Marketing research business still struggling for greater acceptance and recognition especially among Nigerian SMEs largely due to strong cultural hold on presumption instead of data assessment, is seeking for deep collaboration among the operators to advance the industry and proffer rich solutions to companies’ growth challenges.
This is the direction the new president of the industry’s body, Nigerian Marketing Research Association, NIMRA, Oluwaseun Oyelaja wants to pursue to encourage market research firms, partner, to achieve goals which they would not ordinarily achieve individually.
“We will love to see NiMRA that is vibrant and visible, but deep within the profession of market research, there is a disconnect which continues to keep us away from our goal. For us to make this right, I suggest a deep sense of collaboration that helps to quickly uncover hidden solutions we may not have as an individual working on a unique task”, Oyelaja told his colleagues at the inauguration of his executive in Lagos recently.
He said the era of having a unique approach of solving solutions can never be substantiated than a collective approach done in the right way.
The association used the opportunity of the inauguration to discuss ‘Future Success with Data Protection’ in the industry which Oyelaja further maintained that collaboration and alliance cannot be overemphasized as no one entity or unit of research can handle the task alone. “This is why our tenure will be focusing on new ways to change the narrative”
Speaking in the same line, the immediate past president of the association, Joy Uyanwune said “as the world becomes smaller and the industry itself widens in purpose and delivery, the gains of networking, of forming collaborating teams and partnerships within our country and across borders become even more evident”.
She listed her achievement among which was the hosting of the African Marketing Research Association conference in Nigeria which presented a profound platform to market research and data analytics practitioners to showcase their specialities and business offers.
Speaking on the importance of data protection, Alexan Carriho, assistant secretary-general of NiMRA who said it part of obeying the law said it is to give research respondents confidence to assist in the research work.
Discussants during the panel session, including Lanre Fashaki, CEO of CMRG; Stella Okpalla, CEO of Deep-Dive; Seun Ajay, CEO of SBRC; and Yinka Aderojo, CEO of MK&I advanced researchers, to be honest and straightforward in their works to their clients.
