The changing nature of market research with Todd Horvitz

On this episode of Now that's Significant, host Michael Howard, is joined by Todd Horvitz, Head of Customer Insights at HP, who previously held senior insights roles at Disney, Wells Fargo, and Kantar.

The episode opens with the host quoting lines from David Bowie's song Changes, which setup a discussion on the changing nature of the market research industry, as witnessed by Todd. The rendition was not one to remember, but the discussion certainly was.

Talking points began focusing on the workplace in general, which included:

- The changing state of the workplace, especially from a technology perspective.

- The proliferation of the internet and mobile phones and tables.

- The rate at which business has sped up, innovation speeding up, and an obsession to maximize productivity.

- Diversity has also been a major change for the better too, with a greater number of perspectives feeding into the way we work and deliver value for society.

The discussion then moved on more specifically to market research.

- The way that market research and access to data has been democratized across organizations.

- DIY and smart analysis tools have increased the speed to insight on both the agency and corporate side

- We've had low engagement and increased fraudulent activity as people's time is increasingly taken up, and as bad actors attempt to game the system for financial gain.

- AI has threatened to take over jobs, while IT security teams scramble to ensure any access or use is done in a safe environment.

- AI has also provided a tool for market researchers to be more efficient in the way they work.

Reflecting on how to make the most of all this change, Todd reminded us we need to buy the right tools and have a clear plan on how you'll proceed. He touched on agile, and reinforced that while it's valuable, it's not for everyone.

Todd also touched on internal resistance that one may face when steering the organization away from historical ways of working.

Finally, Todd mentioned some things to do and not to do, both at work and outside of work, to help make yourself a better market researcher. Some important points worth remembering regardless of our time in the industry.

We hope you enjoy the episode.

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