Our 30th Annual Las Vegas Conference was an astounding success. The speakers were all amazing, the networking was insightful and the food was grand. The trip up in the high roller incredible with one of the best views in Las Vegas. It was good seeing old faces and many new ones. The focus on the future of research inspiring. With the world changing faster than ever it is important to adapt our research techniques in new ways that don’t sacrifice quality, speed and efficiency.
Nathan Wiggins was generous enough to take some great pictures of our event. You can check them out on our Facebook page.
The Road to Fort Worth
In just 3 short months we will be hosting our annual educational forum at the Renaissance hotel in the heart of Fort Worth. We will start the event with a reception the evening of August 10th and follow-up the next day with a full day of educational content. Our team is busy planning/lining up speakers and we will have more information sent out soon.
Election Time!
We know you are all eager to vote for Trump, Clinton or Sanders in November but much sooner we will look to you to cast your vote in our annual chapter board elections. It may not be an easy decision with an amazing handful of eager MRA volunteers lining up to bring their talent to our chapter! Keep an eye on your inbox for information on how to cast your ballot.
As I’ve said in the past the southwest chapter is always in need of fresh minds to volunteer for big and small tasks. If interested reach out to a board member for more information about possible volunteer opportunities. It is a great way to meet colleagues in the industry and make some great friends. Being president for a year is a fun and thrilling ride. I am so very grateful to the other southwest leaders that have worked so hard this past year to make our chapter run so smoothly. Melanie Courtright with ResearchNow will be stepping into the chapter president’s shoes soon and I think she will do a wonderful job. She is a strong leader in her organization and the research community. Having served on the board for a few years she understands the southwest chapter’s goals and I look forward to seeing our chapter flourish under her leadership.
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Please feel free to contact me anytime with questions, feedback or anything else, I can be reached at [email protected].
Wishing you all the best!
David Galloway
Southwest MRA Chapter President
Galloway Research Service
210-734-4346
2016 is going to be Amazing. Next year we will see a new president elected, the MRA and CASRO will be working together and we will have the 30th Annual Joint chapter Las Vegas conference.
That is not to say that 2015 hasn’t been great. My wife and I personally excited to brag about our healthy baby boy, Henry David Galloway who joined our family early in the morning of October 19th. Both my wife and newest child are doing well and can’t wait to meet all of our wonderful SWMRA members in Las Vegas in April.
Las Vegas 30th: Connect to the Future of Research
Yes, the 30th Annual NWMRA & SWMRA joint chapter Las Vegas conference will be April 5th-7th, 2016 at the Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino. Our two chapters are collaborating to bring you an amazing event filled with insightful speakers and great networking opportunities. Our event will start off with our welcoming reception at the base of the Las Vegas High Roller, the tallest observation wheel in the world. Throughout the 
reception attendees will be given an opportunity to go up and enjoy the awesome Las Vegas evening view. It truly is an amazing experience and there will be plenty of food, drinks and networking to be had on the ground for anyone wishing to avoid the heights. The following two days will introduce an exciting speaker lineup with a mix of big names, hot topics, and both new and familiar faces. Both chapters are finalizing the speaker lineup right now so stay tuned for updates.
Event Registration is $369 for members and non-members alike. Make sure to get in before the early bird registration deadline. Rooms at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino are priced at $89 per night. There are a limited number of rooms at this rate, so register and book early!
Stay tuned to lasvegas.swmra.org for updates on speaker information and sponsorship opportunities.
Our Summer in Austin
Our Educational Forum in the Texas Capital began, Thursday, August 6th with a great view at the top of the Hilton Garden inn. Nancy Hernon, currently serving as a Past President & Advisor to the SWMRA board, received the 2015 Chapter Service Award. Nancy is also the CEO at G3 Translate in New York, NY and continuously inspires our SWMRA board with her dedication and years of volunteer work. She is a great friend to many in the industry, as well as an expert and inspiration in her field. Please be sure you thank you Nancy next time you see her.
A big thank you to all of our event speakers who made the event exiting, fun and educational. We would not be able to host the education forum if our sponsors didn’t invest in the association & industry. Our sponsors included Kinesis, ResearchNow, M/A/R/C Research, Galloway Research, G3 Translate, Voxco and many more.
Webinar Recap
Just in case you missed the latest webinar on October 14th 2015, you can check out the webinar recording here (http://www.swmra.org/2015/10/16/design-as-research-webinar/) to hear Pete Wendel, user experience design manager at Walgreens teach us about user research, its application and evolution as a discipline..
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Please feel free to contact me anytime with questions, feedback or anything else, I can be reached at [email protected].
Wishing you all the best!
David Galloway
Southwest MRA Chapter President
Galloway Research Service
210-734-4346
To see the full report, visit the MRA’s site at:
http://www.marketingresearch.org/article/research-industry-index-rii-stands-strong-100
Sessions include:
Panel: Views from the Corporate Researcher’s Desk
Joey Doney: Manager of Shopper Insights at Dr. Pepper Snapple Group
Isaac Munoz: Director of Customer Intelligence at Southwest Airlines
Paolo Von Nuremberg: Customer Research & Innovation at Bank of America
Real-Time Marketing: The Hype, The Data and the Performance
Chris Kerns: Director of Analytics and Research at Trendology
Getting out of the Qualitative Box: Leveraging Creative Thinking Models for Richer Insights
Marta Villanueva: President of NuThinking
How to Make NPS work for Non-profits
Paige Paradis: Research Analyst at Boy Scouts of America
How TurboTax Uses Research to Understand Customers and Competitors
Dan Safreno: Market Research Manager at TurboTax/Intuit
Proving Impact: Methods to Demonstrate and Improve ROI on Research
Brett Hagins: Managing Partner at Research Innovation and ROI
Consumer Segmentation in the Digital Age
Brett Steiger: Head of Brand Marketing at Travelocity
Cliff Notes Guide to Thinking Like a Futurist
Mike Courtney: Founder of Aperio Insights
Registration is only $169 for MRA Members & $189 for Non Members
For More Information & Regsitration Please Visit
http://www.swmra.org/events/ef2015/
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Our next member spotlight is a former SWMRA President, and current advisor to the chapter, Greg Carter is Senior Vice President of Consumer Opinion Services in Seattle, where he makes his home.
Name: Greg Carter
Title: Senior Vice President
Company: Consumer Opinion Services Inc.
Current City: Seattle
Hometown: Seattle
Years in the market research industry:
Thirty-One years officially, but I’ve been around it my entire life. My mother, Dorothy Carter, started the company on the kitchen table sometime around 1960. Early memories include gigantic stacks of paper surveys, “562” breakfast cereal, “783” cake mix, and a staff that interviewed consumers door-to-door. I helped pack and ship private label products that were purchased as a quality control check for Safeway, so you could say that I started in the mail room as a five year old.
What duties does your current job position include?
I primarily design and moderate qualitative projects, but there’s some quant, mobile, biometrics and other disciplines mixed in as well. As a business owner, there’s never a lack of duties to perform- advertising, business development, keeping the facilities current, and the really exciting stuff like reviewing lease and contractual documents.
What’s the best aspect of your current job position?
The variety. There’s always something different coming through the door, whether it’s a new project, product, service, or client.
…and the worst (if there is one) ? I like to focus on positives and still be realistic. The “glass” is either half-full, OR the container is just twice as big as it needs to be.
What do you see coming in the market research industry during the next five years?
More change, more innovation, more consolidation, all at an ever increasing pace. Significant changes in the way that we live and conduct business used to happen over a period of years, or even decades. Now it happens overnight. As researchers we have to be able to deliver findings with nearly immediate turnaround to keep pace.
How did you first come to work in market research?
I was involved with video production at the time, and the company needed a videographer to record focus group research, so I started moonlighting behind the mirror. It just snowballed from there. Eventually I landed on the other side of the mirror, running the group.
What led to you to joining the MRA?
Our company has been involved with the MRA since the beginning of the organization, so membership was nearly automatic.
To what other professional organizations do you belong?
QRCA and the PSRF. The Puget Sound Research Forum is where most of the MR Community in Seattle connects.
What is your educational background?
It’s in journalism! I was a newspaper reporter and photographer starting at the tender age of 16. It has actually served me well in research: conducting interviews, maintaining an unbiased viewpoint, and writing reports.
Where else have you worked in the past – including non-MR positions?
I worked as a print journalist while I was in school, and then decided that the future was in electronic media, so I started learning video production, which led to working for a sound and light company, rigging and operating stage lighting for concerts and theater. Most of the acts were country music, which was really painful for a rock and roll guy, but I did get to talk to Johnny Cash on the phone once, which was pretty cool. We were Reba McIntyre’s touring company when she first became a headlining act.
What do you do in your spare time – hobbies or activities?
There’s a lot of them but mostly snowsports, watersports, and anything with two wheels. I play the guitar and some other instruments but I’m not exactly a musical prodigy.
Do you have any unusual talents?
I’m good at fixing things – something I learned from my dad. He could literally fix anything. He grew up on a farm in Texas during the Great Depression and being able to repair things yourself was a necessary skill.
What would others be surprised to know about you?
I was a ski bum in the Rockies back in the early 80’s. I also contribute equipment reviews to some snowboarding and cycling websites.
Favorite book or movie?
Stephen King’s “The Stand”. Any Quentin Tarantino film, especially “Inglorious Basterds”.
What is your ideal vacation?
Backcountry skiing and snowboarding, with a helicopter or a snowcat, ideally in a place with no phone or internet service.
Final comment or quotable:
“Better to have something and not need it, than to need something and not have it.“ Yes, I was a Boy Scout.
I have been in awe of the MRA since I first became a member. The MRA has always been an organization that grew and evolved with the work of amazing volunteers and a great staff on the national level. Being a member of a MRA chapter you get the opportunity to see up close what power a small group of motivated volunteers can have. I was lucky enough three years ago to be asked to volunteer my time on the Southwest Chapter Board. I was hesitant initially of course, but I quickly found out that all the other volunteers were just like me. We all worked in this same dynamic industry and we all had the same driving interest in seeing marketing research knowledge and understanding flourish. With a great board and amazing membership behind me I see great opportunities for our chapter to grow and learn this next year and many more to come.
As a 3rd generation market researcher I am lucky to have been around Southwest chapter members and former board members for more than half my life. I was a teenager when I first went to the SWMRA Las Vegas conference and I wasn’t even allowed on the casino floor. Our Southwest Chapter has an amazing history and many great traditions. We have a legacy of putting on some of the industry’s most insightful and educational events and providing great opportunities for members to network. This next year we need to push ourselves to evolve, offering new opportunities while celebrating our traditions and past.
Many members of our chapter new or old consider each other family. I hope this next year we can make each of our members and event attendees feel like a part of that growing family. If you see a new face at any of our events don’t hesitate to introduce yourself and welcome them. We can learn so much from each other’s knowledge and experiences
Get Weird in Austin!
This August 6th & 7th our chapter will be hosting our annual Educational Forum in Austin, Texas. We will be kicking off the event with a reception up in the Eighteenth over Austin lounge at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown. The reception will be a great opportunity to network with others in the marketing research field while enjoying some great food and drinks. We also will enjoy some local Austin music with The CDR band playing throughout the evening.
Friday we have a full day of insightful speakers and a corporate researcher panel. Join us for breakfast, lunch, and many thought provoking sessions.
Vegas Vacation
We are in the final planning stages for our 30th Annual Las Vegas Conference. That is correct. Our chapter with the help of others has continued the tradition for 30 years. A special thanks is due to each and every board member or volunteer that has had a hand in any of the past 29 years. Mark your calendars for April 5th-7th, 2016. In addition to insightful speakers our will work to provide great opportunities to network with other knowledgeable researchers just like yourself.
If there is anything we can do to increase the value and education you are getting from your MRA Membership don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]
Thanks,
David Galloway
]]>If we assume we get our recommended 8 hours of sleep at night, that leaves 57,600 seconds we are awake per day. To see 5,000 advertising or branding messages per day, that would mean we would have to see one every 11.52 seconds. And, unless you are wearing Google glasses, this is probably highly unlikely. However, people are still exposed to quite a bit of ads on a daily basis. In fact, we are receiving about five times as much information now as we did in 1986.
Even if those ads are within visible eyesight, though, our brain probably sees very few of them in all honesty. The average person’s working memory can handle 40-50 bits of information. It is estimated that our senses are bombarded with over 11 million bits of data, every second! This means we ignore 10,999,950 bits of data every second we are awake.
Talk about scary for advertisers paying millions of dollars to try and make the cut in the tiny window of information actually processed. This is why it is so important to produce interesting and engaging content that breaks through the clutter – and visuals are a great way to do so, particularly infographs.
Images help bypass the noise and clutter since it takes minimal time, precisely 1/10th of a second, to understand a visual. They also increase the willingness to read something in the first place, not to mention they’ve been shown to help with reader comprehension as well.
NeoMam Studios put together a great article about 10 Reasons Why You Should Care About Visual Content, and used, of course, an infograph to conclude their reasonings.
Treat yourself to a scroll through this one – you’ll learn why you couldn’t resist reading the article the whole way through (what a concept!) and why infographs make a difference when it comes to captivating the reader.
]]>To clarify, the IoT refers to a device or devices that send data over the Internet. So, this could be an item such as the newly introduced smartwatch that’s sending your heart rate to the cloud as you read this very article, or perhaps an app that helps you find your car keys that you seem to mysteriously lose on a daily basis. Whatever the item may be, as long as it sends data through the internet, it is considered an IoT. And, it’s going to change the way market researchers function.
MRA released a great and very informative article on 10 touch points market researchers should be aware of concerning IoT. Stay ahead of the curve, follow this link to learn more.
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The event started on Tuesday, February 10 with a fun, laid back reception. It was a great opportunity to connect with old friends and clients while meeting new faces. M/A/R/C Research sponsored the Wednesday morning breakfast to kick start a day of learning and networking. Robert Moran, Partner of Brunswick Insight, started the speakers off in full swing- Vegas Style. He was engaging, funny, educational and entertaining. During his session the audience learned about the future role of a corporate researcher and how they will continue to add value to their organization. We also learned about the future trends of marketing research and the driving forces behind the changes. Robert is a natural speaker and I suggest you find an opportunity to listen to his presentation via our website if you missed the event. It’s worth your time. John Busbice, Managing Partner of Keen Strategy, also did an excellent job. His presentation focused on analytics. He took us through a specific case study that demonstrated the process of integrating analytics and judgment and the benefits achieved. This is a remarkable presentation for analytical minds! Art Rome, Associate Vice President of GFK, did an amazing job getting the audience back into education mode after lunch. He taught the group how to use multiple sources of data in conjunction with short surveys to get better research results. A great presentation for today’s environment with access to data from different modes of technology and the need for shorter surveys to keep respondents engaged. Wednesday afternoon also included interesting speakers like Steve Seiferheld, SVP of Turnkey Intelligence. He is a dynamic speaker that discussed customers, brands, passion and how it all relates to sports research. He provided thoughts on how to approach different verticals differently in order to add value to the client while answering the important business questions. Gina Fleming, Senior Analyst of Consumer Insights at Forrester Research, provided a case study on expectations from customers and what impacts a positive experience. For many, her presentation validated their approach to research with their clients. Sean Scott, CIO/VP of Ameritest and Ellen Pieper, Account Executive for Lightspeed/GMI closed out the day with an energetic presentation about social media listening and how words and pictures can tell a more robust story.
Thursday was another exciting day of diverse and educational speakers. Frank Schab, CEO of Six Degrees, provided a review of the value add of sensory stimuli in brand research and how it can help brand success. Vaughn Mordecai, President of Discovery Research Group, executed an upbeat presentation about how to understand and gain insight from conversational text. Vaughn always does a great job of entertaining, telling jokes and educating. Chris Kelly, CEO of Survata, ended the day with an interesting presentation about how to start a company. The information he shared was beneficial for those interested in being an entrepreneur or starting a new division within a large organization. I encourage you to visit our website to review the presentations if you missed the event or one of the sessions at the conference. Again, it is worth your time.
Jeff Spitzer, President of the NWMRA Chapter, was an irreplaceable resource to help ensure the conference was a success. Jeff, thank you for all of your help and making sure everyone did their part. I’m so thankful that I had you as my conference partner this year. Not only do you know what you are doing, but you are a joy to work with. Thank you, and a BIG thanks to the entire SWMRA and NWMRA Chapters. You guys did an amazing job with the conference this year.
Another BIG thanks to all of the sponsors. We wouldn’t be able to host educational and networking events without your support.
Conference Sponsors included Fulcrum, Research Now and Instant.ly. Special Events Sponsors included Dallas by Definition, Critical Mix, Think Virtual Fieldwork, MSG & Soapbox, M/A/R/C Research and Consumer Opinion Services. Platinum Sponsors included G3 Translate and LA Research. Gold Sponsors included Ft. Worth Research, Galloway Research Service, Information Alliance, Nichols Research, Survey Technology & Research and Tammadge Market Research. Please thank each of these companies. Many have been long time supporters of the SWMRA and Vegas conference. Again, we couldn’t do it without them!
In addition to great speakers and networking opportunities we had the opportunity to raise money for a great charity, Relief Nursery, via the Vegas Raffle. Thank you to all the companies that donated cash and items to the raffle, and to all of those that purchased tickets at the event. We raised over $1,100 to help abused children. To learn more about the charity visit http://www.reliefnursery.org/
Webinar Recap
Just in case you missed the latest webinar on April 8, 2015, visit the “Events” tab to hear Paul Kirch of Actus Sales Intelligence teach us about the art of following up with both warm and cold sales leads.
Educational Forum Event in Austin, Texas
The Southwest Marketing Research Association is looking forward to seeing you August 6-7 at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Austin. The SWMRA.org website will be updated with the current event information soon, however you can be assured we will have a talented list of speakers, great networking opportunities and a lot of fun!
Communication
As you all know, one of the ways the Chapter continues to improve is from listening to you. I want to know what you are interested in learning about this year. Please call, email or click on “Reply” and tell me what is important to you. Think BIG- because we are.
Because I’m Texan & It is Part of the SWMRA Tradition- Chuck Norris Joke
Chuck Norris can never fill out an online form…because he can never submit.
Have a great quarter!
Jami Pulley
Southwest Chapter President
[email protected]
469-712-1136
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