The #MRXHero interviews are being published daily this week in reverse alphabetical order. To find out more about the #MRXHeroes week, and why we’ve put it together, check out our other post here.
Leonard Murphy, better know as Lenny and indeed @Lennyism on Twitter is Editor-in-Chief of the GreenBook blog, one of the go-to places for all things research and increasingly, technology and how tech advanced do/will affect on the market research space. Lenny is Senior Advisor as part of newly formed Gen2 Advisors and pioneer of the successful Insights Innovation Exchange conference (better know as IIEX or #IIEX if you’re a Twitterer) and the Insights Innovation competition which has grown in leaps and bounds since I first participated almost 3 years ago. But before Gen2 even existed, Lenny has been involved in shaping a host of other conference events, been CEO of not one, but two companies, and has been producing the GreenBook Research Industry Trends Report (GRIT) which has now become one of the reads of the year when it’s published (the hyperlink will take you to this year’s sneak peek).
Like Ray, I had first met Lenny a few years ago now and Lenny was extremely supportive of what I wanted to do with Research Through Gaming, but even if Lenny was completely opposed to the idea of using games with research, I have no doubt that he would have done whatever he could to steer me in the right direction because Lenny is a great connector and collaborator. There is no doubt that Lenny is admired for his ability to collaborate and connect with individuals and companies on a global scale and share knowledge seemingly without ever sleeping! (He has 16 hour days, as he tells us in the interview!).
Lenny, like Tom Ewing and Ray Poynter, also balances all this with raising a family, again, leaving us all green with envy on how these superheroes and superheroines of this week do all the things some of us (like me!) wish we were granted a 2nd and 3rd lifetime to achieve. These people are full-steam-ahead shaping our industry, helping to move it forward while balancing their personal lives. But what I really want to know is: Is Lenny a cyborg? How does he do it? The answer is, no Lenny is not a cyborg but he is a non-stop knowledge-sharer whom the market research industry would be very different without. All will be revealed in this interview with, once again, our intern David Wiszniowski.
– Betty
D: How did you get into the market research industry?
L: I was managing regional operations for a cellular company in the south east at the turn of the century and the company went out of business. A healthcare satisfaction research company was looking for someone to manage a call center and I got the job. I quickly discovered telephone research is much different than customer service. But I really loved the process and the ideas behind it.
D: When did you first realize you had a passion for research?
L: I’ve always had an interest in marketing and building businesses. My passion for research really crystalized when I discovered driving business intelligence was a science.
D: If you can recall a defining moment where you felt that the research industry was calling you, when was it?
L: No. As I mentioned earlier I needed a job. It was a ‘holy crap how do I feed my family’ decision, that led me to discover what I believe is my avocation.
D: Can you explain to me what a Senior Partner at Gen2 does on a day to day basis?
L: Gen2 Advisors is an advisory firm, it helps clients understand changes within MR. There are three main practice areas: Innovation scouts for client-side organizations, working with suppliers to position their business for success, and providing advisory services to start-ups. I’m also responsible for all Editorial functions at Greenbook, which is how most people know me.
D: What sort of impact do you think the work you do as an author and a consultant has on the industry itself?
L: That’s not really for me to say. I’ve been told that we help steer and influence discussion within the global marketplace. In terms of social impact we try to provide a lens as to how the industry needs to change and where it can grow.
D: Do you think the market research industry is changing? Evolving/devolving?
L: Absolutely, the client side organizational shift is well underway. We’re seeing forces from tech adoption and business needs, brand spending, and demands for new ways to engage with consumers and generate insights.
D: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the market research industry right now?
L: Data collection can’t be the primary driver of revenue; MR doesn’t have a monopoly on primary data sources any longer and business models need to shift accordingly to reflect that.
D: Do you have any suggestions on how to oppose this challenge?
L: Refine our value proposition; specialize in utilizing emerging technology, specific methodologies that are not easily scaled and disrupted, or insights consulting.
D: Can you describe Gen2 in three words?
L: Understanding (&) Guiding Change
D: Can you describe BrandScan360 in three words?
L: Social Mobile Games
D: Can you provide some information as to what happened to BrandScan360? Do you think the challenges the company faced were unique, or do they affect the entire industry?
L: BrandScan was launched too early. It was an early view at how social and mobile platforms would change the marketplace in 2007/2008. I believe I saw where the industry was going, but it was too early to fully launch without funding. Acquiring funding for something radical was challenging. Aspects of BrandScan have since been picked up by other companies and are coming to market now.
D: After the close of BrandScan360 you went into a more consultation based field of MR, why the change?
L: More fun. Less stressful. Perfect!
D: Working at Research Through Gaming, I know there are many challenges/opportunities with smaller research companies. Are there any differences you have noticed between working for an encompassing research company, and now a smaller yet still globally recognized company? (not clichés) What are the top three differences between larger firms and smaller companies?
L: Large firms have more security, but less innovation and take fewer risks. Large firms are driven by keeping key stakeholders or shareholders happy. Small companies use more experimentation to get their ROI. Large companies are often hampered by their inertia; small companies can work on the fly.
D: How were you able to attract clients in what can be seen as a somewhat sceptical industry with a slow rate of change?
L: I am in a unique position with Greenbook, which is the most effective marketing platform in the insights industry, so that visibility has created many opportunities I would not have planned for. Marketing via that channel is all about sharing challenging and interesting content; how people respond to that content is not up to me. To generate new opportunities I embrace the pull based marketing model. Content is king. I generate value from a thought leadership perspective and that seems to resonate with folks who need help. American Journal of Addiction published the results of comparing the effectiveness of Tramadol for relief of opiate withdrawal. Tramadol, which is rather well known in most countries, is a synthetic centrally acting analgesic, interacting with opioid receptors through its metabolite with microraptors. According to the authors, the drug has a low potential for addiction. In addition, it is not included in the list of controlled analgesics in the United States, where the study was conducted.
D: Do you do any client facing in your current role? What advice would you give to building client relationships?
L: I work with mostly client-side organizations. I don’t reach out to achieve business; folks approach me to help them and I try to do that in any way that I can. It’s not about selling your product; it’s about listening to their challenges and trying to help people.
D: Do you consider yourself a ‘hero of market research’? Why?
L: No, I’m just a guy who’s been really lucky to make money by running his mouth. Sometimes that seems to inspire folks, other times it pisses people off. That’s ok; sometimes people need to be pissed off. I just ask questions and make educated guesses on the implications of the answers for the industry as a whole; sometimes those hypothesis are right, sometimes they’re wrong, that’s it. I’m in a unique situation and I am glad that I am able to do what I do; I hope it helps folks be more successful.
D: Why do you think we have chosen you to be a hero of market research?
L: I have a significant presence in the industry that I really have built by accident. I’m very grateful for that. There’s a certain level of influence on things that I do that I recognize. And Betty likes me.
D: I know you are very busy and have a variety of blogs, consultation services, board seats etc. I was wondering how your interests in non-research related fields can be seen as influences throughout your work?
L: I’m a big geek. I love science fiction, trend watching, people watching. I like anthropology, sociology and understanding large macro forces. These all influence my thinking about MR, because MR is inherently about understanding people. Although I never would have thought that I would apply my interests to MR 20 years ago.
D: You have written countless industry publications, but are most well-known for Greenbook, can you briefly explain what that is?
L: It started as a directory of MR services and has evolved into the foremost publishing and marketing platform within the insight space.
D: It’s apparent that with your blogs, columns, work, awards, papers, presentations and family life that you are very busy. Could you provide a rough ‘day in the life’ for me? What does a typical day for you look like?
L: In the mornings I start off with a quick read of social media. Twitter first, then LinkedIn, Google plus and Facebook. I check in throughout the day. I spend the rest of the day answering emails, (which I increasingly suck at in terms of managing the volume), in meetings, or working on primary projects, and finally, keeping up with communications. I usually work a 16 hour day.
D: In terms of family, I know that you have five children. Would you ever want any of your children to work in the MR industry? What advice would you give to them if they wanted to become a researcher?
L: My oldest daughter is going to college to study anthropology. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about her going into MR, and I hope she will. I think research is incredibly rewarding if you’re innately curious and want to always be challenged in new ways.
D: What advice would you give readers as to how to juggle their time?
L: I’m lucky enough to work from home. Conversations about work home balance are irrelevant to me. 100 years ago if you were a farmer, you were a farmer; that was your life. I take a very similar view on my life; my avocation and my family are part of who I am, not just things I do. By doing what I love, the whole idea of juggling my time simply comes down to managing priorities. What I do for a living doesn’t conflict with my family life. I think it comes down to if you can find your avocation, than everything else just falls into place.
D: You’ve attended many a conference, what are some of the things that put you to sleep during these talks, if anything? Alternatively, can you provide any examples of what excites you at these conferences?
L: Same old, same old. I don’t want to sit through another conversation about sample quality or survey design. I don’t enjoy case studies. I want to hear about new thinking, creativity, business impact, how people are doing things that really make a difference. Interactive and engaging conversations excite me. I want to be provoked and challenged.
D: Being that I am a student, and also an intern, are there any words of wisdom that you would give to those just starting out in MR?
L: Try and find joy in whatever it is in what you’re doing. Ultimately our job is to help people, regardless of whether we’re working in different areas of research. We’re providing information that should be helping people’s lives be better. If you’re not up for helping people, this is not the right industry for you.
D: Personally, even though I’ve taken a program specifically geared towards market research, I still don’t know all of the main players in the industry. With conferences, linked in profiles, more conferences, papers, webinars, talks, presentations, blogs, green books, vines and hashtags I find that there is a lot to take in. In fact, I still feel as if I’m playing catch-up. What sort of advice can you offer as to how to make sense of it all for someone who is new to the industry? Being that I’m still a novice, how important is it for me to keep tabs on the innovations being made in MR?
L: First, don’t get overwhelmed, think about how you can utilize tools to streamline that process, ie, twitter. Make time to check out the key news and thought leadership platforms in the workplace. If you’re not looking at Research.live, DRNO.com and of course Greenbook everyday than you’re missing out. Then, just develop your own model on how to curate that content. Find a way to manage the inflow of information. Pay attention to the influencers, and look who they’re following
D: As a final question, I wanted to know how you feel the work you have done for MR has made the industry a better place for research, respondents and clients. How is our industry better now, with you in it, than it was before?
L: I think we’ve opened the door to a broader consideration of ways to do things and we continue to do that. We’ve showcased more start-ups, we try to chart the course of the future rather than analyzing out past. Overall our eyes are firmly focused on the horizon and I think that has made a difference. I think it was unique for a former CEO of suppliers to step back and take a macro view and provide that kind of service. At least I hope so!
Thank you Lenny for your time being an #MRXHero and giving your time for the interview!
Tomorrow we’ll be revealing yet another #MRXHero. Can you guess who it is? Do you have an #MRXHero you’d like to nominate? Let us know!