Whether you have been in market or media research for 5 years or 20 years or many more, then you know that the discipline is going through a ferocious pace of change, just like seemingly every other industry.

And it needs to.  Think about your own media habits and the media devices that you owned even five years ago or look around your own home or office and you can tell how the new normal for many of us is to constantly add to or replace older devices.  That opens the door for market researchers to help companies understand people’s changing needs and behaviours.

It’s also on the research industry’s shoulders to keep evolving, arguably faster, to narrow the gap between new behaviour and understanding what’s driving it.  Actually measuring those new behaviours is a topic for another day and one that the industry is really struggling to control.

This background makes the new report, The Smarter Researcher by Ray Poynter, a very worthwhile and readable read – not just for media researchers, but any form of market research.  Ray lists 10 steps that market researchers can do to enhance its relevance.  These are great steps for any researcher, young or old, to aspire to in their everyday work.

1. Separate the Signal From the Noise
2. Traditional Surveys Aren’t Enough
3. Big Data isn’t Enough
4. Engage Customers in an Ongoing Two-Way Partnership
5. Become A Storyteller
6. Go Mobile
7. Embrace Innovation
8. Connect the Dots
9. Translate Business Problems
10. Break out of the Market Research Silo

If you haven’t already, go download the report from the Vision Critical website.