1. DIY Research: The longest suicide note in history
BIG Conference, Session 5
21st May 1010
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This is an edited version of the brief talk given at the BIG Conference at the opening
of Day 2. This is an opinion piece and reflects the views of the speaker only.
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Good morning everyone.
The phrase “the longest suicide note in history” was coined by Gerald Kaufman
referring to the Labour Party Manifesto prepared for the 1983 General Election. It
ran to 700 pages and reflected the chaos of the Labour Party who proceeded to lose
the election with its worst performance since 1918.
The manifesto had been drawn up under the Leadership of Michael Foot. He was a
brilliant man, a man of mighty principles, who failed to see how the world was
changing around him. He had a political credo that would not be compromised by
pragmatic election needs.
It was the death of the Labour Party who went on to spend the next 14 years
rebuilding themselves.
How is this relevant to DIY research?
I see an echo of Foot’s attitude in the response I see to the development of DIY
research. I am concerned that Research, collectively, is not responding to a
changing world.
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© Michael Barnes -1- BIG Conference 2010

2. This presentation really begins with a flurry of tweets on Twitter on May 20th 2009
when I saw a retweet from Research magazine, highlighting a link to WorkHappy.Net
which contained the following introduction
“Did you know you can make a free, and rich survey or poll using Google Docs? It’s
simple to set up, and as a bonus it drops all your results into a spreadsheet where
you can slice/dice/analyze/chart/graph or whatever.”
My reaction was immediate and strong. But within the confines of 140 characters I
couldn’t really make my case so I blogged and then posted it on Twitter and
Linkedin. The responses were encouraging.
I also learned, the hard way, that Research Magazine is not the propaganda arm of
the MRS and that the MRS itself is not the voice of the industry. For some reason my
naivete surprised me even though I had absorbed both truths during my years
working in and around market research.
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At this stage it is worth me making it quite clear that what these companies are doing
is fine. They have innovated, they have ridden the wave of web-enabled technology,
they have extended the tool kit available to Market Research and they continue to
push and develop their products. As a client-side researcher I loved them. They
allow me to do things that were well beyond me a decade ago. In fact I’d go so far as
to say that these DIY survey tools are the most significant change in Market
Research in a generation.
I love the tools.
I have concerns about the workmen.
And I’m really not that happy about the consequences of poor workmen blaming their
tools.
© Michael Barnes -2- BIG Conference 2010

3. ~
Pleasingly, fortunately and perhaps not unexpectedly I was introduced one of the
firms that has an interest in this market: Cint Research, a software developer. As it
turned out Cint are working on the next phase of their development and doing their
own exploration of views and attitudes to DIY research.
They have been kind enough to show me the results of their qualitative research
conducted earlier this year among agencies and clients and even more generous in
letting me refer to it here today.
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It would be a gross generalisation to say that agencies are in denial but certainly
there didn’t seem to be much concern about the use of DIY research and the
potential disintermediation of agencies. The typical view was that their clients would
always come to them for ‘proper research’.
To be honest, my concern is not for agencies. They make their commercial decisions
and live with the consequences. As long as they’re comfortable with the shifting
pattern of research, the impact that has on share-of-wallet and the possible
dislocation of their engagement model then I’m sure they’ll be just fine.
My own discussions with the client-side were reinforced by the research conducted
by Cint. They found that client-side researchers use DIY tools extensively. That they
enjoy the speed, cost, project control and ultimately the flexibility that they get from
this technology. And I for one would love to have any agency come along with a
proposition that gives me a fast, value-for-money, transparent and flexible project
structure that works on my terms rather than theirs.
There is however a big ‘but’ that follows most client-side responses. The ‘but’
concerns the ‘who’. As in ‘who designs, executes and analyses’.
DIY tools are freely available and the barrier to usage is low. And not only are
agencies disintermediated but so are client-side teams. These tools are being used
by front and back office teams in businesses with little or no reference to any
professionals.
© Michael Barnes -3- BIG Conference 2010

4. I mean, how hard can it be to ask a few questions?
Well, quite hard actually. In the days when the big agencies had structured training
programmes for juniors it did take time to work your way around the various parts of
the business and learn, on the job, how to ask a few questions.
But no-one is telling Doris in HR that it’s not that easy. That your sample may be
biased and your questions even more so and if you put Garbage In to a system you
will certainly get Garbage Out. GIGO is a universal human truth.
Doris get the job done but the business loses an opportunity and Market Research
ultimately suffers from the law of unintended consequences. From my original blog,
this is how the story goes
Ø The buyers’ decision becomes focussed of methodology and
content - hey, let’s do it on-line and we'll write the questions
ourselves - and not on business objective.
Ø These surveys are often/usually poorly written and poorly
executed and superficially analysed.
Ø As a result the findings (rarely recommendations) are less than
insightful and often a poor reflection of the Executives' own
prejudices.
Ø The Board member, budget holder and commissioning manager
walk away thinking - it was cheap and quick but didn’t really tell me
much. I'm not sure this market research thing is all its cracked up to
be. Maybe we'll skip it next time.
Ø And of course the impact on respondents is equally interesting as
pestering them with inane questions that have little internal logic or
coherent narrative creates a secondary negative impact which in my
B2B world hits another set of decision makers.
The client side is worried too. Quality control isn’t there, analysis and insight are
almost certainly sub-optimal, the opportunity to impress at senior levels is eroded
and that rarest of resources – respondent goodwill – is being eaten away.
But still, Doris got her study done. And that’s ok.
So what do we do?
If you work in an agency then just give it some thought. Is there a way that you can
reconsider your engagement model to embrace this technology? It’s not going away,
© Michael Barnes -4- BIG Conference 2010

5. client like it, millions use it. So what can you do to lock into this need and,
commercially, add value?
If you work on the client-side then you have to communicate and educate. The task
of increasing the awareness and understanding of project sponsors from Board level
downwards sits, firstly, with client teams. Research is a skilled and valuable
component of the business decision making process, there are rules and regulations,
tricks and short cuts, areas to avoid, fundamental to follow and insights to be had.
But only when it is done right. This is not amateur night, this is not a karaoke
discipline. This is about customers, people who are the only source of income we
have: it’s serious.
And finally, we come to the MRS and AURA. And I sigh. Will they engage in the
client education that is needed? Will they support the need to keep research valued
and not devalued through a DIY commoditisation? Will they do anything? Perhaps.
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Remember my starting point? The 1983 manifesto. A triumph of political principle
over political reality. Is it relevant to the evolution of DIY research? When I think of
the market research industry, I think it is.
So let me come back to Michael Foot. For most of us here Foot was a white haired,
donkey-jacket wearing, old man who was the last of the Old Labour leaders from a
time of trade unions, CND marches and party conferences that looked like student
union meetings.
But we began at his end, so let’s end at his beginning. He was a brilliant man, a
journalist and politician who had a terrifying passion for politics that was never
quenched. And I chose him and the quote, partly, because there is a local
connection. In 1935 he began his political journey, standing for election to
parliament, in Monmouth, just up the road from here.
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@mikeyb2b http://reflectionsonresearch.blogspot.com mikeyb.63@hotmail.com
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© Michael Barnes -5- BIG Conference 2010