The changing role of the marketing researcher in the age of digital technology: Practitioner perspectives on the digitization of marketing research

Cluley, Robert; Green, William; Owen, Richard

Abstract

After years of hype, marketing researchers are now facing the challenge of integrating new digital technologies into their work. Based on an analysis of 44 key informant interviews with marketing research practitioners, the study develops a framework to describe the main benefits and challenges of digital technologies in marketing research, as perceived by marketing researchers themselves. It highlights successful strategies that have been employed to exploit digital technologies and suggests that the role of the market researcher is changing in the age of digital data. The marketing researcher of the future must fulfill the roles of being a social scientist and a storyteller. In both cases, while researchers may need to develop technical skills, it is also essential that they develop the ability to engage their clients, add value and interpret data. Implications for industry and academia are discussed. Introduction This study explores the changing working practices among leading market researchers seeking to take advantage of digital technology. While much research has focused on the ways that researchers can exploit new digital data sources from transactional databases, online tracking and behavioural data from smartphones and other internet devices, the marketing research industry has also been exploring how to utilise similar technologies to design bespoke primary research projects for their clients. For example, rather than harvesting naturalistic data from online message boards or social networks, brands may create their own message boards to replace traditional diary studies. Such innovation has received less attention in the literature but are the focus of this paper.

Citation

Cluley, R., Green, W., & Owen, R. (2020). The changing role of the marketing researcher in the age of digital technology: Practitioner perspectives on the digitization of marketing research. International Journal of Market Research, 62(1), 27-42 . https://doi.org/10.1177/1470785319865129

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 17, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jul 30, 2019
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jul 3, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 10, 2019
• Journal: International Journal of Market Research
• Print ISSN: 1470-7853
• Electronic ISSN: 2515-2173
• Publisher: World Advertising Research Center
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 62
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 27-42
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1470785319865129
• Keywords: Digital marketing; Digital technology; Market research; Practice; Management
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2264273
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1470785319865129