Consumers have claimed a lot of power and marketers take that into account. Paul Polman, CEO at Unilever, recently stated: ‘If they can bring the Egypt government down in six weeks, they can bring us down in nanoseconds’. It is not merely a question of ‘being able to’ but also of ‘wanting to’. 44% of consumers wish to be actively involved in the development of new products or advertising campaigns for ‘their’ brands (InSites Consulting, Social Media around the world, 2011). This evolution is an opportunity rather than a threat. But what does it mean for market research? Should the research world adapt (check out this blogpost by Annelies Verhaeghe)? And what are the opportunities that originate from it? Continue reading →