Great ideas in any industry do not come from a text book or a manual; they come from people. People inspire, create and, above all, lead the way towards new or better ways of approaching problems.
In the market research world, new ideas used to seem hard to come by. Now, the field is exploding with innovation. Technology is part of the reason but the other part is — you guessed it — people. To keep your finger on the pulse of new ideas and guidelines for how to execute old ideas well, follow any of these people on Twitter or your preferred social media:
Jeffrey Henning — @JHenning
Jeffrey Hanning works as a private consultant and runs researchscape.com. His Twitter feed is full of amusing insights, great articles and no shortage of commentary on the latest fiascos in the sports world.
Kristin Luck — @KristinLuck
Kristen Luck owns her own market research consulting firm and founded WomenInResearch.org. She regularly posts thought-provoking articles and comments on the latest trends and disruptions in market research technology.
Anouk Willems — @AnoukW1
Anouk Willems heads Netherlands-based firm Insight Activation Studios and regularly posts the latest reports and presentations from the industry.
Tom De Ruyck — @Tom De Ruyck
Tom works with Anouk Willems as a managing partner at Insight Activation Studios. His LinkedIn profile shares reports from the firm in a rich and highly-readable format.
Fiona Blades — @FionaMESH
Fiona Blades broke new ground in market research by helping establish the Ginny Valentine Awards that recognize individuals in the industry who exemplify bravery and hard work in the face of adversity. Her feed is full of inspiration and up-to-the-minute research articles.
David McCaughan
Bangkok-based Australian expat David McCaughan pioneers new methods of marketing through storytelling combined with research. He takes an intriguing look at market research in his Pulse posts and also offers videos of his thought-provoking presentations at venues like TEDxTokyo.
Annie Pettit — @LoveStats
Annie Pettit is a celebrity in the world of market research for her thought leadership on why passion should always shine through, even in a field like MR. She is very active on Twitter and posts highlights from her panels, workshops and event appearances.
Kyle Nel — @Kyle_Nel
Kyle Nel is executive director of Lowe’s Innovation Labs, a department that advocates innovation and approaches backed by the frontiers of scientific thought. His Twitter feed reflects this obsession with looking at knowledge in a different light.
Betty Adamou — @Betty Adamou
If gaming is your game, then Betty Adamou is on your team. She helps lead the way for gaming as a research and data-collection technique, especially the gamification of research studies and incentives. Follow her on Twitter to power up your market research knowledge.