ESOMAR Council elections are getting closer and closer every day, and with a member-led organisation it’s important for those representing them in that council to truly represent them. There are a number of seats available this time around, with a myriad of new members standing for those seats, competing against currently-elected officials who are also standing for re-election. Members will be scrutinising everyone, including our very own Chief Executive Officer, Paul Hudson.
Paul has been in an ever-present and ever-innovating figure in the market research industry for over twenty years now. Through this he has amassed a wealth of experience and knowledge, all of which he has poured back into the industry both on his own and through FlexMR. Paul is looking to ramp up his efforts to give his all back to the industry through his ESOMAR candidacy.
In this latest casual conversation video, we have compiled a selection of Paul’s videos from social media, where he talks about his own experiences, his views on client needs, the disruption continually faced by the industry, the need to broaden your connections and more.
Technology has always disrupted the insights industry, forced change in the most unexpected ways and streamlined the way to wider, instant connection between anyone who has internet access. As such, technology has been a crucial catalyst for the evolution of research, and Paul has striven to change right alongside it, complementing technology with relevant business and research practices that deliver high-quality insights at the speed of business.
As Paul himself mentioned, he has always striven to be a catalyst for change. He is not just a researcher be trade, but “a businessman with commercial acumen” and that combined with his research background has given him a valuable space in the industry to create something truly wonderful: a research agency that doesn’t just provide a platform for research experiences, but also the expertise to create a beneficial partnership between researcher and stakeholder.
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| Paul Hudson, ESOMAR Council candidate for the 2023-24 term, seeks to be a catalyst for change - focusing on the impact of diverse talent, technology and commercial challenges. |
Through his wealth of experience and knowledge, Paul is best placed to help ESOMAR take their great strengths and traditions and build them to inspire and guide insight experts all around the globe. Through his impactful position bridging market research and business operations, Paul has learnt to value insights not only as a researcher through the creation of exciting insight generation processes and software (see: InsightHub and its supporting services), but also from a business perspective, Paul understands exactly how poignant insights can be in stakeholders’ decision-making processes through direct experience.
Practicing what he preaches, Paul himself uses insights on a daily basis from the FlexMR Client Advisory Board and wider business contexts to help steer the FlexMR brand towards success and guide the firm through the troubles of market research both generic and specific. The pandemic has been a crucial time for all businesses, but through insights Paul along with the senior management team were able to put together an efficient hybrid working strategy that will continue to evolve to make sure staff are maintaining important connection while also staying safe.
As a member-led organisation, ESOMAR also recognises the huge value in connection. Through hybrid working and the measures taken by all professionals to keep everyone safely connected, there is key opportunity for ESOMAR and the wider industry to learn from other research agencies, client-side teams and even trade bodies who are indirectly or not at all connected with the insights industry. There are key lessons to observe as all ways of working and networking are constantly evolving.
As a way to connect to other insight professionals and insight-adjacent experts, Paul seeks to widen the appeal of research industry and ESOMAR, by bringing customer experience, user experience, data analytics, and market research together as one network and voice to help inform better decisions. Because in the end, insight isn’t end result, it informs a decision or series of decisions.
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| The future of ESOMAR must be broader - recognising the full extent of the insight and data industries, including the role of CX, UX and Big Data. |
To find out more about Paul’s ESOMAR Candidacy and how to vote in the upcoming election, take a look at the ESOMAR webpage and Paul's announcement blog.
A Casual Conversation on... is a series of short, candid videos with the FlexMR leadership team that introduce the key offerings of the agency, our thinking and viewpoints on the future of market research and the insight industry. Throughout these videos, you'll hear direct from those involved in designing the InsightHub platform and the unique agency model that FlexMR operates.