The GRIT 2023 Report...
....bringing data alive is more important than ever
So the GRIT 2023 Report is available - all 178 pages of it. Data collected in 2022 Q3/4 from a mix of suppliers and clients - the clientside sample was over 230, so worth taking seriously for a helicopter view of industry trends, even if there’s a likely heavy USA bias.
It’s a challenge to read, long, lots of densely spaced text - I speed-read, didn’t actually make it to the end. Fitting for a MR project, perhaps ;) My bad no doubt.
But I did find quite a few interesting findings which were absent from the executive summary.
So in case you haven’t read the report or the exec summary yourself and not reached your own conclusions, here’s my own topline takeout.
Data Visualisation and Storytelling - Bring them on!
We read a lot about the continuing rise of the analytics and tech side of the industry, and certainly the report seems to confirm that clients are fascinated by all things AI, generative AI in particular.
That having been said, three approaches stand out for their strongly increased usage by clients versus the previous wave (PW):
Data visualisation - +28% (vs PW)
Storytelling - +20%
Face-to-face - +25%
My take
a) we continue to be overwhelmed by data. Making sense of it remains a huge priority - finding stories, and communicating them in a visually appealing manner. Data-filled storybooks with pictures, if you like - hopefully sticky stuff.
b) digital remains a hugely powerful driver. But the urge for in-person engagement is undiminished, as and when it makes sense, and should not be underestimated. Maybe it’s even making a post-COVID comeback.
Client satisfaction levels haven’t shifted much over time - with about 50% very or completely satisfied overall.
Conversely, 50% are not. Glass half full or not? Let’s remain optimistic and get to the drivers.
Breaking the satisfaction factors down: bottom of the list in terms of Sat. rankings was…..Data Visualisation, with only 1 in 3 clients completely/ very satisfied.
Given the surge in visualisation importance, food for thought - perhaps first-and-foremost for clientside folk. If you’re looking for “quality of insights” followed by speed of delivery, which the GRIT report suggests, how much time in your plan have you allowed for some cogent visualisation and storytelling? And does your budget recognise that?
Having struggled with many MR reports, including sadly including this GRIT one, figuring out a mutually beneficial client-supplier answer to this one is important. Data needs to be palatable - visualisation is key.
Online Communities - taking a Hit?
This surprised me: the reported use of MROCs was down, significantly for quant (- 20%) but also notably so with qual (-5%).
Compensating perhaps was an uptick in proprietary panels (+11%).
Are MROCs hitting a ceiling?
The report doesn’t go into much detail on the why, but it’s comments do touch on the concept of quality, as they put it - “a growing mistrust of the composition of communities” - which it feels may not apply to proprietary panels.
Worth exploring further - do forever panels, or shorter weekend panels make promises that are sometimes/often only partly fulfilled in terms of participant quality? Curious to hear others’ opinions.
Or other forces at work - maybe MROCs are proving less universally useful as has been occasionally suggested in the recent past. Perhaps “real qual” in the sense of sensitive, in-depth and nuanced exploration more sensibly being executed as a separate block of IDIs, digital or In-Person.
Diversity in MR? Social Engagement? Hmmm….
Diversity is perhaps the major societal topic of our times - inclusiveness, equality of opportunity, the avoidance of biases of all shapes and sizes. Which company doesn’t embrace it - or hasn’t explored the issue for their brands over the past 3 - 5 years?
Well, in the selection of a research supplier, diversity ranks low. 11% of buyers stated that “diversity of staff” was a key factor in the selection of a supplier, ranking 11th in a list of 15 potential qualities.
Suppliers seemingly shared this view - it ranked even lower, in fact coming last.
“Being engaged with the community or social causes” is another big one for companies across the globe - stakeholder capitalism is becoming the new normal, even if peak purpose is potentially behind us.
But for research buyers, it seems that’s not the case. 6% of buyers said “support for causes or issues” was key in supplier selection.
The picture is sobering - and in societal terms behind the curve. Way to go…..
In summary - great that the GRIT folk are continuing to deliver one of the few, maybe only, global trend reports on the market research/analytics industry, and free of charge.
Like research, there’s a lot in there, and the sense-making part can be a fun challenge.
You can download your own copy here: GRIT 2023 Insights Practice Report in exchange for a few details on your name, role and geographic location.
If you do get to the end of it - congrats, please share any additional insights you have. Curious, as ever, as to others’ views on the above.
(Visual: Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash)
Thank you for writing this so that I don't have to read the 178 pages!