Author Archive: Ray Poynter
About Ray Poynter
Ray is the Director of Vision Critical University, the author of the Handbook of Online and Social Media Research and creator of NewMR.org. Ray has spent the last 34 years at the intersection of market research, innovation, and technology, and has spent the last 16 years focusing on online and more recently social media. Ray is in frequent demand as a workshop leader, conference speaker, writer of articles and blog posts, and as a thought leader, with regular appearances in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. If you want to know more about him, Google “Ray Poynter”, most of what you will see is him.Crowdsourcing: Utilizing The Power Of The Many In Research
Sunday, March 17, 2013, 10:46 am No CommentsAlthough there are some uses of crowdsourcing within market research, much of the most interesting work is being done in other fields, which opens up an exciting opportunity for market research to learn and adapt from successful models in other sectors. Continue reading
Should DIY Be A Dirty Little Word?
Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 6:45 am 2 CommentsThe pejorative tone that many people associate with DIY raises a few thoughts… Continue reading
The Influencer Myth
Wednesday, September 5, 2012, 6:51 am 4 CommentsThe problem with much of the research into influence is that it is based on the human tendency to see patterns, even if patterns do not exist. Continue reading
The Dangers Of Assuming The Status Quo Is Right
Tuesday, July 31, 2012, 7:47 am 8 CommentsResearch is on the edge of a revolution in the way it conducts its business. Key changes include: research communities, mobile devices, social media, and Big Data. Research needs to work out what these new strands can add to the mix, rather than trying to fit them to some hypothetical and outdated model of what research is and how it should be evaluated. Continue reading
We need more contrarians and curmudgeons!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012, 12:11 pm 6 CommentsConferences have become so specialized that only the faithful are likely to attend. Are we missing out on important debates? Continue reading
Choosing A Position: Navigating The Tightrope Of The Personal Brand
Monday, July 9, 2012, 6:44 am 5 CommentsAs somebody who is often lucky enough to speak at an event, interview somebody, or write a blog piece I am often asked about how I decide what position to take. Do I think I should be polemical, or constructive, or argumentative? I think the key thing is context, what is my role in the particular situation and what are my views about the topic. However, here are some general thoughts on what I tend to do instinctively. Continue reading
Are The Heavy Users Of #MRX #SM Ahead Of The Curve Or Just Talking To Themselves?
Friday, June 15, 2012, 7:33 am 10 CommentsAre the social media heavy users in #MRX ahead of the curve, creating reputations and gaining first mover advantage, or are they simply talking to each other? Perhaps they are simultaneously ignoring the mainstream and being ignored by the mainstream? Continue reading
VCU: A Labour of Love
Thursday, April 12, 2012, 5:32 am No CommentsThe role of heading up the development of VCU has been a labour of love. I massively enjoy exploring the boundaries of knowledge and seeking to share what I find. Now I am in the lucky position of being paid to indulge my love of gathering and sharing information. Continue reading
Is Market Research Ready for Big Data?
Tuesday, March 20, 2012, 6:35 am 4 CommentsBig Data is set to be the biggest disruptive change that market research has seen since the arrival of the telephone, maybe since the arrival of the computer. Continue reading
