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Simon Lidington is smart, passionate and engaging and so perfect podcast material. He was recently elected to the chair of the MRS and so is arguably one of the most influential players in the $2bn UK research industry. In this podcast, hear his fresh vision, ideas and priorities as he speaks openly with key industry figure Ruth McNeil. He also talks about his other life as the founder of new startup The Insight Exchange

 STARRING 

• Simon Lidington, MRS Chair, and CEO and founder, The Insight Exchange
• Ruth McNeil, co-founder, Response Consulting, and author of Business to Business Market Research (Host)
• Richard Ide, former Head of Volkswagen UK (Contributor)
• Nicky Buss, Director of Advertiser Development, ITV (Contributor)
• Jeremy Hicks, Head of Audi UK (Contributor)

PODCAST
At the age of 31, Simon Lidington started his first research agency.

Four years later, he bought into and jointly-built Quadrangle, a management consultancy. There he successfully led the research effort to drive the re-positioning of the Skoda brand in the UK (forgive the pun).

In 2004, Simon became the CEO of Research International UK, and at the end of 2005 decided to move onto his next venture, The Insight Exchange.

Shortly after, and in the face of tough competition, he was awarded the chair of the Market Research Society. It’s this challenging role that we discuss with him today.
Please let us know what you think of this podcast.

TIMELINE [27m05s]
00m00s Introduction.
02m25s Why did Simon want to be MRS chair?
03m14s Winning the election against Leslie Sopp.
04m14s Is there a conflict in the visions of diversity of unification?
04m48s What should the MRS should stand for?
05m52s “A unique talent” – Richard Ide, ex. Head of Volkswagen Group UK.
06m48s “A research visionary and a rebel” – Nicky Buss, Director of Advertiser Development, ITV.
07m33s “A good listener and very selfless” – Jeremy Hicks, Head of Audi UK.
08m19s The MRS’s mission.
09m41s Is the MRS commercial enough?
09m56s Can the MRS influence industry growth rates?
10m51s Medium-term challenges for MR.
11m40s Engaging those on the periphery of research (data miners, analysts etc.)
12m50s Is the name ‘MR’ limiting the industry vision?
15m45s Simon’s top priorities as MRS chair.
16m58s Specific initiatives to better promote the MR industry.
20m08s Including people on the edge of the industry.
21m42s The role of ‘Research’ magazine.
23m21s The thinking behind Simon’s new venture, The Insight Exchange.
24m49s What his time at Research International contributed to his world view.
25m37s What Simon would like his legacy to be.

NOTABLE MENTIONS
Casro.
CBI.
Christine Hastings (Quadrangle).
David Barr (MRS).
Eamonn Santry (Network Research).
EFAMRO.
ESOMAR.
ESRC (Cultures of Consumption).
Evan Davies (BBC).
Forrester Research.
Dr Frank Trentmann (Birkbeck College).
Jeremy Bullmore.
John Gambles (Quadrangle).
Jupiter Research.
Leslie Sopp (Age Concern).
Marc Brenner (Research magazine).
Peter Greenwood (Research magazine).
Quadrangle.
Research International.

Glazer, Strauss, The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research.

QUOTES
On the level of clientside representation: “I don’t think that we’ve got enough clientside representation and I’m not sure that actually stands us in the best stead…there is a danger of an increasing separation between the agency definition of MR and how clients see it.”

On the MRS’s purpose: “What binds us going forward? In the past it has largely been primary data collection and I don’t think that’s enough.”

On changing the MRS’s focus: “Perhaps the MRS has felt somewhat hampered by being a membership organisation rather than a trade body. Now I see that shifting, although I don’t think we’ll ever be just a trade body.”

On the MRS being more commercial: “I would expect to see a fairly major push on this over the next year or couple of years.”

On becoming an inclusive industry (e.g. including data miners): “I don’t see that behavioural data, no matter how it is collected, is anathema to the MR industry…bringing those things together is a hugely powerful force for businesses…it’s to be celebrated and something that we should actively be pursuing.”

On reaching out to the Jupiter and Forrester Researchs of the world: “There is a fairly active debate within the industry as to whether the MRS should embrace those consultancies. My own personal feeling is that we should.”

On changing the industry name: “I’ve always thought that name changes are to be carefully considered.”

On a key priority: “The MRS is a UK organisation…but the MR industry is global. And I think that we have resisted collaboration with international organisations and I would like to see that change. I have already instituted changes in our policy…I would like to see us play our part on the international stage.”

On specific initiatives to better promote MR: “…the use just of media PR isn’t going to solve the problem…there are a number of things that we have to do to find our way into the minds and hearts of those people who use and apply research…it could be that we need to talk to the CBI.”

On ‘Research’ magazine: “It has been suggested as a possibility that it’s hived off. I’m not sure I would support that.”

On the rationale for his new startup: “The large, global research agencies have done a marvelous job in creating large engines which are about analysis…for smaller companies the opportunities are much more in the humanity of it, the bringing of wisdom, the bringing of ingenuity to a client’s issues…”

Music courtesy of: 2006 Pl@stic Soul and The Blue Mile from the PMN

Thanks to K D Consulting for sponsoring this podcast.

Series:Sponsored

 Sponsored by 
You have a thought: let’s invite on global guru Jack Honomichl. You’re a fledgling podcaster so he’s not going to say ‘yes’. But he does, and he’s actually one of the nicest and most visionary people you can meet. Listen to his frank views on the industry and key players, and hear about the genesis of his must-read Inside Research newsletter and how Dun and Bradstreet tried to derail it. Jack also gives us a sneak peak at the upcoming Global 25 list

 STARRING 

• Jack Honomichl, Inside Research
• Michael Warren – michael.c.warren *at* btinternet *dot* com (Host)

PODCAST
Ask the CEOs of research organisations worldwide who they regard as the most authoritative voice in the business of research, and they’ll probably name today’s guest.

Jack Honomichl has written about the industry since 1969, including an 18-year column in Advertising Age.

In 1990 he founded Inside Research, a monthly newsletter for senior business executives that the US financial weekly, Barrons, calls the Bible of the research industry.

Jack also compiles the annual Honomichl Top 50 and Top 25 lists, respectively the largest research firms in the US and worldwide.

And he’s even found time to write a few books!

To cap it all, he has been inducted into the MR hall of fame alongside other luminaries such as David Ogilvy and Arthur C. Nielsen Sr.

Few people can match Jack for his clarity of vision and ability to analyse strategic trends. That’s why MR CEOs and the financial community worldwide scramble for his and Larry Gold’s Inside Research newsletter every month. And now you get to understand some of that magic…

Please let us know what you think of this podcast.

TIMELINE [42m09s]
00m00s Introduction.
02m24s Why ACNielsen keeps changing hands.
04m14s Jack on takeover activity.

Inside Research
07m17s Why it’s a must-read for CEOs and investors.
08m46s Genesis.
10m52s Larry Gold’s arrival as editor and publisher.
12m26s Rationale for its functional style.
13m43s Exclusives (incl. D&B takeover of ACNielsen).
16m02s Has Jack ever been used?
18m32s Do top executives deserve their pay?
20m55s The value and influence of research.

Honomichl US top 50 & Global top 25
24m16s Jack comments on the latest US top 50.
27m13s Exclusive preview of Global top 25.
28m19s Industry outlook for the next five years.
30m29s Top executives most admire.
31m36s What makes superb management.
32m57s Is there a deterioration in top level management?
34m25s Jack’s outlook for the industry.
35m29s Whether the industry is undervalued and Jack’s ‘imperative’ scale.

Jack
38m28s What motivates Jack.
39m21s The accomplishment that Jack’s most proud of.

NOTABLE MENTIONS
ACNielsen (AC Nielsen, ACN).
Advertising Age.
Aegis.
Arthur C. Nielsen.
Arbitron.
BrainJuicer.
Crain Communications.
David Ogilvy.
Dun and Bradstreet (D&B).
Ipsos.
IRI.
John Kearon.
Robert Maxwell.
Steve Morris.
Synovate.
TNS / Taylor Nelson.
Tony Cowling.

SOME QUOTES (not indicative of the whole podcast)
(IR = Inside Research)

On ACNielsen’s initial sale to Dun and Bradstreet: “I remember when Art Nielsen sold the company to Dun and Bradstreet and he called all the employees together…[he said] don’t worry, nothing will change, that turns out in retrospect to be the most naive statement ever made, there’s been nothing but change.”

On the recent change in ACNielsen ownership: “Once you’re in play you become a football and Nielsen’s kinda in the World Cup, it’s getting kicked all over the place…it’s recently fallen into the hands of a bunch of venture capitalists and they’ll use it for their own get rich quick scheme and then throw the carcass away.”

On takeovers: “In many cases the people who take them over didn’t have the vaguest idea what they were getting into when they bought a research company, they saw some sort of glitter there, some sort of mystique.”

On the rate of takeover activity: “Pardon me for sounding a little jaded but I’ve gotten pretty blasé about all this, I mean when you’ve got a company turning over every nine and a half days, after a while it gets to be a same old kind of a situation.”

On the genesis of IR: “This is an interesting thing. Alfred Kinsey the famous sex reporter…when he first announced to his staff what they were going to do someone said, people won’t tell you about their sexual behaviour, too private, too confidential. He said you’ll be surprised, your biggest problem will be to shut them up…that’s what I found, the industry was just hungry for recognition.”

On Larry Gold: “What Larry writes up about these conferences around the world, it’s like movie reviews. It tells the very stressed executive on the buy-side which ones are worth the time and effort since there are so many of them today.”

On IR’s note-like writing style: “I was conscious of how much excessive verbiage there is, good for effect but short on fact…when you see a newsletter that’s full of pictures and graphs…that’s because they don’t have any content…I choose content…squeeze in as much as we can.”

On IR’s editorial asset: “Many publications are written by people on the outside looking in, like looking into a toy store. We know how the toys are made, who made them, which ones work well, which don’t.”

On IR’s first big exclusive, tracking the takeover of AC Nielsen by Dun and Bradstreet: “…it really infuriated the people at Dun and Bradstreet. It got so bad that they financed the start-up of another publication which they hoped would run IR out of business.”

On executive pay: “In my opinion, one of the great weaknesses of the research industry worldwide is that there is a shortage of really good top executive material. By definition the people who are most able already own their own company and already have equity. You can’t hire them, if you want them you have to buy them.”

On the influence of research: “The market research industry is not much to speak of in terms of revenue. But, the leverage that information has is extraordinary, where you might take a company and change it’s whole course of action.”

On the value of research: “One of my hobbies is espionage…research can be viewed as espionage…in that sense research has been under utilised.”

On making effective use of research: “David Ogilvy has a famous quote…in essence..it’s very easy to show people how to use and buy market research, but very difficult to get them to use it properly.”

On the outlook over the next five years: “I’ve been saying for, I don’t how many years, that it can’t go on [rate of takeover activity], but it does!”

On top executives most admire [in addition to Tony Cowling]: “What they’ve done with IPSOS has been for me extremely intelligent and in the end very productive and one of the reasons is they knew how to manage their acquisitions. Any fool can go out and buy a company…but running it after you get it, and growing it, improving it…that’s another subject and that’s where IPSOS stands alone…and also Steve Morris of Arbitron.”

On successful management: “Some companies have literally managed themselves right into the ground…the organisation eventually is an extension of the personality, the drive and vision of one man or a couple or three people, and if there’s no vision at the top then you just have a bean counter…someone who doesn’t understand the research industry and who’s only interested in money making…it shows up over time.”

On making research more valuable: “A piece of information moves way up on the imperative scale if the CEO says we have to have it.”

Music courtesy of: 2006 Pl@stic Soul and The Blue Mile from the PMN

Thanks to K D Consulting for sponsoring this podcast.

Series:Sponsored

 GUEST  John Samuels, former MD of BMRB, has been awarded a Gold Medal for his significant contribution to the industry. John joins guest host Michael Warren to review the latest news and to chat about his fascinating career and offer his thoughts on the state of research

 TOPICS  Weekly Show hiatus (email us to keep the show on air during August); Janet Weitz sells FDS; TNS share price drop and the background to TNS and Tony Cowling; Tribute to Kit Molloy; John’s three research practice peeves; State of the industry; What John’s most proud of and whether he has any regrets; What John’s up to now

 NOTABLE MENTIONS  AGB, BMRB, Charlotte Cornish, David Winton, Dawn Mitchell, Eileen Cole, FDS, The Future Foundation, Hugh Stammers, IBM, Janet Weitz, Judy Lannon, Kit Molloy, Liz Nelson, Michael Warren, MRS, Patricia Mann, Robert Maxwell, Tony Cowling, TNS (and Taylor Nelson)

Music 2006 Pl@stic Soul and Adrina Thorpe from the PMN

Series:Weekly

 STARRING 

• John Kearon, CEO and founder, BrainJuicer
• Michael Warren – michael.c.warren *at* btinternet *dot* com (Host)
• Rod Connors, ex. Nike UK, and Jan Harley, Unilever Ventures (Contributors)

PODCAST
Back in 1999, a couple of clever guys had a really good idea. They created a system for getting people quickly to the information they wanted. They created Google.

At around the same time, John Kearon was embarking on a similar quest for marketers. Getting in-depth research fast was widely viewed as an oxymoron.

To say that BrainJuicer’s seven-year journey was full of ups and downs is an understatement – a rollercoaster ride would have been smoother. And at one point, John’s dream was close to being shattered.

This is real edge-of-the-seat stuff. So if you want to understand what it takes to build an innovative research organisation designed for the 21st Century then take a listen.

Sound: We apologise for the below-par audio quality.

TIMELINE [33m35s]
00m00s Introduction.
01m46s What makes BrainJuicer distinctive.
02m16s The thoughts of a client.
02m44s Why John decided to start a business.
04m06s Why John switched from his first business to start BrainJuicer.
05m13s The origin of the BrainJuicer name.
05m51s Performance in the early days.
07m26s The barriers to early growth.
08m33s The turning point.
10m14s A rare animal – marketer turned researcher.
12m16s BrainJuicer’s first client – Nike UK (Rod Connors).
13m57s Securing funding from Unilever Ventures (Jan Harley).
16m23s Arriving at a fair valuation of the business.
18m42s Was it worth giving up a 40% stake in the business to Unilever Ventures?
19m37s Advice for potential entrepreneurs.
21m34s Example of an innovative project (for Nicky Boud, Cif, Unilever).
24m35s Better NPD forecasting using ‘Predictive Markets’.
26m58s The role of marketing in BrainJuicer’s success.
28m03s What next for BrainJuicer.
28m55s Barriers to growth.
31m11s When will John know whether the mission has been fulfilled?

SOME QUOTES (not indicative of the whole podcast)
On being distinctive: “We’re a quantitiative agency that can actually deliver qualitative understanding.”

On the decision to leave a larger business: “I’m much more creative than I am a politician!”

On the decision to start a business: “I seem to have gone from a large successful company (Unilever)…to a small startup…I’m rather hoping that my career will be a parabola and start to build something larger again.”

On developing revenues: “Somehow at Brand Genetics, my first company…it felt easy [to generate business]…it seduced you into the fact that setting up a company was easy…but at BrainJuicer what was supposed to take four months and 40,000 pounds, in reality took two years…and 400,000 pounds.”

On pioneering: “It was completely new, no one had every done this before…the natural question..had my whole career been in software development, would we have got there quicker and made less mistakes?”

On the launch of BrainJuicer: “I’d set out with great hope before the dotcom bubble burst…it burst five months later and that was a pretty shaky moment, but we ploughed on in our garage.”

On the turning point: “[My wife said] Darling, I know you’re a genius but could you get one of those high paid jobs you used to have…a genius who’s earning is preferable to just a genius.”

On the appeal of research: “I was, and remain fascinated by trying to tell the truth…it’s as much about the people I’m trying to hire…people who are very good at working a problem.”

On the first client: “[Rod Connors, Nike UK] is a very innovative guy, he takes risks and he took a big risk with BrainJuicer…Nike do very little research…and it needs to be very innovative.”

On the funding – Jan Harley, Unilever Ventures: “John had said he could feedback very, very quickly…so I said if you are that good, can you by the end of the day get feedback from everybody…he came back with a presentation…from about 50 people!”

On the funding negotiations: “…[at one point] we were diametrically opposed and there was a stony moment where everyone could see the deal disappearing…I just laughed!”

On becoming an entrepreneur: “I gave a talk to some students…I spent 20 minutes trying to put them off.”

On a recent innovative study: “We started off with something that we pioneered, Predictive Markets [based on the theories of James Surowiecki]…to see if it was more accurate than current monadic testing…in seven out of seven tests…the [Predictive Markets] crowd is getting the perfect result.”

On BrainJuicer marketing: “…let’s just say that it’s much less thought-through and planned than it might seem.”

On the future: “There is an opportunity to change the way market research is done…we’re a 4million pound company…we can actually compete with the very largest research companies…the internet is a disruptive force.”

On the barriers to growth: “The biggest barrier is convervatism…buyers and sellers are perfectly evolved to suit each other.”

On meeting the mission: “BrainJuicer will be a $500m total business…ten years from now [from $8m today].”

On the future of research: “MR as a total category could be twice the size it currently is.”

Music Theatrimus and The Blue Mile from the PMN

Thanks to KD Consulting for sponsoring this podcast.

Series:Sponsored