Who should apply? 

Any in-house research or insight team which has had an exceptional year and whose work (including getting best value from external agency resources) during the 12 months up to 01 July 2010 has had a transformational impact on their organisation.

What will the judges be looking for?

• evidence of a body of research work which has genuinely affected an organisation’s strategy, orientation, business performance or focus
• practical demonstration that the research / insight team’s wider contribution to the organisation led directly to a stronger campaign, programme or way of working / delivering
• working and influencing across departments – to include marketing communications disciplines but also to go beyond them – to deliver tangible bottom-line results
• demonstration that the resources available / used – both internal and external agency support – have been well managed to deliver the best value and most relevant insight.
• innovative approaches focused on collaboration and mutual improvement

How to apply

Only email applications in the required format will be considered for this award.

• Download and complete the Word document Best In-house Research Team Entry and Submission Forms – these two forms will constitute your award application.
• Keep a copy of both forms for your records – including the Rules of Entry for this award.
• Send your two forms as attachments in an email with Best In-house Research Team Entry 2010 in the subject line to researchawards@mrs.org.uk.
• Your entry must reach us by 5 pm on Tuesday 27 July 2010.
• We will invoice you for the entry fee once your application has been processed. 

Submission Format

Basis of submission: 500 word (max) Statement supporting your case plus specific additional information.

You Statement should:

• include details of budgets and timings for the activity / activities or programme in question
• provide hard evidence of bottom-line business impact / transformation
• include, where possible, examples of how the team has made a real difference to your businesses, campaign or focus
• a clear indication of where and how the impact / transformation came about and its likely future impact on the business, product or service

In addition to your Statement you should specify:

• numbers employed within the team(split between executive and support staff)
• information about how the team is structured, how it operates within – and the size of – the wider marketing communications team and how it works / engages with the wider organisation / business and external agencies / consultants
• research budgets for the last two years (where possible)
• client name and contact
• you may also include anecdotal comment from the team, colleagues within the organisation (the more senior the better) and external organisations (agencies you work with or your customers).

Rules of entry – Best In-house Research Team

• All entries must be emailed using the relevant Word document Entry and Submission Forms, to reach MRS by 5pm on Tuesday 27 July 2010.   No extensions will be granted.
• Only in-house teams are eligible for this award – not research agencies.
• The work must have been undertaken in the 12 months running up to 01 July 2010.
• Your entry will be judged on the merits of the case you make on the Submission Form.
• You must nominate a primary contact on your Entry Form who will take overall responsibility for the entry.
• The primary contact must ensure that permission to enter the Awards is obtained from all parties involved in the submission.
• Entries must not overtly ‘sell’ any organisation. Company logos are acceptable.
• The judges’ decisions are final and the Panel will not enter into correspondence about them.
• Submission content will remain confidential to the Judging Panels and Research Magazine; specific permission to publish any information at a later date will always be sought from the entrants.

There is an entry fee for this award. You will be invoiced once your entry has been processed. Failure to pay by 01 September 2010 will cancel your application.

One ticket to the Research Awards Dinner in December will be allocated per shortlisted entry. Additional tickets can be purchased nearer the time at the standard advertised price.

Hints from the judging panel

We know there is some great work going on within client research teams but we’re looking for the very best.  Before you enter, please make sure that what you’ve done over the last 12 months really did have a major impact on or help to transform your organisation. Judges scrutinise these carefully and need to see the research / insight as the driver and not just a bystander in the process.  Demonstrate how the findings of the research led directly to the changes / impacts.  Comments from non-research colleagues – and even end-users, customers – will also play well here.