Name: How to be a better market researcher by thinking big picture
Uploaded: 2022-02-23T17:17:21.724Z
Duration: 179.93
Description: We tend to become quite skilled at focusing on specific aspects of our roles. So much so that we fail to grasp the broad picture and how our work contributes to our company's strategic objectives and being profitable. Anna Estlund shares her valuable experiences throughout her career and highlights the importance of understanding the big picture.

How to be a better market researcher by thinking big picture.vtt

English

{{00:00:24}}
I started my career in
marketing and sports marketing.

{{00:00:29}}
Loved it, but as I made the transition
to insights, I think I really focused

{{00:00:34}}
a lot on becoming a research expert.

{{00:00:37}}
So like, how do you, at the time it
was like really leading deep qual

{{00:00:41}}
research, so how do I just be a
really good moderator and facilitator?

{{00:00:45}}
And then it was more of like, okay, how
do I know how to run these different

{{00:00:48}}
quant tests as I did different roles.

{{00:00:51}}
And I had a general sense of the
business generals at the time of

{{00:00:55}}
okay, what are our big business units?

{{00:00:56}}
What are our big brands?

{{00:00:57}}
And like that high level understanding.

{{00:01:00}}
What I wish I would've done
earlier is not only try to be a

{{00:01:03}}
research expert, but really deeply
understand the business drivers.

{{00:01:08}}
So more so on that business
intelligence side, which wasn't

{{00:01:11}}
where I started my career and I've
led teams there since, but I wish

{{00:01:15}}
earlier I would have sat down with
my business intelligence team,

{{00:01:18}}
sat down with my finance team and
said, walk me through just like

{{00:01:21}}
how the profit margins work in this
business unit and for the company.

{{00:01:25}}
What are the profit drivers and
therefore, where does the money flow?

{{00:01:29}}
What has happened over time
with the brand that we've seen?

{{00:01:33}}
Not just like the weekly
reports that we get.

{{00:01:36}}
I think I had awesome advice
when I was a senior associate

{{00:01:39}}
at General Mills from a manager
who encouraged me to do that.

{{00:01:42}}
And it just opened up so
many doors for me, honestly.

{{00:01:45}}
And I just wish I would've done it
a bit earlier instead of trying to

{{00:01:48}}
be so much of a research expert.

{{00:01:50}}
I think that's a piece of it.

{{00:01:51}}
But again, back to driving action,
that's what your stakeholders are

{{00:01:54}}
looking at to drive decisions.

{{00:01:56}}
And so to then take that base
understanding and layer on top the why

{{00:01:59}}
and the so what all of that, I think
would have made me a stronger earlier.

{{00:02:08}}
Honestly, prioritisation has
become more of a challenge

{{00:02:10}}
as a result of that.

{{00:02:11}}
So it is really trying to drive
focus on where are we going

{{00:02:15}}
to have the biggest impact, as
work-life boundaries are blurring.

{{00:02:19}}
My team's still working
from home primarily.

{{00:02:21}}
And so we don't have the
disconnect time at the end of

{{00:02:25}}
the day that we're all used to.

{{00:02:27}}
So I think I'm really
intentionally trying to help the

{{00:02:29}}
team say, what are the highest
value added things we can do?

{{00:02:34}}
And where are some of those things
that you can either democratise or

{{00:02:39}}
help teach people out how to fish?

{{00:02:42}}
Or frankly just say we're not going
to do that because it's not actually

{{00:02:46}}
going to drive the business forward.

{{00:02:47}}
What are the three things I can
do this week to drive the business

{{00:02:50}}
forward is the lens that I try
to take and coach the team.

I started my career in
marketing and sports marketing.

Loved it, but as I made the transition
to insights, I think I really focused

So like, how do you, at the time it
was like really leading deep qual

research, so how do I just be a
really good moderator and facilitator?

And then it was more of like, okay, how
do I know how to run these different

And I had a general sense of the
business generals at the time of

What I wish I would've done
earlier is not only try to be a

research expert, but really deeply
understand the business drivers.

So more so on that business
intelligence side, which wasn't

where I started my career and I've
led teams there since, but I wish

earlier I would have sat down with
my business intelligence team,

sat down with my finance team and
said, walk me through just like

how the profit margins work in this
business unit and for the company.

What are the profit drivers and
therefore, where does the money flow?

What has happened over time
with the brand that we've seen?

Not just like the weekly
reports that we get.

I think I had awesome advice
when I was a senior associate

at General Mills from a manager
who encouraged me to do that.

And it just opened up so
many doors for me, honestly.

And I just wish I would've done it
a bit earlier instead of trying to

But again, back to driving action,
that's what your stakeholders are

And so to then take that base
understanding and layer on top the why

and the so what all of that, I think
would have made me a stronger earlier.

Honestly, prioritisation has
become more of a challenge

So it is really trying to drive
focus on where are we going

to have the biggest impact, as
work-life boundaries are blurring.

My team's still working
from home primarily.

And so we don't have the
disconnect time at the end of

So I think I'm really
intentionally trying to help the

team say, what are the highest
value added things we can do?

And where are some of those things
that you can either democratise or

Or frankly just say we're not going
to do that because it's not actually

What are the three things I can
do this week to drive the business

forward is the lens that I try
to take and coach the team.

Best Practice

We tend to become quite skilled at focusing on specific aspects of our roles. So much so that we fail to grasp the broad picture and how our work contributes to our company's strategic objectives and being profitable.
Anna Estlund shares her valuable experiences throughout her career and highlights the importance of understanding the big picture. 

Talent management

Market research

Insights

Strategy

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Anna Estlund.jfif

Anna Estlund

 Director of Insights 

As an insight leader, one of Estlund's important professional advice is to focus not only on being a market research expert but also on deeply understanding the business drivers by connecting different functions in the company.

Big picture thinker

Many things changed as a result of the pandemic's onset. Estlund talks about how people's working patterns are changing. Particularly, the significance of prioritisation has been advanced.