New BIG Member David Holmes talks to us about what B2B research means to him.
Question #1: Tell us a bit about your background
After gaining my degree from the University of Portsmouth, I joined the market research industry and worked my way through the ranks, ending up as Senior Client Manager at Kantar Millward Brown. I have a particular interest in brand and communications insights.
Question #2: Why did you choose the B2B research industry?
I’ve been moving between the public sector, consumer and business worlds throughout the past ten years, and the challenges in clients’ briefs – whether in terms of their objectives or methodologies – all interest me. I initially moved into B2B because an opportunity to learn something new presented itself, and I’m glad I took it.
Question #3: What does BIG mean to you?
To me, BIG is a collective of people from the insights industry who know how to deliver great B2B work. They are a source of guidance based upon strong experience in the field. The regular forums they hold are a great way to learn about a new technique or burning topic in our industry.
Question #4: What motivated you to join BIG?
What motivated me was the chance to meet colleagues with similar roles in the same industry, and contribute towards the growth of the BIG organisation itself as there are ongoing discussions around continuous improvement. My role is to help clients with not so dissimilar objectives, so to actually be involved rather than be at arm’s length is interesting.
Question #5: With so much change in the B2B research industry how do you think researchers should prepare for the future?
I would recommend to anyone that the best way to prepare for the future is to get closer to our clients, and really understand the pressures they face in their role. I would also emphasise the importance of networking and collaboration with colleagues who have different skills sets to you, as this makes meeting clients’ demands for insights to be ‘quicker, cheaper, better’ that much more possible.