Opening speech - Impact 2014, MRS Annual Conference
05 March 2014

 
DAY ONE - opening speech

Ours is an industry which generates both creative and intellectual capital. Last year, we published a conservative estimate of the market size of £3 billion. And I am glad to be seeing some tentative green shoots of growth appearing this year.

But the market is more important even than the numbers suggest. Collectively, the sector that you represent, drawn from all sorts of methodologies and applications, asks more questions and helps provide more solutions than any other. 

Collectively - and the MRS represents you collectively - you represent the consumer knowledge economy. That consumer understanding is what fuels commercial success and public policy delivery.

You should be proud of all that you achieve and influence, and the fact that in the UK we are still, per capita, the biggest research market in the world.

But the continued success and sustainability of this economy, particularly with new methodologies depending so much on personal data, is founded on trust. We must acknowledge that with so many decisions taken on the information we provide, our standards and quality are critical factors in commercial and public service delivery supply chains.

If we don’t make our commitment to standards overt, other people will seek to impose their own measurements of quality. This quote from the European commission only last week makes that clear.

It is only right that we ask how well we are doing on the trust issue. Recently, with our colleagues in the Global Research Business Network, (the collective of 38 of the biggest research associations around the world) we conducted some research comparing levels of trust in the US and the UK.

The answers we got back, do reflect, obviously, recent activity generated by Snowden, Prism et al. There are in the full report some fascinating differences between our two nations. 

But we must acknowledge that as a sector we have no cause for complacency. Indeed, I would suggest that it is time we stopped merely worrying about the directions of travel of the market, and regulation and took the action that is within our power.

Tim Berners-Lee called for a Magna Carta of the Internet. I say we do have a rallying badge to reassure consumers that we can be trusted with their data, and to reassure clients that they can trust their data supply chain. It is called Fair Data. It has the backing of the Information Commissioner and parliamentarians.

This month, it started to become international with its adoption in Singapore. If we believe we can be trusted, then we should be prepared to badge our activities in a way that consumers generally - and research participants in particular - will understand.

DAY TWO - opening speech

As an industry, we look not just at what people do but why they do it. Customer understanding fuels commercial and public policy success. 

But these are very corporate words. Some of you may know that I am fond of asking the basic question of why we should get out of bed in the morning. Recently I uncovered two human quotes which I think bring all this to life.

Some years ago that much underrated (by some at least) politician Tony Benn addressed this conference. He said, in essence, that research gives people a voice with power. His comment may be more apt as voter registration struggles.

[Here's the much-tweeted slide I used]

TB.jpg


This year, the Delphi group, the think tank we have established, will be publishing a report called, tentatively 'From Commercial to Creative Capital', about the wider uses of research. 

In the interviews that have been conducted for this study, this quote from Aviva emerged: 

'Research stops organisations doing the things they want rather than the things they should.' 

Anyone attempted to draw parallels with religion, for what is that about if not to give people a reason to do as they should, is free to do so!

So on to the present, and the future. As an indicator maybe, of all we have been saying, I am pleased to announce that the latest patron to join our illustrious line up shares a passion for shaping and building the sector. Stan Sthanunatha joined Unilever from Coca-Cola last year and he is global senior vice president for consumer and marketing insights. 

My only regret is that as Unilever is my alma mater, Unilever followed Procter in stepping up has patrons of this organisation!

This year, we have a announced new international guidelines with the US and Australia, on mobile research. This year as well, our own code will change. We are simplifying, clarifying and underlining your legal and ethical duties in conducting research. We have dropped a lot of unnecessary rules, and updated others. And unlike the government we have dropped a rule for every one created.

We do mean what we say about standards - we are still pursuing G4S about their notorious HM Prison Oakwood call centre. This month ,I asked the Conservatives to withdraw their latest so-called survey, not least on the grounds that it appears to break some data protection guidelines.

But as a practical underlining to all of this, on April 2 we will launch a new online continuous professional development programme.

Professions who are serious about standards and professionalism insist on CPD. We should do no less. I know that in consultation this is a development that is widely welcomed. I encourage you to participate.

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