As part of the ongoing Knowledge at Work interview series, FlexMR CMO - Chris Martin – recently spent some time chatting with Bloomfire about creatively sharing insights, encouraging engagement and more.
The Q&A covers a broad range of topics; from the challenges modern insight professionals face, to how technology is affecting the sector. The new normal, as more teams work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and advice to anyone seeking to pursue a career in market are also covered. Here are some of the highlights:
What knowledge do you rely on most as the CMO of FlexMR?
As a marketer, there’s always three sources of knowledge I look towards. What the market is telling me, what forces are at play within the business, and what our customers are thinking. It’s my role to bring together all of this information, synthesise it and work out what decisions will have the best outcome for all three groups.
What do you think is likely to change for market researchers as more teams work remotely?
As the world settles into a new normal, many researchers are being exposed to online techniques and technologies they may not have had experience with before. In the long term, I don’t think this will go away once lockdowns and social distancing measures are reduced. This period will further normalise online research, especially qual.
The current climate is also making a lot of research more empathetic and human in its approach. I hope that this leaves a lasting impact past the current crisis, and that the careful consideration of research needs and participant welfare continue long into the future.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing researchers today?
The major challenge that I most frequently see is the difficulty in driving business action and engaging decision makers. As technology has improved over the last decade, the variety of methodologies that researchers have access to has increased. But the level of direct access to data sources has also risen across all levels of business. That noise makes achieving cut through and impact difficult. There is no quick and easy solution. Researchers must find and hone the value that they add, refine reporting techniques and view quality work as table stakes – not a differentiating factor.
The other major issue of the moment is the complexity around issues of consumer trust, privacy and data security. As countries start to develop more rigorous privacy legislation, industry is playing catch up to ensure compliance. On top of that, high profile data breaches and scandals have shaken public confidence. If researchers are to gather accurate, reliable and insightful data – it is vital that we successfully earn and maintain trust in a compliant, open manner.
To read the full conversation, visit the Bloomfire blog. You can also read highlights from the full 2019 interview series here.
About Bloomfire
Bloomfire is a software-as-a-service company based in Austin, Texas. The business creates web-based software applications that aim to increase virtual knowledge-and-insights-sharing in the workplace. The firm’s products increase accessibility to information within a company so employees have the knowledge they need to work efficiently.
The Future of Knowledge at Work interview series puts a spotlight on industry leaders, and brings forward discussions about how both marketing and insight teams will change over the years to come.
