Podcast: We discuss successful conference submissions and market research ROI

Two of our directors and previous podcast guests, Geoff Lowe and Horst Feldhaeuser, sat down together for this episode to co-host a lively discussion on exactly what it takes to create a paper for submission to a market research conference. The co-hosts draw upon their experiences over the decades in submitting successful proposals to various conferences, emphasizing the importance of not only the research being presented, but also its ultimate impact on business success: the ROI.

Market research conferences provide an opportunity for insights professionals to share knowledge that will increase the overall capability of the industry, and speakers also have the unique opportunity to “serve humanity” by bringing greater understanding on a huge number of topics.

Horst talks about his experiences in creating “winning submissions”, speaking both individually, in partnership with clients, and on panels at various market research conferences during his long career in the industry. He talks about the importance of examining conference themes and seeing where your research fits in with those themes. You “want a really good story to tell” around making a business change, bringing in a new technology, uncovering new data, and other pertinent topics on which you can share the process, the learnings, and the business impact. He says there’s no need for a sales pitch (a no-no at conferences) if the story you are telling is compelling and well laid out. More specific advice on submitting papers for market research conferences is included in the full episode.

Geoff and Horst then go on to discuss one of their favorite subjects: ROI for market research investments. Often difficult to quantify, this concept is focused on the business impact – “what is the mountain we had to climb to get to the outcome.” It’s important to include ROI in speaking and awards submissions in the market research industry, of course, but it is also important to prove the overall value of the insights function. It’s critical to show stakeholders exactly how the money they are investing in insights has a positive business impact.

They talk about how some of Infotools’ big clients have used Harmoni to help handle tasks and automate processes, so that insights professionals and the market research team can do their jobs more efficiently. When insights teams have the appropriate tools and processes in place to articulate the value they bring, questions from stakeholders can be answered quickly, enabling the organization to (potentially) pounce on opportunities faster than competitors. This is made possible with ready access to data, interactive dashboards with important findings, and additional time for deep-dive analyses due to automated processes.

Implementing things like technology solutions that allow more people, including clients, to investigate data and find the answers they need, can help to elevate market research and its impact. It is practices like these, and more, that are helping prove ROI for the insights function – and make good things happen across a business.

Geoff and Horst cover quite a bit of ground during this episode, and draw on their years of experience working in the market research industry. It's worth a listen!