Inclusion in the research sector

MRS leads a number of activities within the research and insight sector to support inclusion and diversity.

Jane Frost CBE, chief executive of MRS, comments: “At MRS we are driven by our mantra, ‘evidence matters,’ but we need to lead by example and demonstrate that opportunity matters too. As the sector that provides insight and evidence, we must be representative of the changing world around us and we believe that the only barriers to progress should be personal choice and professional capability. Through initiatives like our Manifesto for Opportunity and #MRSPride, we want to energise discussion and inspire action within the market research community. "

Read Jane's blog on 'Helping more people get heard'.

The CEO pledge - Manifesto for Opportunity

MRS' Manifesto for Opportunity (PDF) asks CEOs to make five commitments towards creating safer and more representative workplaces. The pledge includes: publishing pay statistics annually, working towards government targets for women and BAME people at board level and improving recruitment practices.

The pledge has been signed by the following:

BVA BDRC Group: Crispian Tarrant
Big Sofa: Kirsty Fuller
C Space: Felix Koch
Dynata: Gary Laben
Firefish: Jem Fawcus
GfK: Warren Saunders
Hall & Partners: Vanella Jackson
Ipsos MORI: Ben Page
ITWP Group (parent company of Toluna and Harris Interactive): Paul Twite / Frederic Charles 
Kantar: Amy Cashman
Kantar Profiles Network: Caroline Frankum
MESH: Fiona Blades
Motif: Ginny Monk
NatCen: Guy Goodwin
Northstar: Matthew Sell
The Nursery: Peter Dann
Opinium: James Endersby
Populus: Michael Simmonds
Quadrangle: Ali Camps
Savanta Global: Roger Perowne
Savanta UK: Nick Baker
Savanta Americas: Vin DeRobertis
Watermelon: Mark Squires
Zappi: Steve Phillips

If you would like to sign the Manifesto for Opportunity on behalf of your organisation please email ceo.office@mrs.org.uk

Mentoring and apprenticeships

To back up the CEO Pledge and provide more practical support MRS has introduced within the MRS mentoring scheme the option for BAME matching, supported bursaries for professional qualifications via the MRBA, and we are in the final stage of completing an apprenticeship scheme to provide an alternative to the generally university based entry routes to the sector.

Inclusion report

Where We Stand: Inclusion, Equality and Diversity (IED) Industry Report from MRS and Kantar, presents key findings on gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and age within market research. The research also shines a light on health and wellness issues in the sector for the first time – showing that more than half of men and women under the age of 44 within the research sector suffer from mental health conditions.

You can download the report here.

MRSPride - a network uniting LGBTQ+ professionals and allies across the sector

MRSPride is open to MRS members, staff of Company Partners and anyone within the research and marketing sectors. Chair of MRSpride is Michael Brown MMRS, Head of Insight, UM. Contact Michael via MRS.pride@mrs.org.uk

Find out how to join the network and upcoming MRSPride events.

IJMR lecture: Covid-19 and race: protecting data or saving lives?

The principal argument put forward in this IJMR lecture, delivered June 2020 by Richard Webber and Trevor Phillips, is that the interests of Britain’s ethnic minority population are no longer being served by many of the restrictions that apply to the collection and analysis of data relating to race. IJMR is the International Journal of Market Research, published by MRS.

Watch the lecture: Covid-19 and race: protecting data or saving lives?

Listen to our podcast on LGBTQ+ in the workplace