Embracing differences. Highlights from Quirk’s Chicago 

I’m back in the office after attending Quirk’s Chicago – my first in-person event since 2019! It was absolutely wonderful to see so many people learning and celebrating all that is marketing research and insights. 

During the event, I sat in on some amazing sessions including Burt’s Bees journey into the Chinese market and Susan Fader’s discussion on counterintuitive thinking. After 18+ months covering the impact of COVID-19 on research and insights, it was a breath of fresh air to hear discussions that weren’t focused on the pandemic! 

There were several sessions on diversity and inclusion that really stood out to me. While it’s impossible to sum each up in one short blog post, here are three quotes that I’ll be returning to for weeks to come. 

Celebrating differences

 “Different is not deficient.” 

Pepper Miller’s session, “Black (still) matters in marketing and market research,” put a spotlight on the importance of not only embracing but celebrating differences. Throughout the session, Miller told attendees, “Different is not deficient.” Black Americans have different histories, lenses, beliefs and behaviors – and consumers are calling on brands to understand and celebrate those differences. 

Miller shared several examples of advertisement campaigns that embrace the Black experience in America, including one from Procter & Gamble’s Talk About Bias campaign, “The Look,” and Walmart’s “No Sweat: Holidays” commercial. 

The gender question

“If you have 67 genders and auto-disqualify 65 of them, that isn’t inclusive.”

In Suzy’s session, “Insights 2021: The gender inclusivity question,” the speakers looked at how – and if – researchers should be asking the gender question on surveys. They shared results from their study findings, showing that consumers across the gender identity spectrum now recognize a need for inclusion of more than just “male” or “female.” As one respondent put it, “If you have 67 genders and auto-disqualify 65 of them, that isn’t inclusive.” 

A majority of consumers surveyed prefer the gender question include an option to select pronouns or self-describe. The speakers also reminded the audience that buying patterns matter when deciding what questions are needed for your category. 

The biggest takeaway? Just knowing that a brand is choosing to ask about gender in an inclusive way is a big win for consumers. 

Bringing in different perspectives

“I’ve realized over time that there are instances that if I hadn’t been in the room, there would have been serious nuggets that would have been missed.”

It’s no secret – the marketing research and insights industry isn’t the most diverse space. A panel discussion from Insights in Color titled, “The multicultural researcher gap: Making the research industry more appealing to the research generation of tomorrow,” explored why this is the case and how we can change it. 

Panelists shared the need to do a better job of making more people aware of the industry in general, and also called out low-pay entry-level positions as barriers to entry. And when multicultural researchers do enter the industry, panelists said they are often met with challenges, including the pressure to fit in and maintain the status quo. 

When asked what makes her stay in the industry, panelist Yvonne Green said, “I’ve realized over time that there are instances that if I hadn’t been in the room, there would have been serious nuggets that would have been missed. … I’m contributing to change, how people are understanding each other.”