Ups and downs – Rachael Fraser

The best advice I’ve had is… two complementary tips I received at the start of my career, which have proved to be excellent. First, “Think first, chart later.” We need to know the implications before we write the story. It sounds obvious, but so often I have seen people blindly charting data as soon as the results come in. Second, “Ask ‘so what?’ to every slide you present. If you can’t answer it, don’t show it.” If we stick to those principles with the commercial objectives as our guiding light, the power of the story will never be lost.

…and the worst advice I’ve had is “Make sure you remember all the advice you’ve been given along the way.” I prefer to forget the bad advice so I have more room for remembering the good.

A campaign that grabbed me recently is… the new John Lewis ‘Never knowingly undersold’ campaign. It has proved a bit like Marmite - some have waxed lyrical about it while others have described it as over-sentimental. Regardless of your opinion, you can’t deny that it has caught people’s attention and got them talking about the brand. For the record, I think it’s a brilliant piece of emotional advertising. It works so well because John Lewis has really understood their target consumer and linked the story beautifully with the brand. It’s moving, uplifting, wistful, poignant and inspiring all at the same time and could probably only really work for John Lewis. It is both powerful and perfectly targeted.

…and a campaign that needed more research is the Volvic 14 Day Challenge campaign. The concept of ‘drink more water’ feels like old news and on top of that, it’s delivered in an unconvincing way - would anyone ever really say they fancy ‘a cheeky Volvic’? If it does anything, it serves to remind me to drink a bit more water from the water cooler at work.

One thing this industry could use more of is… integration. Insight can be found in a growing numbers of places and ways. We need to excel at joining the dots because, more often than not, the sum of the parts provides the most illuminating picture. The skill for researchers is to understand the complexity of this vast amount of information and filter the implications with clarity.

…and one thing this industry could use less of is navel-gazing. We need to look beyond market research to find inspiration for ways we can make our own industry better. I’ve spent time clientside dealing with a wide range of different people and agencies and have also worked for a brand and innovation consultancy. Both experiences have given me exposure to different ideas and approaches and shown me how enlightening it can be to look beyond your own back door.

One thing I hope to do is… help to dispel some of the stereotypes around quantitative research and prove that it can be both creative and inspiring. There is no denying that the biggest advantage of quant is the certainty it provides. If this is combined with creative flair in how you design and deliver it, quant can become both powerful and engaging.

…and one thing I wish I hadn’t done is spill an extra-large cup of tea down my new boss’s blouse about six months into my career. We were on a train heading to a high-profile pitch, and things were going well until the train hit a bump and I spilled tea all down her front. On arrival, we just had time to buy a new shirt before going into the pitch. As a grad, I was mortified, and thought my career was probably over.

If I hadn’t become a researcher… I would have been a newsreader, as I love to know what’s going on, I love presenting and I’ve always wanted to be on TV.

…on the other hand if I hadn’t become a researcher I wouldn’t have an in-depth knowledge of random subjects such as sore throats, champagne, liquid petroleum gas and Mexican food. The variety I get in my job is amazing, and while some subjects are more glamorous than others I love the fact that you can immerse yourself in different worlds.