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Marketing Research and Intelligence Association L’Association de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing
OTTAWA CHAPTER
annual report 2013
Contents:
President’s message
Chapter sponsors
Speakers’ series
Communications activities
Finance
Awards and endowed scholarships
Governance
OTTAWA CHAPTER
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President’s message
Welcome to a new year for the MRIA Ottawa chapter.
As I write this in January, with the holidays and all the festivities behind us, I am excited to
reminisce about the year we just finished as well as welcome you to a new year.
On June 2013 I took over from Inga Petri as President of the chapter. On behalf of the
board of directors, I want to thank Inga for her contribution to chapter governance, for
more than two years as president and many more years as chapter volunteer.
Our chapter relies heavily on the contribution of our research community, which is led by a
strong group of volunteers. I am very happy and proud to say that we have reached a
milestone with a roster of 14 dedicated professionals; six of them new to the board. This
board will share the work, their thoughts and their efforts, to bring you a varied program, at
the core of which is our Speakers’ series. The series offers a number of topics of interest to
the wide range of our members, and others, interested in marketing research theory and
practice. Many thanks to our hard working volunteers, who develop the programs, coordi-
nate logistics, communicate with you and represent your interests in our industry.
Our chapter is very lucky to be in the same city that boasts the Algonquin College Marketing
and Business Intelligence Research (MBIR) post-graduate-level certificate program. An
average of 20 new researchers graduates every year. They bring to us their ideas,
enthusiasm, talent and vast knowledge in interdisciplinary studies. We invite you to come
out to our programs and meet with them.
With our events in Ottawa, our goal is to help you achieve the professional growth goals
that you no doubt set for yourself as the year started. Our top priority is to bring you quality
educational events along with networking opportunities, to meet and connect with
colleagues in an atmosphere of collaboration.
In the following pages of the Annual Report you will see a summary of the events brought
to you, the sponsors who helped us achieve some of these events, how we communicated
with you, and where your membership money was spent to provide you with the value you
have come to expect from your MRIA membership.
We ended 2013 with a strong event, one that consisted of a four-
member panel about the future of Market Research in the public eye.
In addition, we conducted an online focus group that asked for
chapter member input, as MRIA continues to develop around your
needs.
In 2014 we expect to deliver another exciting year of thought
provoking presentations, stimulating conversations and also some fun
networking events. See you there!
Randa Bell, Chapter President
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Chapter sponsors
The Chapter has enjoyed the support of several valued sponsors in 2013. We thank our
sponsors for their dedicated support of the marketing research and intelligence industry in
general and the Ottawa Chapter in particular throughout the year:
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Speakers’ series
The Ottawa Chapter hosted eight speakers’ series events in 2013 season, covering a wide range of research issues and techniques. Following are summaries of the events, illustrating the variety and diversity of material offered to the Ottawa research community.
A Pollster's Victory: The 2012 U.S. Presidential Election January 24, 2013 / Will Daley, Vice President, Ipsos Public Affairs In this presentation, Will Daley provided an overview of a blended online sampling approach Ipsos employed in its U.S. election polling and discussed its approach to measuring confidence in its sampling through Bayesian credibility intervals – and approach that has attracted considerable attention in the North American market intelligence community. The presentation also looked at some of the factors animating the 2012 race, including Obama’s decisive success in turning out the ethnic vote which promises to be a challenge for the Republican Party in the years ahead as the U.S. electorate grows ever more diverse.
Product Innovation in The Youth Market February 15, 2013 / Shane Skillen, CEO, Hotspex Inc Hotspex, a Toronto-based research firm in partnership with a leading consumer products manufacturer, has developed a mobile data capture and analysis platform that asks consumers to help develop research/insights content the same way they develop content in social media. Hotspex combines respondent-provided data with a comprehensive emotional measurement solution to deeply understand unarticulated consumer needs at the moment of consumption. Shane Skillen presented case studies based on this youth-oriented methodology. Special Bonus: Meet the Marketing and Business Intelligence Research Class of 2013. The attendees had the occasion to meet the Algonquin College's Marketing and Business Intelligence Research students at this Speaker's Luncheon. The graduate-level students, representing a wide diversity of backgrounds and skills, attended this event and gave a presentation showcasing the knowledge, applied skills and hands-on workplace experience gained through the MBIR program.
The Challenges of Measuring Canadian Identities and Multiculturalism April 11, 2013 / Jack Jedwab, Executive Director, Association for Canadian Studies There is considerable interest in attachment to Canada on the part of the Canadian population and much analysis directed at how citizens engage with their country. What is the state of research on attachment to Canada and the challenges associated with its measurement? Are Canadians favorable to multiculturalism? Do ethnic attachments undercut national identities? Dr. Jedwab offered insights into avenues for further research around the importance Canadians assign to their identities.
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MRIA President's Tour and Town Hall Meeting April 3, 2013 / Sandra Janzen, President of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association Sandra stopped in Ottawa on her cross-Canada tour to discuss the direction and the future of the MRIA. Association members and interested non-members attended a lunch session, providing attendees with insights on issues of importance in the industry.
Tools For Change: Participatory Research Methods Reveal Value of Performing Arts May 16, 2013 / Frédéric Julien, project manager, Canadian Arts Presenting Association (CAPACOA) and Inga Petri, CMRP, President, Strategic Moves This interactive presentation showcased an effective action framework for research and consulting by sharing the backstory - the process and its outcomes - on The Value of Presenting: A Study of Performing Arts Presentation in Canada. Released in April 2013, this large-scale, national study was charged with identifying, understanding and communicating the value and benefits of performing arts presentation for Canadians in close collaboration with the performing arts sector across Canada. It also served to illuminate the complex and fluid eco-system of this sector. The presenters discussed challenges encountered and how they were resolved. It will explore how ordinary data was turned into fascinating insights that are informing strategic decision-making for a presenting sector as a whole. And it will show, how counter-intuitive findings became a powerful catalyst for new thinking and refined decision-making.
A Comparison of Survey Methodologies and the Feasibility of Continuing to Apply Probability-Based Research Methods June 13, 2013 / Frank Graves, President EKOS Research Associates Inc Mr. Graves provided insights into some of EKOS' ongoing experimentation and testing across Interactive Voice Response (IVR) methodologies, probability based online panels, opt in online panels, and live CATI. He compared sample composition, correspondence to known external benchmarks (e.g., past vote, readership, passport ownership) and the relative quality of respondent survey behavior. This presentation focused on the role of incentives, call backs, and selection within the household, while looking for solutions to problems of applying probability based methods in the current context (declining response rates, systematic coverage challenges, declining budgets/willingness to pay for accuracy/quality, and declining statistical literacy
The Times They Are a-Changin': Highlights From the 2011 Census and National Household Surveys September 12, 2013 / Dr. Doug Norris, Senior VP/Chief Demographer, Environics Analytics Over the past year Statistics Canada has released the data from the 2011 Census program that includes the 2011 Census and the new 2011 National Household Survey (NHS). Dr. Norris' presentation reviewed the main findings from the 2011 Census and National Household Survey. Included was an informative discussion of data quality issues related to the NHS.
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Fad or Follow: Making Sense of the Ever Changing Research and Technology Landscapes October 24, 2013 / Bernie Malinoff, President, element54 Researchers are inundated with emerging technologies – biometrics, neuroscience, nano-surveys, social media and others. In an engaging and constructively provocative manner, this session provided an objective overview of these technologies and with industry thought-leader insights, gauge which ones seem to have marketplace traction and momentum. Attendees left with lots of great questions and ideas about how and when to incorporate emerging technologies into their research projects.
Public Opinion Polling: Is There a Future for the Discipline? November 21, 2013 / Special afternoon session Doug Anderson, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Harris/Decima Joan Bryden, the Canadian Press John Wright, Senior Vice President, Strategic Public Affairs Research and Managing
Director, Ipsos Reid Éric Grenier, ThreeHundredEight.com Moderator: Steve Kiar, President and Owner, Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc. The Ottawa Chapter of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association convened a half-day conference to attempt to answer these fundamental questions: Is public opinion research still an accurate and useful tool? If public opinion research is still accurate and useful, what happened in the three recent
provincial elections to create a crisis in confidence in our discipline? What does the marketing research industry need to do to restore its decades-old
reputation for accuracy, consistency and probity?
November event participants L-R: John Wright, Joan Bryden, Doug Anderson, Eric Grenier, Steve Kiar
Photo: Tayo Olafimihan
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Communications activities
As the MRIA Ottawa Chapter’s communication lead, I write, design and disseminate the
Chapter’s eNews initiatives. This task also includes integration to Twitter, LinkedIn and
Facebook. The Ottawa Chapter continues to maintain its own e-mail list of over 400
contacts, including chapter members and others interested or working in marketing
research from the private, public and not-for profit sectors. New this year, targeted eNews
were translated to French and shared with the Montreal Chapter eNews list of 145
members, to broaden the scope of awareness about some of our featured events.
The Chapter communication program aims to inform MRIA chapter members and the wider
marketing research community about:
Local Speakers Series events,
Courses by the MRIA Institute of Professional Development and by the Ottawa Chapter,
MRIA National important events,
News from the marketing research community, including local jobs.
This year we introduced additional value-rich subject matter, including items of interest
from online and media articles, and photo and video content.
The chapter’s Communications program has four overarching goals:
1) Brand the visual identity of the eNews;
2) Encourage interest in events and news from the
MRIA Chapter;
3) Produce time appropriate and just-in time
communication to encourage participation in
Chapter initiatives;
4) Leverage the use of email best practices for a
modern day busy workforce (clear, concise, brief
and attractive and drive to website approaches).
The following objectives were established:
1) Track response rates,
2) Track attendance numbers at events,
3) Track qualitative feedback about the eNews at
board meetings.
The communications program resulted in:
E-mails sent: 35, a steady year-over-year increase of plus 7 emails per year since 2010,
The open rate average was 25%, this is above the industry standard for eNews at 22%.
Twitter (@MRIAOttawa): 30 follows, an increase of 25 followers compared to 2012
Twitter, LinkedIn (via Karen Bennett’s professional page): 35 social media messages
with direct links to the eNews
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Frequency. Sending an eNews once a week or once every two weeks has ensured that our
Chapter members do not feel overburdened with information. As a result we maintain higher
than industry open rates. In some instances, eNews were sent the day before events to help
boost attendance and such efforts it can be inferred were effective due to an increase of at
the door attendance numbers.
Timing. Where possible, careful attention is paid to the time of day the eNews is distributed
by keeping in mind when individuals will return to their desk to read emails, such as the 9
to 10 a.m. or 1 to 2 p.m. timeframes.
Scanability. The eNews is designed to give bite-sized pieces of information and entice
readers to learn more by visiting the MRIA website. It adheres to the 3 second or Z rule of
being able to scan within 3 seconds or a Z pattern starting from the top of the page and
working down to quickly obtain the “why does this matter to me and am I interested to click
for more information” principles of effective e-communication.
Karen Bennett, Communications Chair
Finance
The Ottawa Chapter operates within a budget of $18,000-$30,000 annually, with income from three main sources:
National MRIA: a portion from membership dues paid by designated members of the Chapter.
Sponsorship money: from companies in the Market Research industry. Sponsors receive visibility
on our chapter website, in program meetings and in advertising placed in our two main vehicles,
The Ottawa Business Journal and The Hill Times.
From the education courses we offer in Ottawa. This income allows us to offer some very special events and programs, and represents a substantial value for members.
2013 saw a change in the way finances were handled within the MRIA at the chapter level. Previously, all chapters were responsible for managing their own finances. Under the new financial management structure, chapter funds are managed through MRIA National. Chapter treasurers are responsible for collecting, organizing, and communicating expenses and revenue, however all transactions are paid through MRIA National. Financial year in review of the Ottawa Chapter for 2013:
Transfer from National from membership dues $11,716.60 Bank interest and GST/HST refund $2,686.22 Sponsors $1,975.18 Courses (net) $0.00 Speakers series (net) ($7,515.92) Advertising ($400.00) Other expenses (including board meetings, banking, travel and office supplies) ($8,177.78) ($284.30)
Todd Armstrong, Treasurer
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Awards and endowed scholarships Carleton University: The Ottawa Chapter endowed a
scholarship at Carleton University in 2008, which is awarded
annually on the recommendation of the Dean of the Sprott
School of Business to an outstanding student or team of
students whose final project in a 3rd year marketing research
course has shown exceptional merit. The 2012/2013
academic year recipients were Parker Davies, Katrina
Hartley, Karimah Issa, Paula Lanza and Emily Manley.
Algonquin College: Nicholas Ryan of Algonquin
College's Marketing and Business Intelligence Research
(MBIR) graduate certificate program is the most recent
recipient of the annual bursary for academic excellence
from the Ottawa Chapter of MRIA. The bursary goes to a
deserving and high achieving MBIR student annually. He
was presented with the award at the MRIA luncheon on February 15th, 2013, by program chair Anda Carabineanu.
Algonquin students (L-R: Steve Murray, Graham Pressey, Nita Heeg, Sarah Abbott and Nicholas Ryan), presenting at the February 15, 2013 MRIA Speakers’ Series event, with Nancy Johansen,
MBIR instructor and Ottawa chapter board member (R).
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Governance
The Ottawa Chapter was created at the inception of MRIA along with the Atlantic, Montreal,
Prairie, Alberta, British Columbia and Toronto Chapters. The MRIA Ottawa Chapter receives
its mandate from the MRIA by-laws Article XI which state that “The [National] Board may
from time to time establish chapters, being certain members of the Association having a
common interest in specific activities of the Association or being situated within the same
geographical area.” The 2013 Ottawa Board of Executives included the following individuals:
President Randa Bell, CMRP ASDE Survey Sampler Phone: (819) 770-3651 Email: [email protected]
VP/President-Elect Robyn Carruthers Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc. Phone: (613) 260-1700 ext. 221 Email: [email protected]
Treasurer Todd Armstrong Algonquin College Phone: (613) 558-8633 Email: [email protected]
Secretary Brenda Sharpe Environics Research Group Phone: (613) 230-5089 Email: [email protected]
Education Chair Nat Stone, CMRP Public Works and Government Services Canada Phone: (613) 996-3207 Email: [email protected]
Administration George Haines, CMRP Sprott School of Business, Carleton University (retired) Email: [email protected]
Communications Karen Bennett Delta Media Phone: (613) 233-9191 Email: [email protected]
Programs Anda Carabineanu, CMRP Public Works and Government Services Canada Phone: (613) 947-1526 Email: [email protected]
Past President Inga Petri Strategic Moves Phone: 613-558-8433 E-mail: [email protected]
Director-at-Large Martin Taller Algonquin College Phone: (613) 727-4723, ext. 6139 Email: [email protected]
Director-at-Large Marilyn Goodwin Goodwin Research and Consulting Telephone: 613-715-3330 Email: [email protected]
Director-at-Large Tayo Olafimihan Harris Decima Email: [email protected]
Director-at-Large Nancy Johansen, CMRP Email: [email protected]
Director-at-Large (2012-2013) Leo Wun MR Consultant
Marketing Research and Intelligence Association L’Association de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing
