What does the MRS do anyway?

When you take on a new role, most people would agree that it’s a good idea to know what you are letting yourself in for. And, if nothing else, you should at least have a reasonable idea of what the organisation you are committing to actually does.

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I like to think that I’m a sensible sort of chap. So it came as a bit of a shock to me, on being given the great honour of chairing the MRS, that although I thought I understood what it does, it turns out that I don’t know the half of it.

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And I suspect that many other people in the sector feel the same. We have a general idea about the MRS and what it does, but we don’t know about some of the amazing work that the wonderful board and talented MRS team are doing.? So, since I’ve been in the post, I’ve been trying to educate myself and I’ve found out some pretty exciting stuff.

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Here’s my breakdown of some of the greatest things that the MRS actually does, for individual researchers and member companies, for the market research and insight sector and for the good of the general public and the wider world – four key benefits and five fabulous facts:

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Four benefits of joining the MRS

1. Gain professional recognition, with designation letters demonstrating that you abide by the MRS Code of Conduct, and ongoing proof of competence with the CPD programme.??
2. Connect and share ideas with events attracting both agency and client-side professionals, as well as making connections via the online Member Directory. There’s a place for everyone in the MRS from professional networks focussing on data analytics [Advanced Insights and Analytics Council] to the [Operations Network] and from #MRSPride to #MRSUnlimited (for those who are neuro diverse or living with a physical disability).
3. Improve your knowhow with free content such as the webinar series and MRS Delphi Group reports.
4. Stay relevant and build your career with specialist mentoring with a senior research expert, or regular updates with Research Live. If you’re recruiting there is a specialist jobsite. Membership also entitles you to discounts on almost all MRS products.

And five fabulous facts you might not know about the MRS

1. Every week, representatives of the MRS meet with representatives of the UK Government to protect and promote the benefits of the UK’s research sector. For example, in the run up to the election, Jane Frost, chief executive of the Market Research Society, has penned a letter to all major political parties to outline their responsibilities when conducting and using research.
2. MRS is the world’s leading qualifier and trainer. Every year it offers more than 100 training courses to help practitioners to develop their knowledge and skills.
3. MRS brings the sector together to lead change on standards and on societal issues such as inclusion and sustainability, with the development of the MRS Inclusion and MRS Climate Change Pledges.
4. MRS is the world’s leading research publisher with Research Live having huge footprints in the US, UK and India, as well as our academic journal, IJMR.
5. MRS has an unparalleled level of networks with reciprocal links to the US, Australia and Japan, representing the UK sector on ISO standards development and lobbying on behalf EU research societies in dealings with Brussels.

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If you’ve not taken the time to explore the MRS before, I can recommend it. The website is full of treasures such as links to the AMSR, past award case studies and even oral histories recorded by leading lights of the industry, past and present. I’m quite sure that I have only scratched the surface and that there are many more benefits, fabulous facts and treasures of the MRS to come. Why not join me in finding out?