Editor’s Observe: The next interview incorporates a GreenBook Future Checklist honoree, Robyn Rouse. The GreenBook Future Checklist acknowledges management, skilled progress, private integrity, ardour, and excellence within the subsequent technology of shopper insights and advertising professionals inside the first 10 years of their careers.
Introducing Robyn Rouse of Important Findings
As Supervisor of Analysis and Design at Important Findings, Robyn Rouse is breaking the mildew of conventional qualitative analysis to create atmospheres and experiences that result in really genuine insights within the business. She was a key researcher on an exploratory examine about podcasts, the place they created a podcast “episode” as an insights deliverable. This piece is usually sited as an out of the field, participating and non-traditional technique of sharing insights.
Exterior of insights, what are your passions and pursuits?
My biggest ardour is touring. Who doesn’t like to journey, am I proper? I caught the journey bug after I was 17 years previous and took my first solo journey to Panama after commencement. It opened an innate curiosity in me that I prefer to imagine I carry via to all sides of my life, together with my work. I’m so lucky to say I’ve had some superb alternatives to see some fantastic locations round our world. Amongst my favorites are Ghana, Iceland and the Philippines.
It’s grow to be a ritual for me to spend New Years in a distinct place annually. This yr I used to be shark cage diving in Hawaii, an incredible expertise second solely to my swim with manta rays within the open ocean. I’m additionally dedicated to visiting each continent inside the subsequent 5 years, and I’m glad to say that I’ve solely Antarctica and South America left to go!
What’s the most useful lesson you have got discovered from market analysis?
I feel essentially the most priceless lesson I’ve discovered from market analysis is that of empathy. The core of our work is actually attending to know and perceive individuals who typically come from seemingly very totally different worlds. It’s our job to dig beneath the floor to seek out that core human want, worth or ideology that’s the unifier and will be associated again to our shopper’s enterprise.
“Be taught, experiment with, and faucet into the ability of recent applied sciences however don’t sacrifice private connection, instinct and function once you do.”
Plenty of my focus is qualitative in nature, and I get to satisfy and converse with folks each day that in my private life I could not have ever encountered. In such a small window of time, we create a little bit ecosystem of our personal, the place we will simply speak and relate. Even on the quantitative facet, we’re challenged to look past the info and think about the human expertise, which is actually the place I discover essentially the most enjoyable in our work. It’s a singular alternative to essentially see folks as folks.
What do you assume the important thing traits or qualities of a pacesetter are? How does this play into MRX?
The best leaders are those that hear first. They don’t leap instantly to problem-solving, and so they don’t generate new concepts for the sake of doing so. They hear first, and so they hear overtly to all points-of-view. Solely then, as soon as they’ve come to know the wants of the group, do they act. This management fashion not solely cultivates belief and respect, nevertheless it cultivates an surroundings of concept sharing that finally creates the area for different leaders to emerge.
Listening first performs straight into the MRX area. It’s the foundation of what we do with insights. We strategy enterprise issues creatively but additionally with function and intent. And we generate insights from a spot of deep understanding, listening and studying between the strains in order that we will make connections between shoppers and types.
What challenges do you see dealing with newer MRX professionals as expertise advances?
With advances in applied sciences and AI specifically (good day, ChatGPT!), the problem I see for brand new MRX professionals, or maybe the problem to them, is to discover ways to harness expertise as a instrument, however to not develop an over-reliance on it. The insights we’re in search of are human insights. Totally different applied sciences can assist us mine bigger units of information within the pursuit of themes or broad factors of differentiation, however this enhances slightly than replaces the guts of our work.
It’s a life lesson as a lot as a analysis one. Don’t develop an over-reliance on Zoom interactions in our post-COVID distant and hybrid workplaces. Join with folks in-person when you possibly can. Don’t develop an over-reliance on social to your private communities. Spend time, bodily, with family and friends.
Be taught, experiment with, and faucet into the ability of recent applied sciences however don’t sacrifice private connection, instinct and function once you do.
