Editor’s note: Stephen Griffiths is the winner of the 2022 Researcher of the Year (End-Client) Award which is a category in the Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Awards. This award goes to an end-client researcher who is a proven game changer in the industry. To find out more about the awards click here.

Stephen Griffiths is passionate about learning research best practices, teaching them to others and helping insights job seekers. With 10+ years of consumer insights experience at Nielsen, P&G and General Mills – where he launched two new cereal brands while working on Cheerios – Griffiths now works as a consumer insights director at Level2. Outside of work, he co-founded two market research volunteer organizations: Epic Insights, a monthly peer circle group for client-side researchers; and the Insights Career Network, the virtual job search community. We sat down with Griffiths for a short Q&A to learn more about his background and work. 

One of the biggest tips I give newer researchers is to always ask the question, "How will this research impact the business or organization?" 

Research is only as good as its ability to make a business impact. I remember one meeting where a marketing mix analyst presented a specific insight into how our billion-dollar brand should structure marketing communications. That one recommendation – specific, actionable and supported by rigorous modeling – was worth its weight in gold. Our insights team was delighted with this piece of advice and we ended up choosing that research partner for many years to come. 

Whenever possible, structure research to answer pressing business challenges and provide actionable recommendations. As a newer insights professional, if you are working on a project and unsure how the end user will be acting on the research, take a pause and find out. It will make all the difference. 

In the next five years, I see the market ...