Tag Archives: Stan Sthanunathan

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Who can you meet at The Market Research Technology Event in two weeks?

In just two weeks, future-focused market researchers will unite to take part in the industry’s event on technology and innovation in research – The Market Research Technology Event.  TMRTE will take place April 30-May 2, 2012 in Las Vegas, NV.

Why do you need to be there?

The Market Research Technology Event…

  • ‘ Covers what matters most to market researchers – where the industry is headed in the future. Stan Sthanunathan, VP, Marketing Strategy & Insights at Coca-Cola (and keynote at TMRTE) was quoted, “the market research industry will not exist in its current form by 2020. Even by 2013 significant, clear signs of evolution will appear… Don’t get left behind – stay on the cutting edge at TMRTE. (Read the exclusive TMRTE Podcast with Sthanunathan!)
  • ‘ Focuses all the hottest topics that market researchers like yourself are facing – from marketplace intelligence to social media, mobile, CRM, research innovation, text analytics, data mining and more. View the agenda for full details.
  • ‘ Has gone digital! From online documentation and mobile evaluations, to our brand new Skype Entrepreneur Panel and our TMRTE Connect networking community, we’re doing everything we can to embrace technology.
  • ‘ Is bringing the industry change makers to the stage. From Stan Sthanunathan to Dr. A.K. Pradeep (last year’s highest rated speaker!), Dan Ariely, Christopher Frank, Paul Navratil, Michael Tchong, Jane McGonigal and more. Click here for the full speaker list.

For more on TMRTE 2012, download the complete agenda.  Also, as a reader of this blog, don’t foget you will receive a discount of 15% off the standard rate when you register to join us today and mention code MRTECH12BLOG.

Plus, don’t miss your chance to network and learn from the following companies already signed on to attend:

3M * Abbott Laboratories * Accenture Management Consulting * ACS, a Xerox Company * Active Network * Affinova * Airline Reporting Corporation * American Cancer Society * American Express * Anderson Analytics * Animation Dynamics Inc. * Automobile Club of Southern California * Bain & Company * Bath & Body Works * Bayer Healthcare * Bellomy Research * BP America Inc. * Brainjuicer * Brand360 * Brown Brothers Harriman & Co * Burke * C+R Research * Caesars Entertainment * Campbell Soup Company * Canon USA * Carefirst Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maryland * Chrysler Group LLC * CMI * Coca Cola Company * Colgate Palmolive * Confirmit * Connected * Consumer Truth Ltd * Convergys Corporation * CreaMetrix * Decision Analyst Inc. * Del Monte * Doyle Research * Dub * Duke University * dunnhumbyUSA* eRewards Market Research * EEDAR * Eki Communications * Facebook * Foiled Inc. * Forrester Research * Foundational Insights LLC * Gadd Research Inc. * General Mills Inc. * Georillas Location Based Marketing * GfK * GlaxoSmithKline * Gongos Research * Google * Greenbook * Hewlett Packard * Highmark BCBS * Hilton Hotels Corporation * Honda R&D Americas * IBM * iModerate * InCrowd LLC * Information Tools Ltd * Inforsurv * InfoTools * Insight Marketing Systems * Insights in Marketing * Institute for the Future * Intel Corporation * Intendis Inc. * Intuit * Itracks International Inc. * Johnson & Johnson * Kimberly Clark Corporation * KL Communications Inc. * Klout * KS&R * Lieberman Research Worldwide * Maritz Inc. * Market Strategies International * Marketing Analysts * Marriott International Inc. * QuestBack * Radius Global Market Research * Ramius Corporation * RapLeaf * Research Now * Resource Systems Group * Retargeter * Mattell Inc. * MeadWestVaco * MERCASID * MetLife * MichaelTchong.com * Microsoft * Monster * Morpace Inc. * Motista * MSW Research Inc. * National Fire Protection Association * National Rural Electric Cooperative Assn * NBC Universal * Neurofocus Inc. * Nokia * Norstat * NTS Ellit * Openet * Paradigm Sample * Perception Research Services * Planet S.A. * Principal Financial Group * Procter & Gamble * Productive Access * Prophet Brand Strategy * Qualvu * San Diego Gas & Electric * Simstore International * Socratic Technologies * Spych Market Analytics * SSI * Strategence * Strottman International * SurveyWriter Inc. * Texas Advanced Computing Center * The Nielsen Company * Tobii Technology Inc. * Toluna * Toyota Financial Services * Travelers Insurance * Triniti Marketing Ltd * Unicharm * Universal Music Group * uSamp * Vision Critical * Wizards of the Coast * Ypulse * ZS Associates * Zynga
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Coca-Cola Research Head Issues Innovation Scorecard and Blueprint

‘We’re Approaching Critical Mass!’

By Marc Dresner, IIR USA

In research circles, Coca-Cola VP of Marketing Strategy and Insights Stan Sthanunathan is a perennial favorite, known for his keen insight and candor (and frankly, for being unafraid to state the controversial truth as he sees it).

For example, in a Research Insighter’ interview last September, Sthanunathan made waves when he predicted that survey research would become increasingly irrelevant, supplanted by a new generation of more passive listening tools capable of delivering deeper, more meaningful insights.

More than six months later, Sthanunathan stands firmly behind his remarks.

‘Dependence on survey research is going to come down and it’s going to come down quite significantly,’ he told the Research Insighter’ in a new interview.

‘[We] need new approaches that will help you observe, listen, synthesize and deduce,’ said Sthanunathan, who added he’s encouraged by the ‘exponentially increasing’ progress the industry has made on the innovation front.

But the big surprise is that Sthanunathan no longer expects innovation to be driven primarily by start-ups and entrepreneurs from without the research industry; he believes traditional providers will lead the way in collaboration with clients.

‘We are beginning to get critical mass in the area of innovation,’ he said.

In this exclusive interview with the Research Insighter’ podcast series, Sthanunathan explains:

- Why the next step in the mainstreaming of research innovation will require shaking up entrenched, risk-averse client mindsets

- How benchmarking is handicapping progress

- Coca-Cola Co’s companywide 70/20/10 approach to investing in innovation

- How he’s counting on research suppliers to bring revolutionary research techniques to the table, and much more!

Download an interview transcript!

Editor’s note: If you would like to hear more from Stan Sthanunathan, he will be delivering a keynote titled ‘Technology…Embrace It or Get Left Behind!’ at The Market Research Technology Event April 30-May 2 in Las Vegas.

For information or to register, visit iirusa.com/technology

 As a reader of this blog, when you register to join us, mention code MRTECH12BLOG and save 10% off the standard rate!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR/INTERVIEWER

Marc Dresner is IIR USA’s sr. editor and special communication projects lead. He is the former executive editor of Research Business Report, a confidential newsletter for the market research industry. He may be reached at mdresner@iirusa.com. Follow him @mdrezz.

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Coca-Cola Research Boss Bets On Passive Listening Over Response, Social Media Over Surveys


‘Research Insighter’ Interview Probes Call to Reinvent or Face Irrelevance

By Marc Dresner, IIR USA

Stan Sthanunathan believes market research’both as a profession and as an industry’may be on a collision course of potentially Titanic proportions with an iceberg called change, and he’s urging all hands on deck to help turn the ship around.

‘We all must accept one truth in life: Change is not optional, but acting or not acting is a choice we make’We either act or we will become irrelevant and maybe even perish,’ Sthanunathan said.

Coca-Cola’s global head of marketing strategy and insights has never been one to mince words or shy away from controversy, and his views may be unsettling in some research quarters.

In this exclusive podcast interview for ‘The Research Insighter’ series, Sthanunathan argues the industry urgently ‘needs to reinvent who we are, what we stand for and how we add value to business’ or risk losing out to a rising class of non-traditional competitors that will include the Facebooks and Googles of the world.

He predicts conventional response-based research will ‘probably be irrelevant in the next decade’ and that ‘social media services could potentially become the biggest insights generators in the industry.’

And, Sthanunathan pointed out, these emerging competitors have an advantage over traditional research providers and most client-side departments when it comes to attracting talent: They’re willing to pay more for a more diverse range of skill sets within a culture that encourages experimentation and provides the freedom to fail forward.

How can researchers compete in this environment?

Sthanunathan insists the time has come to focus on next practices’not best practices.

‘No driver has reached their destination by looking through the rearview mirror in a car,’ he observed.

‘If you focus on consumer insights, you will develop consumerist strategies,’ Sthanunathan said. ‘But if you focus on understanding the human condition, then you will understand people’s lives in totality and, therefore, probably have a much better chance of coming up with breakthrough ideas.’

Listen to the interview here.

Read the transcript here.

Editor’s note: If you’re intrigued by the issues raised in this podcast, you won’t want to miss TMRE 2011, because this year’s conference theme is ‘Leading in a New Direction: Revolutionizing an Industry in an Era of Transformation.’

For information or to register for The Market Research Event 2011, taking place November 7-9 in Orlando, Florida, please visit TheMarketResearchEvent.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR/INTERVIEWER
Marc Dresner is an IIR USA communication lead with a background in trade journalism and marketing. He is the former executive editor of Research Business Report, a confidential newsletter for the marketing research and consumer insights industry. He may be reached at mdresner@iirusa.com. Follow him @mdrezz.