Name: Moving beyond binary assumptions in research
Uploaded: 2022-02-09T13:16:08.069Z
Duration: 347.33
Description: Can rethinking the way we ask customers to talk about themselves help companies acquire a better understanding of customer behaviour? Katie Gross believes that more inclusive market research can lead to a deeper understanding and more meaningful segmentation.

Leaving binary behind to reform diversity in research.vtt

English

{{00:00:25}}
We have been the market
research for a very long time.

{{00:00:27}}
We have asked gender,
ethnicity, income.

{{00:00:30}}
And we have kind of really just
made assumptions on marketing

{{00:00:33}}
people based on some of those.

{{00:00:36}}
Our client yesterday Fran Guzman,
from Kraft Heinz mentioned that

{{00:00:40}}
he himself select the Hispanic box
in a survey, as do his parents.

{{00:00:46}}
He's second generation.

{{00:00:47}}
His parents are first generation
and he already said it.

{{00:00:49}}
It's very misleading.

{{00:00:51}}
The behaviors, attitudes,
purchasing behaviors, drivers,

{{00:00:54}}
needs are incredibly different.

{{00:00:57}}
And so I think we've really done
ourselves a disservice by assuming that

{{00:01:00}}
people can be kind of bucketed into
demographics and in the kind of the

{{00:01:06}}
old school way of thinking about it.

{{00:01:07}}
And it's time to really
think about what are the

{{00:01:09}}
drivers, what are the needs?

{{00:01:11}}
A parent is a parent, regardless
of their ethnicity or gender.

{{00:01:17}}
It is a marketing touch point.

{{00:01:18}}
So we started noticing that,
particularly with Gen Z, when

{{00:01:22}}
the first question is please
select your gender, male, female,

{{00:01:26}}
respondents were really feeling like
it was not an inclusive question.

{{00:01:29}}
Though they themselves may have
identified as male or female,

{{00:01:33}}
they felt the question was
not inclusive, and actually x

{{00:01:36}}
out of the survey altogether.

{{00:01:37}}
So, we were concerned that not
including everybody meant that

{{00:01:43}}
we were excluding a lot of people
and we're assuming allies as well.

{{00:01:47}}
So we could go male, female, other,
we could go male, female, prefer

{{00:01:51}}
not to disclose, but actually
we decided to do some research.

{{00:01:55}}
We asked our own panel and we
had 10 different versions of

{{00:01:59}}
the gender and sex question.

{{00:02:02}}
And we put it to the test.

{{00:02:04}}
So we did our own research
basically, on our respondents.

{{00:02:08}}
And we found that the question that
was most inclusive for both our nat

{{00:02:13}}
rep panel and also our LGBTQ plus
panel, was male, female, other, and

{{00:02:20}}
prefer not to disclose, as well.

{{00:02:21}}
So really give somebody the
option to identify the way

{{00:02:25}}
that they want to identify.

{{00:02:27}}
That question resonated not just with
the LGBTQ plus panel, but again, as

{{00:02:32}}
I mentioned, like allies, et cetera
and our Crowdtap members really

{{00:02:36}}
felt that type of question made the
brand feel a much more inclusive

{{00:02:40}}
brand and they wanted to hear all
voices, not just the voices of the

{{00:02:44}}
people that identify male, female.

{{00:02:51}}
There's a lot of products and brands
that really there is no difference

{{00:02:54}}
between purchasing behaviors,
needs and drivers based on gender.

{{00:02:59}}
So they've just kind of said we
don't need to segment, so we don't

{{00:03:01}}
even ask the question anymore.

{{00:03:03}}
Which I think is incredibly important.

{{00:03:04}}
I think surveys can often feel
laborious because there is 10 minutes

{{00:03:08}}
of demographics that no one uses.

{{00:03:10}}
So, I think first of all, should you
be including demographics at all?

{{00:03:15}}
If they're not relevant,
don't ask them.

{{00:03:17}}
And second, I think it's about
thinking about your brand as I'm

{{00:03:21}}
trying to be inclusive, and I want
to hear the voices of everybody.

{{00:03:25}}
And so again, as I mentioned, even
though somebody may identify as

{{00:03:29}}
female or may identify as male,
they want to ensure, or they

{{00:03:32}}
want to make sure they're giving
their feedback to a brand and

{{00:03:35}}
that brand is an inclusive brand.

{{00:03:37}}
Even just seeing the question
expanded beyond just male, female,

{{00:03:41}}
or beyond just ethnicity is a
really key marketing touchpoint.

{{00:03:49}}
I think we can all, unfortunately,
say the market research

{{00:03:53}}
industry is not diverse.

{{00:03:55}}
I've been in this industry for 20
plus years now and we struggle.

{{00:04:00}}
I've been in many conferences, many
rooms where the majority of folks

{{00:04:04}}
are Caucasian and the majority of
folks are male or female identifying.

{{00:04:10}}
And I think it's about
employing and growing the

{{00:04:14}}
right talent, the right people.

{{00:04:16}}
First of all, sometimes I will
read a survey that has been written

{{00:04:21}}
by a particular socioeconomic
group or a particular gender.

{{00:04:24}}
And we're like I think we're
missing a lot of topics or

{{00:04:30}}
attributes, for example.

{{00:04:31}}
So I think we need to attract more
diverse talent into our industry.

{{00:04:36}}
I think we need to grow
that talent as well.

{{00:04:39}}
I think people need to see on boards
of our companies that there is

{{00:04:43}}
a lot of diversity of ethnicity,
socioeconomic background, gender.

{{00:04:49}}
And I think that we have a
long way to go, I think, in

{{00:04:53}}
the market research industry.

{{00:04:54}}
So we at Suzy are not just really
looking for great talent, but

{{00:04:59}}
we are also very, we do the hard
work, but beyond our culture.

{{00:05:04}}
So recently we have had a lot
of company, all hands meetings

{{00:05:09}}
on demystifying diversity, where
we've had to do the hard work.

{{00:05:13}}
A culture at a company is built on
what you tolerate and what you don't

{{00:05:17}}
tolerate is incredibly important.

{{00:05:18}}
And so when we do that hard
work, I grow as a person and

{{00:05:22}}
it can be emotional at times.

{{00:05:23}}
I've definitely been on
some of those book clubs.

{{00:05:26}}
I've had to do a lot of soul-searching
and dig deep with myself.

{{00:05:30}}
And I think that's what makes Suzy
really special is that it's not

{{00:05:33}}
just about building a fun culture,
it's building a hardworking culture.

{{00:05:37}}
And yeah, we're all growing as people.

We have been the market
research for a very long time.

And we have kind of really just
made assumptions on marketing

Our client yesterday Fran Guzman,
from Kraft Heinz mentioned that

he himself select the Hispanic box
in a survey, as do his parents.

His parents are first generation
and he already said it.

The behaviors, attitudes,
purchasing behaviors, drivers,

And so I think we've really done
ourselves a disservice by assuming that

people can be kind of bucketed into
demographics and in the kind of the

And it's time to really
think about what are the

A parent is a parent, regardless
of their ethnicity or gender.

So we started noticing that,
particularly with Gen Z, when

the first question is please
select your gender, male, female,

respondents were really feeling like
it was not an inclusive question.

Though they themselves may have
identified as male or female,

they felt the question was
not inclusive, and actually x

So, we were concerned that not
including everybody meant that

we were excluding a lot of people
and we're assuming allies as well.

So we could go male, female, other,
we could go male, female, prefer

not to disclose, but actually
we decided to do some research.

We asked our own panel and we
had 10 different versions of

So we did our own research
basically, on our respondents.

And we found that the question that
was most inclusive for both our nat

rep panel and also our LGBTQ plus
panel, was male, female, other, and

So really give somebody the
option to identify the way

That question resonated not just with
the LGBTQ plus panel, but again, as

I mentioned, like allies, et cetera
and our Crowdtap members really

felt that type of question made the
brand feel a much more inclusive

brand and they wanted to hear all
voices, not just the voices of the

There's a lot of products and brands
that really there is no difference

between purchasing behaviors,
needs and drivers based on gender.

So they've just kind of said we
don't need to segment, so we don't

I think surveys can often feel
laborious because there is 10 minutes

So, I think first of all, should you
be including demographics at all?

And second, I think it's about
thinking about your brand as I'm

trying to be inclusive, and I want
to hear the voices of everybody.

And so again, as I mentioned, even
though somebody may identify as

female or may identify as male,
they want to ensure, or they

want to make sure they're giving
their feedback to a brand and

Even just seeing the question
expanded beyond just male, female,

or beyond just ethnicity is a
really key marketing touchpoint.

I think we can all, unfortunately,
say the market research

I've been in this industry for 20
plus years now and we struggle.

I've been in many conferences, many
rooms where the majority of folks

are Caucasian and the majority of
folks are male or female identifying.

And I think it's about
employing and growing the

First of all, sometimes I will
read a survey that has been written

by a particular socioeconomic
group or a particular gender.

And we're like I think we're
missing a lot of topics or

So I think we need to attract more
diverse talent into our industry.

I think we need to grow
that talent as well.

I think people need to see on boards
of our companies that there is

a lot of diversity of ethnicity,
socioeconomic background, gender.

And I think that we have a
long way to go, I think, in

So we at Suzy are not just really
looking for great talent, but

we are also very, we do the hard
work, but beyond our culture.

So recently we have had a lot
of company, all hands meetings

on demystifying diversity, where
we've had to do the hard work.

A culture at a company is built on
what you tolerate and what you don't

And so when we do that hard
work, I grow as a person and

I've definitely been on
some of those book clubs.

I've had to do a lot of soul-searching
and dig deep with myself.

And I think that's what makes Suzy
really special is that it's not

just about building a fun culture,
it's building a hardworking culture.

Best Practice

Can rethinking the way we ask customers to talk about themselves help companies acquire a better understanding of customer behaviour? Katie Gross believes that more inclusive market research can lead to a deeper understanding and more meaningful segmentation.

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Katie Gross

Chief customer officer

Half of Gen Zs believe that traditional gender roles and binary gender designations are outdated. In market research surveys, gender questions are one of the deciding factors in whether or not participants continue. Gross explains what to look out for beyond ethnicity or gender.

Beyond the binary

Many products and companies don't need to include demographics in their market research surveys for understanding their customer base better. Gross emphasises that if these questions aren't valuable, they shouldn't be asked at all.

Creating more inclusive surveys

The market research industry began to place a greater emphasis on diversity and inclusion. And, it's not only about who you hire; it's also about keeping them. Gross addresses her experience at developing an inclusive workplace culture in this part of her interview.