Based on a number of extension requests, the deadline for submissions for our Making a Difference Awards is extended. Authors can submit their case-studies until the new deadline June 18 (end of day, CEST).
Please see the Call for submissions for more information and guidelines. Read more
The Association of Market and Social Research Organisations (AMSRO) and the global ESOMAR Foundation announced this week an exciting new joint project, the Research Got Talent award competition, focused on encouraging young professionals to use research to address prominent social issues.
AMSRO and ESOMAR’s aim is to recognise young researchers in the industry and showcase their work on the local and global stage.
Participation in the Research Got Talent competition will also foster closer relationships between competitors, local charities and NGOs, as participants are required to nominate a charitable cause to support as part of a practical research project.
The overarching theme of the initiative is the role of market research and insights play in supporting charities and non-profit organisations to overcome relevant and meaningful social issues. The research can focus on social issues such as gender equality, access to justice, education, improving the lives of people with disabilities, environmental issues and climate change.
Sally Joubert, AMSRO member and ESOMAR’s Australian representative, said: “The Research Got Talent award competition aims to recognise young researchers who want to make a difference. As recently witnessed via the outpouring of support for those affected by the bushfires, Australians like to give back. This competition provides a fantastic platform to enable young researchers to support a worthy cause of their choice, while simultaneously showcasing their professional talent.
“We are calling on all AMSRO and ESOMAR members to support this competition and young researchers. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate your employees and company on the global stage.”
The competition is open to young research professionals aged 18-35 and will run from 3 February to 30 March 2020. Project proposals may adopt traditional research methods, as well as new methods, including data analytics and analysis.
Finalists will present at the AMSRO Leaders Forum in Sydney on 6 May, with one winner selected and entered into the Research got Talent global competition. Winners from the global competition will take to the stage in Toronto at the ESOMAR Congress 2020 and showcase their projects to international industry leaders.
Entries open at 9.00am on Monday 3 February 2020. For more information, visit: https://www.amsro.com.au/research-got-talent
Winners receive return flights (departing from an Australian capital city to Toronto, Canada) and free admission to the ESOMAR Congress. A cash prize is offered to the winner of the global competition.
The Research Got Talent Initiative was pioneered by market research associations in India and Hong Kong and saw great success in connecting a range of stakeholders and ultimately showcasing the positive impact of the insights sector.
To enter, visit the AMSRO Research Got Talent online portal here.
The first edition of the Research Got Talent Global initiative is coordinated globally by ESOMAR and ESOMAR Foundation and implemented locally by the following market research associations:
About AMSRO
The Association of Market & Social Research Organisations (AMSRO) is the peak body for the market and social research, data and insights industry. AMSRO works in partnership with its company members, plus privacy authorities, business, government and the community to protect and promote the industry and uphold the highest ethical and privacy market and social research standards. Since its establishment in 1989, AMSRO has grown to more than 90 members, who employ over 5,000 people, representing 70% of the industry’s annual (data collection) turnover. In 2003, AMSRO pioneered its own privacy code for members, which won an Australian Privacy Award in 2009. www.amsro.com.au
About the ESOMAR Foundation
The ESOMAR Foundation is a charity representing the Market, Social and Opinion Research industry. Our industry has a wealth of knowledge and experience that can be applied to every aspect of society to ensure a more transparent, reliable and sustainable world. The ESOMAR Foundation believes that a fair, just and peaceful society is deserved by all and recognizes the immense promise that the research community offers to those striving to achieve these goals on a global level. The ESOMAR Foundation brings volunteers and resources together to execute projects to help and support charities and NGO’s to achieve their aims. Its aim is to encourage the usage of more insightful and inventive research and increase the overall impact of market research in building a better world.
The ESOMAR Foundation’s annual Making a Difference Awards are now open for entries. Our annual Awards are a chance to applaud and reward the best examples of Market Research making a difference to the world’s Charities.
Through these awards, the ESOMAR Foundation aims to raise awareness of the impact of great research on the work of Charities, by offering a platform for these stories to be heard.
All Charity case studies, whether they are international, national or local and in any sector, are encouraged to apply.
WHY YOU SHOULD ENTER THE COMPETITION:
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:
LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
Check out the previous Making a Difference Competition winners
There are not enough words to thank all the support received in these two and a half years from my family, friends and especially the ESOMAR Foundation and WIRe who generously gave me the support to study.
The last months were quite busy with activities, exams, hard work and the presentation of our final project which consisted of analyzing and delivering a marketing plan to a company that was dedicated to the production of cakes. The objective was to identify business opportunities and make improvements and recommendations to the business plan to increase profitability and brand awareness.
So we had to get involved from market research, creation of a new logo and a financial analysis that would allow the company to have a better offer than the competitors. We also had to focus on the digital and social networking strategy which is a global trend.
Time is going so fast that in the blink of an eye we were standing celebrating graduation day.
All these months taught me that persistence and discipline are important factors for success. We don’t always have the encouragement and time that studies demand and it is so easy to give up on a goal because of fear or lack of trust, but that is where we must remember that not everyone has the same opportunities as us and that knowledge is the power we need to change things.
We must always surround ourselves with our family and positive people who encourage us to be better.
The graduation day was one of the best days of my life because I not only managed to finish my studies but I was also awarded for academic excellence, something that I waited for a long time, and that I hope will inspire more students to achieve their goals.
Once again, I am very grateful to the foundation that believed in me and gave me the privilege of representing Guatemala.
How you can support in your country
If you are a market researcher, a national market research association, an NGO involved in research or a university interested in a scholarship in your country please contact us at info@esomarfoundation.org
Partners & Sponsors
We are always on the lookout for partners and sponsors. If you are an organisation looking to understand more about how you can support us, please find more information here or contact: info@esomarfoundation.org
“Around the world, children are showing us their strength and leadership advocating for a more sustainable world for all. Let’s build on advances and re-commit to putting children first. For every child, every right.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres
This year’s celebration marks the anniversary of the United Nations’ adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We can all play an important part in making World Children’s Day relevant for their societies, communities and nations. We, at the ESOMAR Foundation, want to celebrate this special anniversary by offering our readers and followers a few of the many examples of how solutions have been found and impact has been made on the lives of many children around the world with the help of the skills, knowledge and support of the data, research and insights community.
Reducing Child Mortality – A providers, a mother and a powder
Winner of the Most innovative Not-For-Profit case study of the ESOMAR Foundation Making a Difference Competition 2018. “With deep and nuanced understanding of what was driving oral rehydration salt (ORS) uptake, we developed a radically revised theory of how to increase the use of ORS to treat diarrhea in children. Instead of focusing exclusively on RMPs, programs should create demand for ORS by reframing caregivers’ perception of the treatment. This would help RMPs to bridge their “know-do” gap and prescribe ORS with confidence.” This project was carried out by Surgo Foundation in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Clinton Health Access Initiative
Children represent one of the most vulnerable groups in a society. They also represent a society’s future: future decision-makers, leaders, consumers and employees. Despite the progress achieved in numerous areas, children continue to face high distressing situations across the world.
“For 2017 World’s Children Day, UNICEF’s goal was to give the world’s children a voice. The overarching objective was to see the world through their eyes: to hear their perspectives on the most pressing issues affecting children globally and in their home country, to understand their hopes for the world’s children, to hear what they would change if they were in charge. To put results in perspective, we also wanted to understand their world: who they admire (and are influenced by), whether they feel they are being heard and if so by whom and get their opinion on world leaders’ job at addressing children’s issues.This research is an attempt to give children a voice and make the rest of society aware of what children are concerned about, and what changes they would like to see so their opinions are also taken into account in the decisions being made. It is also a reminder to all to make sure we are talking to the right people.”
This research is the product of the collaboration between UNICEF, Grey Advertising (the communications agency for the World’s Children Day) and Kantar’s Lightspeed Research: for the technical aspect of the research project.
Awareness of human trafficking risks among vulnerable children and youth in Ukraine
The survey aimed to define the vulnerability and the level of awareness of human trafficking among nine groups of children and youth in Ukraine. The survey covered children in difficult life circumstances and orphans; children from foster families and family-type homes; children displaced from the conflict zone in the East of Ukraine; children with special needs; homeless children; young people detained in penitentiaries; and youth of vocational schools.
The International Organization for Migration mission in Ukraine (IOM) implements a variety of human trafficking prevention activities. To improve the existing counter-trafficking practice, it conducted specific surveys on a regular basis to identify the most vulnerable and at-risk populations. Taking into consideration the results of the commissioned survey, IOM supported NGO small-grant projects in every oblast of Ukraine focused on targeted awareness increase and prevention work among the identified key vulnerable groups of children and youth with the highest risks of human trafficking. As a result of these projects, more than 63,000 vulnerable children and youth increased their knowledge of various types of human trafficking and basic rules of safe migration and employment.
The research was commissioned by the International Organization for Migration mission in Ukraine and conducted by GfK Ukraine
Driving the Efforts to Prevent “Stunting” in Indonesia
Stunting is the impaired growth and development of children caused by poor nutrition and repeated infection resulting in their height being two standard deviations below the WHO Standards. Indonesia has a higher incidence of stunting among ASEAN Countries …1 in 3 children. Feedback from the National Nutrition Communication Campaign (NNCC), IMA World Health suggests that we are on the right path … “This research program has made a big contribution to our mission …helped us start right. Stunting is no longer invisible. It’s a mainstream issue backed by the government and local communities. We have no doubt that we will see progressive reduction in stunting.
The government of Indonesia has committed to an integrated National Nutrition Communication Campaign (NNCC) for behavior change targeted at individuals, communities and stakeholders to minimize stunting. To this end, IMA World Health was commissioned by MCA Indonesia to design and implement an effective NNCC resulting in behavior change and lower stunting incidence.
Kantar TNS Indonesia conducted the in-depth study for the understanding of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behavior related to mother and child nutrition and stunting – to identify the motivators and deterrents to desired behavior, including the role of different influencers and influences to aid integrated communication strategy development covering message and media/touchpoint strategies.
How Street Invest and Big Sofa created a remarkable video: ‘I am One in a Million’ from qualitative research findings – with the objective of changing the public perception of Street Children – to humanise them.
The power of this study lies in the shareable and impactful output film.
Through this research, street children have been able to share their own stories, using in their own voice, in a manner which can be shared with those who have the power to change their lives.
* All the street workers involved were trained in Child Protection and informed consent was gained from the young people who participated in the filming.
At this year’s ESOMAR Congress in Edinburgh, ESOMAR and the ESOMAR Foundation launched an exciting new project focused on engaging youth to address prominent social issues using research.
The Research Got Talent Initiative was pioneered by the Associations in India and Hong Kong and saw great success in connecting a range of stakeholders and ultimately showcasing the positive impact of the insights sector. Through the Initiative, Associations can engage with Charities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to address the issues they might be facing when running their projects and operations.
By taking this initiative to the global level, ESOMAR aims to encourage the participating of young researchers in practical market research projects and to present an opportunity for local Associations around the world to demonstrate the talent in our profession.
Participation in the Research Got Talent Initiative will also foster closer cooperation with members, potential members, local Charities and NGOs, for the purpose of tackling meaningful social issues among local communities. The initiative will commence at the local level, where one winner will be selected and entered into the global competition.
The global competition winners will take the stage at the ESOMAR Congress 2020 and have the opportunity to showcase their project in front of the most relevant actors in the Market Research industry.
Interested associations are invited to write to info@esomarfoundation.org or bianca.marcu@esomar.org to receive more details on the initiative. Registration deadline 15th of November.
8 October 2019 – Amsterdam, NL – ESOMAR Foundation recently funded 2 new scholarships benefiting two deserving students entering into a market research-related field of study in Sri Lanka. Both students are enrolled at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka.
Chamari Jeewanthi is the recipient of a scholarship funded through a partnership with global non-profit Women in Research (WIRe) and Unilever. Chamari is a third-year student of the B.Sc. Marketing Management degree offered by the Department of Marketing Management Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
Chamari J. Hapuarachchcig is the elder daughter in a family of five who experienced limited access to familial income support. Chamari’s aspiration is to be a market research analyst and she is keenly aware that, in order to reach her goal, she has to work hard on her education. This scholarship comes at the right moment for her, as she’s entered a period in her education where access to additional financial support will allow for career-making opportunities such as field research, internships, and other university activities.
Upon the announcement of her scholarship being funded, Chamari shared that, “First of all, I would like to say thanks for giving me this kind of opportunity… As a marketing management student, I have to spend a lot of money for my academic as well as non-academic activities… but my parents can’t afford it… I have to do my studies well because my target is to join the market research industry. To achieve this, I should have at least a Bachelor’s degree. That’s why I requested this scholarship, [it will help] me to become a contributing member of our society.”
“We are—more than ever—grateful to WIRe and Unilever for the continuous support of the ESOMAR Foundation scholarship programme” said ESOMAR Foundation President John Kearon.
The second recipient, Ayesh Maduranga Jayawardana, is a young man coming from a family of four with a disadvantaged socio-economic background. Through the scholarship, Ayesh will have the opportunity to pursue his degree and a future career in market research.
“Firstly, I would like to Thank ESOMAR Foundation for this Scholarship. Doing high education is not always easy. As a student, I had to face many challenges and the financial challenge was one of the biggest. With this Scholarship, I can get out of this problem and fully focus on my studies. It will help me obtain a degree with good grades and offer motivation for my goal, which is to become a good ethical marketer for society. I will help fellow students with their studies because I know the value of having support for my own studies.” said Ayesh.
Ayesh is following a B.Sc. Marketing Management (special) degree program at the same Department of Marketing Management Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, entering his third year. His scholarship was granted through a partnership with the global research consultancy Sapio Research.
“We are proud to be able to give Chamari and Ayesh the opportunity to complete their studies and aspire to bright careers. Our best wishes to them in pursuing their studies!” concluded John Kearon.
How you can support
If you are a market researcher, a national market research association, an NGO involved in research or a university interested in a scholarship in your country please contact us at info@esomarfoundation.org
Partners & Sponsors
We are always on the lookout for partners and sponsors. If you are an organisation looking to understand more on how you can support us, please find more information here or contact: info@esomarfoundation.org
We had many excellent entries for our Making a Difference Competition this year – selecting the best for the Awards is a very difficult task – so much research is being used so well to make the world a better place! Though that doesn’t mean, of course, that our task is done – there are still many stories of aid money being spent badly and/or ineffectively. Research still needs to be more widely used to ensure good outcomes.
We aligned the best case stories – the Award Winners – with the UN SDG’s (Sustainable Development Goals) so that we can see the effect on progress with the goals in multiple areas.
For SDG #3: Good Health and Well-Being we had a study on ‘Towards an Open-Defecation-Free Clean India’, by AV Surya and Saptarshi Guha of KANTAR. Perhaps not for the squeamish, this study demonstrated the need for long term monitoring and measurement to measure progress – cultures are not changed over-night – this is a 5-year programme! And also the requirement for on-going qualitative work and ethnography to overcome barriers to adoption – which change over time.
SDG #16: is Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and we had a presentation on ‘Social Media to Strengthen Political Participation of Young People in Nigeria’, given by Anu Mohammed and Chibuike Utaka, of BBC Media Action – an excellent demonstration of how to use social media to engage youth in a subject that they were really quite apathetic about. Let’s face it – it’s difficult to engage young people in politics and voting in European countries – much more so in countries where the political climate is extremely challenging!
Gender Equality (SDG #5) was represented by a paper ‘Breaking the Silence: Uncovering Truths about Gender-Based Violence in Mongolia’, by Kai Jimenez, of UNFPA Mongolia. This was an extremely large and high-quality study designed to demonstrate the reality of a subject that no-one wants to acknowledge or talk about in Mongolia. In fact, the lack of information meant that most people could deny it existed! Kai’s UNFPA study showed the truth and started the conversation, which is the beginning of change.
We were also very pleased to include a study from the developed world. For SDG #4: Quality Education we had a ‘Study of Young People with Dyslexia’ presented by Christian Vestergaard Sloth, of EPINION. Which showed that Dyslexia, if not diagnosed early, and supported well throughout the education system, can lead to very poor life outcomes – even in a country like Denmark! Everyone deserves a quality education – people with dyslexia have the same levels of intelligence as everyone else – so the fact that they tend to do less well in life, means there is a failure somewhere in the education system, which should be addressed.
In summary, an excellent, thought-provoking and inspiring session which demonstrated the real value that research can bring to the Not-for-Profit sector in all areas of life. The session ended with the awards ceremony sprinkled generously with the local tartan.
The warmth and interest received from the audience validates our belief that promoting the use of research is the right thing to do, to make the world a better place.
From Monday over a thousand market researchers from all over the world arrived in Edinburgh for ESOMAR’s annual industry get-together. The only truly global data and insights summit.
The same as last year, ESOMAR Foundation has dedicated an entire session in the program on Tuesday 10th of September. The winners of our second edition Making a Difference Competition will take to the stage to showcase how the best of research has made a significant difference to Not-For-Profits.
The session will feature:
Saptarshi Guha and Surya AV from Kantar India presenting Towards an open-defecation-free, clean India
Saptarshi possesses a rich experience in evaluation & monitoring of several projects/studies in the areas of Population, Health, Nutrition, Education, Women and child development and has an expertise in delivering research values in the domain of Water & Sanitation in rural India. He has a combining background in liaising with external clients with hands-on experience in social research, offering insights to the experts of development sectors and commended for being an impressive communicator with strong work ethics.
Surya as Kantar India CEO leads a team of multi-country market researchers who generate high-quality evidence on which various decisions related to marketing and corporate strategy are based. His team informs program strategy, monitors the performance of the programs and also measures the impact of various social marketing activities for clients like Unicef, World Bank, UN Organisations, Government of India, etc. He has been one of the key researchers on various pulse polio studies conducted by Unicef in their efforts to successfully eradicate polio. He is a pioneer in behaviour surveillance surveys in India.
Anu Mohammed and Chibuike Utaka from BBC Media Action Nigeria with “Social media first: leveraging digital platforms to strengthen the political participation of Nigerian youth” case study.
Anu Mohammed is the head of Research and Learning at BBC Media Action in Nigeria, which is the international charity of the BBC that uses media to inform, connect and empower people around the world. She has significant experience, spanning over a decade, conducting and managing qualitative and quantitative research projects in Nigeria’s development sector from design to implementation and data analysis leading to the delivery of impactful development projects.
Chibuike Utaka is a content maker and editorial leader. He currently works with BBC Media Action Nigeria as Senior Producer where he leads a team of multi-platform content producers who deliver on radio and digital materials for national broadcast. When he is not at work, he creates digital contents about food and agricultural processes as a hobby.
Kai Jimenes from UNFPA – United Nations Population Fund presenting the case-study “Breaking the Silence: Uncovering the Truth about Gender-Based Violence in Mongolia”
Kai is a researcher, strategist, and all-around storyteller. She recently transitioned into an international development neophyte, working to promote gender equality in Mongolia with the UN Population Fund. Prior to this role, she built her career in the private sector specializing in development and corporate communications, business strategy and innovations, and research and analytics. She holds a Master’s Degree in Political Economy and gives talks on branding, storytelling, and research in local and international forums.
Christian Vestergaard Sloth from Epinion, Denmark presenting “Study of young people with dyslexia – challenges and needs in the Danish education system”
Director and Head of Education and Science at Epinion within the areas of education, market research, statistics and projections. In charge of Epinions operations in Greenland working primarily within the areas of education, social affairs and labor market.
This session is part of the complimentary event for charities and NGOs called evocatively Research for Charities Seminar. If you are working in a charity and you are fairly close to Edinburgh here is your last chance to secure your free place on this link.
If you are in Edinburgh on Tuesday 10.09 make sure you do not miss the the activities we planned for you. Cannot attend the ESOMAR Congress? You can tune in to watch the live broadcast.
Help us change the life trajectory of three market research hopefuls by participating and fundraising during our inaugural charity bike ride in Edinburgh!
The line between work and life is so blurred today that it’s hard to know when and where to draw it. Attending an event, especially an international one, can be exhausting. And when we are talking about the ESOMAR Congress, the flagship event of Market Research industry, the place where creativity, innovation and insights collide; which brings together more than 1000 delegates from all corners of the world, one can feel overwhelmed.
To get into the spirit, this year, ESOMAR Foundation gives you the opportunity to network before the Congress with your colleagues and the other event attendees through an exciting fundraising charity bicycle ride in the surroundings of the beautiful Edinburgh.
Sign up to our exciting fundraising event and use your pedal power to cycle and help fundraise for our Scholarship Programme. We aim to fund 3 new scholarships for deserving students coming from a disadvantaged background. You can help them continue their studies and eventually pursue a career in market research.
You will get to experience Edinburgh and beyond, from quiet cycle paths through woodlands and country parks, historic buildings and cityscape views to sea view esplanades. The route is designed to suit most abilities.
Here are all the things you need to know about the ride.
ENTER NOW and play your part in the ESOMAR Foundation Charity Bike Ride. This inaugural fundraising charity bike ride is an activity where charitable fundraising, sporting excellence and healthy living are combined to create a unique experience for everyone involved.
7 September 2019, 13:00 hours local time
