Data Gurus

Ulli Appelbaum is the founder of First the Trousers Then The Shoes, Inc. The consulting firm has been grounded by execution rather than deliverables, resonating with Ulli’s beliefs on strategies and the creative process. Today, he sits with Sima Vasa to talk about the power of extracting insights from data. Ulli Appelbaum - Advertising Ever Since Ulli’s US advertising career started 16 years ago. He has immense fascination and passion for the concept of positioning. Additionally, the knowledge of how people can influence perceptions others form fueled his drive to become successful in the field. His many experiences in advertising opened up opportunities in a vast array of fields. After a while, he switched to account planning, gaining exposure to planning and market research. He then received an offer in Minnesota, which trailblazed his expansive career that branched out to both traditional and digital platforms. Turning Data into Insights Ulli recently launched a set of method cards with exercises and ques

Rolfe Swinton is known as the blockchain expert. He joins Sima Vasa in this episode to talk about the potential and applications of this fundamental technology that can change the workings of the market industry. Rolfe Swinton - Promoting Blockchain Insights Rolfe has recently joined GfK where he's taken on a new role as Director of Data Assets. GfK is currently on a mission to reinvent its business and to refocus for the future of the insights industry. He is also the co-founder of IIeX's Accelerator, a new program that is helping bring new capital resources to help very early stage companies targeting the insights industry. Rolfe also co-founded a forum in an effort to promote the understanding and application of blockchain in business models. Blockchain: What's in a Word? In order to better understand blockchain, it must first be separated from cryptocurrencies. It's a very specific use and application of blockchain, but it is by no means the be all end all. “When we talk about blockchain, we want to thin

Tia Maurer is a Group Scientist at the Procter & Gamble Company. She sits with Sima Vasa to discuss data integrity, statistical significance, surveys and automation, and the shift to behavioral-based research methods. "Your analysis and insights is only as good as your quality of data and rarely is your data file 100% error free." - Tia Maurer Tia Maurer - Seasoned Product Researcher For more than 20 years, Tia has worked closely with Beauty Care products researchers. She specializes in consumer research and product development. She has designed, developed and piloted many emerging consumer research methodologies to fuel innovation and guide product development. Among the brands she's worked on are Cascade, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Olay, and Pantene. Developing a Brand Message At Procter & Gamble, they have two research groups. One focuses on consumer market knowledge, while the other focuses on products research. “Nowadays, reliable data is really critical to us and our product development… it's r

Melissa Sauter and Duncan Lawrence join Sima Vasa to share a bit of history of Market Strategies International (MSI) and Morpace. The two leading market research companies are combining after the acquisition by a private equity firm, STG. In today's episode, they share the separate histories of their companies and the factors leading to the merger. "We're better together. The merger was meant to be." - Duncan Lawrence Duncan Lawrence - History of Morpace Morpace was founded about 40 years ago in 1975, with a focus on automotive. Some decade and so down the road, they realized the need to broaden their focus and do something different. In 1990, they merged with the company Market Opinion Research (MOR). This merger allowed them to venture into healthcare and financial services, among other other areas. Since then, Morpace has focused on growing organically. They have expanded globally and erected several offices in the United Kingdom, Los Angeles, and China. Melissa Sauter - Market Strategies: A History Almo

Joe Catling is the Head of Analytics at Relish Research. Today he sits down with Sima Vasa to discuss marrying client or 'big' data to market research data, the challenges of doing so, and the future of advanced statistical or machine learning techniques. “What I think we're going to see is a democratization of a lot of machine learning, big data tools, which can make them more accessible for people.“ - Joe Catling on future perspectives Joe Catling - From Mathematics to Analytics Joe studied mathematics in university and eventually managed to transition into a standard research track. This enabled him to focus on advanced statistical techniques as they pertain to market research. He currently leads a team of thirty based in London. While there's a standard suite of research techniques available for those in his field, his role also entails finding new and creative ways of doing things. Marrying 'Big' Data and Research Data There's a rich data set that you can't get any other way apart from research, includi

Brian Califano is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of AcceleratngCFO. Today he joins Sima Vasa in an episode dedicated to current trends of finance and the role of data in how we budget our financial results and plan for business future. Brian Califano - CFO: A Significant Service AcceleratingCFO offers Chief Financial Officer (CFO) services for small to medium size businesses, specializing in entertainment, media, and technology industries. They assess the needs of their clients and help them come up with effective marketing strategies to bolster their businesses. The mid-market region comprises 90% of American companies. While CFO's value is apparent when taken in the context of budgeting, performance, and even buying or selling, this portion of the market doesn't see this expertise. Trends in the World of Finance Brian's interactions with his clients has made him see symptoms of acceleration going on in the marketplace. A lot more people are getting into buying and selling. More companies are availing

In today's episode, Sima Vasa talks with Roddy Knowles. Roddy is the Director of Product and Innovation Research at Research Now SSI. His leadership runs the machinery that leverages technology to effectively support products. Technology underpins processes by which innovation comes to fruition. This is what Roddy and his team are working to achieve. Technology Behind the Process Today, tech advancements are coupled with ways to make more efficient various research processes. This is seen from data collection to generation of reports. There’s a constant goal to make work at the back end of everything easier and quicker. As Roddy says, there are lots of technologies working as the machines underneath all these other technologies that run research methodologies. Roddy Knowles Diving Deep into Automation Process automation is key to a streamlined user experience. It opens a lot more opportunities for the collection of data. In addition, it equips researchers with the means to deliver fast and efficiently. But

Simon Chadwick is the Founder and Managing Partner of Cambiar Consulting. He and Sima Vasa discuss the shifts in the research industry and the Gen Z potential in the workplace. How different are they from the Millennials? Tune in. "If we look in the news we are constantly reminded that this is a generation that thinks rather differently ... it's much more about authenticity, much more about show me the evidence." - Simon Chadwick on gen Z’s impact on the industry Market Reseach Industry - Simon Chadwick Simon is popularly known as the rockstar of the market research industry. According to him, the year 2013 saw the rise in investments in data and analytics. Billions of investments came since then. But the past two to three years showed a precipitous collapse in the industry. This year is focused on the stabilization of coming investments. Investments and Industry Shifts Venture capital firms now have to focus on returning investments to tons of investors. "They are just basically doubling down on their succe

Hermann Kudlich is a Denmark-based business development partner at LEGO Brand Group. Today, he touches base with Sima Vasa. They talk about how coming up with innovative ways to marry physical and digital experiences can be fun, albeit challenging. Physical Experience in the Digital Age For over nine years, Hermann has worked with product innovation and lean startup methods at LEGO, leading major digital initiatives and product launches. But the times have changed. In this age of advanced technology, he continues his mission to create products that will entice the traditional and tech-savvy audience. His working experience at LEGO has always been dosed with fun, down to the bricks scattered in boardrooms, inspiring creativity. This very nature of the workspace is what makes team members highly innovative, which is exactly what they need to be. Hermann Kudlich The Testing Process LEGO’s testing process ensures that they are up to date with a generation’s preferences. While it’s complex, Hermann admits that it

Annie Pettit has a masters in data quality and online surveys. She was a certified organizational psychologist with the Ontario government. Annie then moved into the private sector doing research on the research of data quality and it's analytics, social media analytics and now is a freelance researcher advising companies on best research practices and research reports. The Market Researcher - Annie Pettit Annie Pettit will argue that the market researcher has not changed one iota. She defines a market researcher as one who strives to understand consumers and markets. There's nothing to do with a questionnaire, big data, neuroscience or technique; it's the end purpose. In that sense, in traditional research, we've normally used focus groups and questionnaires.  Just because researchers are not using these techniques does not mean they are not market researchers. We're all in this game together whether we call ourselves market researchers or we don't quite see ourselves as researchers. "I am a big fan of lett

Per Håkansson is the Managing Editor for Inside Blockchain and founder of Makerminds, Inc. On top of these, he’s a TEDx speaker and learning facilitator. He helps entrepreneurs shift their mindset and become more experimental and exploratory in their innovations. Transformation of humanity comes with emerging technologies.  Knowing this, Per promotes looking at the change from the perspective of the individual, organization, and society. He’s an advocate of finding humanity in cloud living. Per Håkansson – Living in the Cloud Per began a radical experiment several years ago when he sold his house and got rid of his car, taking out from the picture his physical ownership. It all began with realizing that all these physical things can be replaced with applications and web sources. He acted on this epiphany when the iPhone came around and struck him that it’s all he needed to live, along with his passport. “Once I started to let go of things, my life became much simpler.” - Per Håkansson Per has wanderlust, and

Laura Chaibi has enjoyed a twenty-year digital career that started when she moved from Canada to UK. She got into digital media measurements and research when the industry was cutting-edge, hence progressing and growing with it. Her career cuts across media, telco, and digital brands like Yahoo, BBC, Orange, AOL, and the Middle East Broadcast Center, which she now works for as the Head of Market Intelligence and Syndicate Digital Data. Laura is CIM qualified and was awarded women of tomorrow status as one to watch in media by the IPA. She is on several advisory boards in the US as well as international entities like WiRe and i-com, actively supporting policy making for digital media. Laura Chaibi - Career-Altering Frustration Laura’s international role opened her eyes to how difficult it is to conduct her job in the Middle East. Out of sheer frustration of working with some of the biggest brands in the world and failing to get any conclusive information in the region, she moved to the foreign land. “Someone’

Kristin Luck is a serial entrepreneur turned growth strategist. She most recently served as a partner and President/CMO of Decipher until its acquisition in 2014. Currently, she works as a growth strategy consultant specializing in non-traditional sales and marketing strategies, for early and mid-stage companies preparing for global expansion, funding or acquisition. She is consistently ranked as one of the top 100 sales and marketing experts to follow on social media. Today, she talks about growth strategies and women in marketing research. Kristin Luck - Growth Strategies for Men and Women Alike Kristin has been running Luck Collective for three years now. The growth strategy firm that caters to clients in marketing research and startups looking for opportunities to supercharge their growth. She is also the founder of the eleven-year-old Women in Research (WIRe). The non-profit organization started off as a cocktail hour for women in marketing research that became a quarterly routine. It eventually branch

Ray Poynter is the Founder of NewMR.org. He is also the author of several books and chapters about market research, a teacher, blogger, facilitator, presenter, coach, and consultant. Studies have listed him as one of the most influential leaders in the industry. In this episode, he gives an in-depth take on artificial intelligence, GDPR and so much more. Ray Poynter - Market Research Specialist Ray has spent more than 30 years in market research. At NewMR, they focus on innovative methods. They don't try to compete with others in the field. They help people to get started and to boost their presence. Difference of GDPR in Europe When it comes to General Data Protection Regulation, Ray believes that it all boils down to intent. There is nothing to worry about if you just want to do the right thing. "Anybody who is trying to do the right thing will not get into trouble." - Ray Poynter on GDPR An interesting news came that Verve, the ad tech company, is closing all of its offices in Europe. They do not believe

Philip Delvecchio is the Program Director at VentureOut, a business accelerator that works with companies from around the world. What are the market trends and what type of companies are they looking to help grow and scale? Tune in! Philip Delvecchio - VentureOut Global Business Accelerator VentureOut seeks to invest in post-seed companies who want to enter the ecosystem in New York. These companies may come from the United States or from countries abroad. "Maybe whatever you are building up until now can only get you this far. In order to take it to the next level, you have to bend yourself in a way that is very hard and very uncomfortable." - Philip Delvecchio As the Program Director, Philip helps run and manage VentureOut. At present, the foreign companies they are working mostly come from Europe. But, they are always open to opportunities from other countries. Opportunities for Partnerships Because of the robust ecosystem, VentureOut also wanted to focus on developing programs in China. And there are vari

Dr. Scott McDonald is the President and CEO of Advertising Research Foundation (ARF). Since 1936, they seek to advance the scientific understanding of advertising and marketing. Dr. Scott McDonald - The Science of Marketing For 81 years now, the Advertising Research Foundation serves as a platform for major power centers and functional groups in the advertising industry. Ad agencies, media companies, clients, as well as big social platforms are equally represented at ARF. All bring together and discuss scientific methods in marketing. "Digital continues to transform and disrupt all cultures. It continues to be something everyone is contending with both in positive and negative contexts." - Dr. Scott McDonald Job in the Advertising Industry According to Dr. McDonald, applicants are naturally attracted to companies where there is a sign of growth and money. There is also an intrinsic value on the future. He advises them to take a job that brings excitement. Also, consider filling a role that will give you the

Vin Vashishta is a data science and machine learning expert and the founder of V-Squared Data Strategy Consulting. He's built the most trusted brand in data science and machine learning around the concepts of simplicity and profitability. Data science is a field that is up and coming. There seems to be a blending of market research, consumer insights and data science. Vin Vashishta - From Gaming to Machine Learning Vin has been in technology for the past twenty-two years and the last eight in data science specifically using the modern tools and architectures. He's done everything from gaming companies to third-party distribution. In the early days, Vin was moving access databases around. he's kind of 'been there-done that' when it comes to technology. He went to school specifically for machine learning but was about fifteen years too early. It's been a long road but he's happily ended up where he wanted to be in the first place. What is a Data Scientist? If you are someone trying to come into the field, the

Today, Sima Vasa talks with Mark Kapczynski. Mark leads the retail and restaurant shopping insights at Yodlee. They provide connectivity between fintech companies - financial technology apps - and the data within financial institutions. Becuase of this connection, Yodlee gets to see consumer financial transactions and that translates into shopping behavior. Data Collection From this data, Yodlee can determine how many times do people go to McDonald's, how many times do they buy online or do they have a Pandora subscription. The transactions have date stamps but not timestamps. Potentially, Yodlee can get information online and offline depending on how the customer pays. For instance, if a customer buys something on an E-commerce site and they use their debit or credit card they can compare that to the purchases the customer makes at a brick and mortar department store. This data is used to look at the distribution of online and offline behaviors. Yodlee Taco Stand Case Study Two different Mexican fast food

John R. Leeman is the co-founding and managing director of True Customer. They provide customer-centered marketing, media, analytics, content, and eCommerce consulting that drives scalable growth. John R. Leeman - From Advertising to CMO John started in the traditional brand and advertising business. He worked in the on major brands such as Campbell Soup and General Mills and Johnson and Johnson. John then moved on to work in digital CRM and media for companies such as Microsoft, Procter and Gamble and American Express. CMO to Entrepreneur John melded his two areas of expertise together to begin work in the CMO field. His stint at Fresh Direct as chief marketing officer was an invaluable and exciting experience for him. After his work with Fresh Direct, John took the leap to entrepreneur. He co-founded True Customer in November 2013. Why the C-Suite Changes are Scary The C-Suite is always interested in optimizing the business. There is a lot of money that goes into marketing and most respect that marketing is

Andrew Konya is a computational physicist currently working on his P.hD. in chemical physics at Kent State. He is also the co-founder and CEO of Remesh, Inc.  Remesh is a platform that replaces polls and surveys with conversations to gather real-time and actionable data. They [market researchers] said what we had built lived at the interseciton of quantitative and qualitative. - Andrew Konya  Andrew Konya - Natural Conversation Andrew wanted to know how to understand a country's worth of people in real-time, in a way that you can make the decisions based on what you learned from them in order to do what is best. Half of the problem is you must do it in a way that is engaging and people want to participate. The result is Remesh built a platform that lets a single moderator hold a real-time natural language conversation with 100's or 1000's of people simultaneously. The platform analyzes all the language coming in from people in real-time and then identify verbatims that represent entire groups. Quantitative D