Top 5 takeaways from the 2019 Corporate Researchers Conference (CRC)

It’s been a week and CRC Orlando already feels like a blur. There were so many great sessions, great people, and great conversations. We left feeling inspired and recharged—ironic given the sleep deprivation. 🤷‍♂️😂 

We also took home the Outstanding Disruptive Start-up award which added an extra layer of excitement for the Rival team! 🎉

If you didn’t manage to make it to CRC Orlando this year (or you did and had an entirely different experience), here are a few key takeaways that we’ll be bringing back to the office with us.

There were a variety of company sizes represented at CRC this year. But one theme that stood out for larger companies was Jennifer Reece (Microsoft) and Jon Brand (GFK)’s session on messaging/advertising optimization through unlocking your brand ecosystem; or the relationship between the consumer, your master brand and product brands. Investing in ecosystem analysis can provide insights into consistent messaging that optimizes impact not only for individual brands, but for an entire company.  

Maintaining fan interest in sports and identifying new opportunities when the market is flooded with entertainment is a challenge faced  by sports insights professionals alike.

Collin Leirvik (LRWGreenberg) and Renata Policicio (ESPN) spoke on the 5 elements reporters need to include in every story to create and maintain a fan base: relatability, provocative, humor, substantive, conversational. They base this off a holistic approach to qualitative and quantitative methods combined with advanced analytics. Marketing teams should pay attention to this mix too: getting it right translates to interest, hype, fan loyalty and ultimately more bums (and wallets) filling those empty stadium seats.

The Canucks have been using Rival’s Chat Lab technology to connect with fans in real time during hockey games with a tremendous 50-70% response rate.

Another great message on fan loyalty came from Brad Pennefather from Canucks Sports & Entertainment. The Canucks have been using Rival’s Chat Lab technology to connect with fans in real time during hockey games with a tremendous 50-70% response rate. The actionable insights gained from fans help create a better fan experience. And happy fans = repeat customers. 👍

A sub-theme from storytelling in sports emerged which can be useful for all organizations struggling to reach the elusive Gen Z consumer. According to Leirvik and Policicio, provocative content is seven times more effective for the Gen Z consumer. However, with social responsibility being a popular cause amongst this group, it’s important to not dance the fine line between provocative and offensive. 😳

Provocative content is seven times more effective for the Gen Z consumer

We find connecting with younger audiences a challenge for most of our customers because of the medium as well. Well-written content can still be blocked from reaching your audience if it’s in the wrong channel. Classic example - Gen Zs aren't on emails! So if you want to connect with them, you have to go to where they are, like Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.   

This theme was discussed at length by Matt Gregg (Congara brands). Gregg says your consumer needs a seat at the table early on in the process. But current research relies on what consumers say, not necessarily what their actual behavior portrays. To crack this, data analytics offers unprecedented insight into real behaviours, values and beliefs, and that insights professionals should be leverage new techniques and technology to do that.

*Fun company tie in* - We do that! Rival’s platform Chat Lab engages consumers stream-of-consciousness insights via selfie videos and real-time chat, rather than long, rigid surveys that rely on recall. We think we’ve created a pretty cool tool to pull richer deeper insights from consumers, perhaps you could be the judge of that. 😀

5. Fill gaps with your passionate loyalists 

Another great, universal theme pulled from a chat on men’s fashion. Teresa Schneider and Sven Raphael Schneider from Gentleman’s Gazette spoke on how they grew their men’s apparel brand in a society where people spend more on tech than they do on clothes. What we can all takeaway from their session is that apart from providing a product that people wanted, they leveraged Instagram and other media to provide something universally craved by all people — a sense of community and belonging. There’s power in owning your marketing, in claiming a radical brand identity. Doing so taps into the ultimate success: long term customers and brand advocates. 🙌