FEATURE16 January 2018

Fostering inclusion in market research

x Sponsored content on Research Live and in Impact magazine is editorially independent.
Find out more about advertising and sponsorship.

B2B Features Trends UK

The Market Research Society and Lightspeed have surveyed those working in the sector to determine how diverse and inclusive it is. By Katie McQuater.

Diversity inclusion hands_crop

As brands attempt to engage with increasingly diverse consumer groups, it has never been more pressing for market research to understand that diversity. If it is to do this, the industry must have diversity in its own workforce, to ensure it accurately reflects the markets it serves.

The Market Research Society (MRS) recently commissioned a study to determine the current state of diversity and inclusion in the sector, and create a starting point for a course of action for the industry.

More than 500 market researchers were polled in the online survey, conducted in partnership with Lightspeed, which found that market research displays greater diversity in some areas than other comparable industries – but there is still cause for concern, particularly around inclusion. While the conditions for diversity may be in place in some areas, the survey showed that discrimination persists around gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, health and beliefs.

Jane Frost, chief executive of the MRS, says: “It is our responsibility ...