocktail party!

We’ll see you there. 

Shoutout to our sponsor Multilingual Connections!

If you think you need a social media influence course… you do. Our 12-week Social Influence course will more than do the trick! We would also be happy, quite thrilled actually, to discuss what digital transformation could look like for your team! 

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There is always a risk of becoming obsolete when it comes to the market research industry or any industry for that matter. The truth is that things are constantly changing, and that includes consumer preferences and the shopper journey. Hence, the importance of being adaptable. And adaptability is a skill that Roseanne Luth is no stranger to.

A true representation of women in research, Priscilla is joined on the Perch by the founder and president of Luth Research, Roseanne Luth. Roseanne brings with her more than 45 years of industry experience to discuss the various shifts and research technology innovations her firm has implemented to provide businesses with specific consumer insights. They explore how Luth Research has navigated the evolution of market research and leveraged these changes as growth opportunities.

Tune in to hear how Roseanne and Luth Research have navigated and adapted to the ebbs and flows of the ever-changing market research world!

Check out SurveySavvy!

So the story goes, a neuroscientist and an insights strategist walk into a bar. Well, that's not exactly how it went, but the interaction resulted in a unique collaboration with the goal of helping brands better understand human behavior using neuroscience.

Priscilla is joined on the Perch by a good friend and colleague, Hunter Thurman, to discuss the behavioral psychology behind consumer behavior. Hunter is the founder and president of Alpha-Diver – the unique insights consultancy leveraging neuroscience to model, measure, explain and predict consumer behavior. He’s the author of the innovation book, Brand Be Nimble, and has been in the insights and strategy industry for over 20 years.

Tune in to learn how leveraging neuroscience can provide deeper consumer insights and discover what it truly means to be "consumer-centric". Priscilla even gets Hunter to offer up his best tips and insights into the process of writing your own book.

Hunter's book, Brand be Nimble ushers in a new era of brand innovation! You can grab your own copy here!

Insights and marketing professionals are under a lot of pressure. 

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How quickly can that campaign get out? How quickly can you generate more leads? Increase revenue! Optimize your team!

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Ee day da, that's okay

Jenn Vogel, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Voxpopme joins us with more than ten years of market research experience, providing knowledge on the ins and outs of corporate researchers. Jenn and Priscilla are discussing initiatives, tricky situations in marketing and emerging challenges for marketing for the insights industry in this episode of Ponderings from the Perch. 

This is ourselves under pressure. 

In this episode, you’ll find insights into quantitative versus qualitative research AND Banana Dancing! Yes. Banana Dancing. By the time you've finished this podcast, you’ll be fully equipped to Cut through the noise and better understand marketing for the insights industry.

While you’re here — check out the Viddys, Voxpopme's Customer Excellence Awards! 

The Voxpopme team internally nominates their customers who are driving the industry forward, fostering innovation and approaching empathy in an exceptional way. Finalists for the Viddys were just announced for all of the different award categories. You can find them here!