Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd has mandated the recently BSE-SME listed Majestic Research Services and Solution Ltd to conduct customer satisfaction survey at all its locations across all seasons.
During the survey the Majestic Research enumerators are going to interview more than 10,000 guests spread across 69 properties owned by MPTDC Ltd as per the survey mandate.
Expressing pleasure at being shortlisted and selected to undertake the survey, Raj Sharma, Chairman- MRSS said, “In the last couple of years, in conjunction with FICCI, we have launched several reports viz. UPTM 2016, GITB 2016 and MICE 2016 establishing ourselves in the ‘Tourism’ space. The MP Tourism study is a step forward in that direction and should trigger a number of similar projects in the coming few quarters.â€
As per the tender norms by MP Tourism, the study would evaluate the satisfaction levels of guests at the units with their demographic profile owned by it or directly under its governance within a four month time frame.
Independent market research agency MRSS India has added social research practice in its list of services and also announces the appointment of Dr Srikant Patel as Head of Social Research Practice.
Dr Patel has a career spanning over 17 years in research. He joins MRSS India from IMRB International where he was a Group Business Director.
Said Raj Sharma, Chairman, MRSS India, commented on the appointment: “From the time MRSS has got success in the B3G space, we have been eyeing the ‘Social Market Research’ space. We could have either acquired a specialist firm OR a specialist leader and we went for the latter. We strongly believe that this step will result in significant revenues for us in the coming years.â€
Added Dr Patel said “The market size of social research business in India is about INR 2 Billion and we would offer services in the following sectors: Education; Gender; Health and Nutrition; Poverty; Water and Sanitation; Rural Development; Livelihood; Citizen Survey and Report Card; Natural Resource Management; Climate Change. The Social Research Practice of MRSS India is poised with more humane elements, giving equal importance to the head as well as the heart.â€
MRSS India, an independent market research agency, has announced its association with Sanjeev Kotnala as Media Mentor.
Kotnala has a vast experience of over 28 years in brand marketing, management and advertising. He was previously associated with companies such as, Dainik Bhaskar Group, Mudra, HTA, and Lintas. He is also the Founder of Intradia World, a brand and marketing advisory, training and facilitation unit.  He also writes a weekly column for MxMIndia.
In his association, Kotnala will be mentoring MRSS on its media initiatives. He will continue to focus on his work at Intradia.
Commenting on the association, Raj Sharma, Chairman – MRSS India said: “We strongly believe that media is a key arena for Market Research and Sanjeev with his knowledge and experience will be instrumental in MRSS joining hands with Media Houses and Brands in Print, Radio, Television and Digital. We hope to soon announce interesting properties in conjunction with established players.â€
Commented Kotnala: “This is interesting opportunity and experiment. I share the optimism, enthusiasm and passion of the MRSS India team. Collectively, we see possibilities for specific audience-related properties and association with media brands. I appreciate the open approach of MRSS and its willingness to experiment. I do think that we will have something really good coming out of this association.â€
MRSS India Ltd. has been selected by CureFit Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. as its research partner for its strategic market research requirements. CureFit is a healthcare and fitness start-up launched by former Flipkart executives Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori. The company has recently raised $15 million through Series A funding.
The research by MRSS India would aim to help CureFit fine-tune their business concept while also providing detailed insights to aid in the business launch, scheduled for 2017, through multiple research surveys involving consumers and various healthcare sector professionals. The contract will be year-long with research covering markets across India, and would mark the first in a series of contracts expected to be signed with the company.
Raj Sharma
Speaking about the recent partnership, Raj Sharma, Chairman, MRSS India said, “Healthcare is a buzzing and promising sector for start-ups right now and we are delighted to partner with CureFit. This project has given MRSS India an opportunity to work with 2 very renowned and seasoned entrepreneurs and be a part of their exciting journey right from inception.â€
The Market Research Society of India (MRSI) held its 28th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at MCA, Mumbai on June 17. The key plans that were announced in the meeting were:
:: The development of a new socio-economic classification framework was announced
:: A meeting of buyers and sellers for MRSI members to be held in July to facilitate data and analytics related technology providers to pitch their products and services to them
:: Raj Sharma was appointed as the media spokesperson of the society
Speaking at the press conference, Sanjoy Datta, President, MRSI, said “Last few years has seen a rapid change in the way people buy products and services and how they get information about brands. In this context, it is important to ensure that there is an up to date classification system which will allow brand owners to target their consumers more accurately.â€
MRSI is a 28-year-old body which has been helping big organisations in their market research but the awareness about the work they do is very dismal. “People still have no idea about market research†was a concern that was voiced in the press meet. So, that was a major reason for appointing a media representative. They hope that this step would help people in knowing about market research and the work that MRSI does.
“Media today plays a very important role in shaping opinions in the society and hence to ensure that market research as a profession is viewed in the correct light, it is important to have a clear communication channel with the media. Raj Sharma has considerable experience bothas researcher and in interacting with the media and is therefore an ideal person for this role,†Datta added about the new appointment.
MRSS India announced its strategic partnership with Wakoopa, an Amsterdam-based company specializing in behavioral data. This business alliance marks the launch of Wakoopa Hub in India, a new behavioral data marketplace.
Wakoopa Hub provides behavioral data to market researchers through a global network of panel companies that have implemented Wakoopa technologies into their panel. This marketplace broadens industry access to behavioral data while simplifying the purchase process and driving economies of scale.
Under this partnership, MRSS India can now offer digital behavior data from PC or mobile devices helping clients capture a 360 degree view of their specific target audience’s digital journeys. Clients can use this to build digital profiles of their consumer segments, or understand the path to purchase with richer insights than what can be provided from survey research alone.
Raj Sharma, Chairman, MRSS India said, “We are excited to tie-up with Wakoopa to bring passive metering technology in India. This strategic tie-up gives brand owners and researchers an access to the ability to decode the digital consumer across the world. It’s a huge boost to our recruitment expertise to work with best in class technology.â€
Simon van Duivenvoorde, Managing Director of Wakoopa said, “This is an exciting step for market research. By connecting supply and demand in the market for behavioral data, Wakoopa Hub lowers the barriers to conduct behavioral data fuelled studies. We look forward to continuing the journey of driving adoption of behavioral data as a standard element in market research.â€
Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, Pune hosted the Research Clairvoyance on January 24, 2016 as a part of the “Inspire Series†which is a series of events and lectures to commemorate 25 years of the Institute. The theme, “Transforming the world through Collaboration†stresses on the evolution of the research industry as a result of widening horizons, new technological innovations and focus on effective and time-saving methods of research through collaboration.
Preeti Reddy
The speakers comprised of eminent market research professionals, namely, Preeti Reddy (President & CEO at IMRB International), Shobha Prasad (Director at Drishti Strategic Research Services Pvt. Ltd) and Raj Sharma (Co-Founder and President, Majestic MRSS). These renowned gurus spoke about the need to walk the fine line with neurological measurements, which has revolutionized the way research is conducted and disseminated in the digital age, along with talent acquisition.
The keynote speaker, Preeti Reddy kick started the event by addressing the dramatic change that the market research industry has witnessed. With the creation of new cohorts, new touch points have also emerged. She expounded that this can be attributed to the growing pervasiveness of digital technologies, which allows us to connect and synthesise data through collaboration, leading to a shift in the way research is being undertaken. She continued to explain that technology allows us to ameliorate from a sample to census, leveraging behavioral data more than ever, which leads to collaboration of disparate sources of data. Thereby, the role of research will be to bring the “Whys to the Whats†to analyse consumer behaviour patterns. Addressing the industry changes, she has identified trends such as social listening analytics, processing behavior data in motion, movement away from direct questioning to implicit understanding and data scientists becoming the new insights experts. As a result, it is inevitable for research agencies to be multi disciplinary.
Continuing the discussion on changing trends, Shobha Prasad spoke about the blurring boundaries within qualitative research, stressing on the fact that co-creation can lead to richer insights and a more meaningful dialogue between the marketers and consumers. She further explained, “It allows us to reach them better and get real time insights to gauge their thoughts and emotions.†She opined that brands today are seeking methods to discern customers better and have an in-depth  understanding and experience with them. She espoused, “Marketing has become one on one, so you need to have a deeper human understanding of that one person.†In conclusion, she believes that brands have realised the importance of being flexible and try and engage individual consumers through storytelling.
Raj Sharma
Talking about ‘Revolutionizing the way research is conducted and disseminated in the digital age,’ Raj Sharma stated, “We’ve moved to implicit research.†He explained that the research methodology being employed has changed exponentially and there exists a possibility of all stakeholders becoming active participants. Further, he elucidated that platforms like mobile applications are being exploited to undertake usability research. Eye trackers, access panels and perception analysers are being put incorporated in research, along with methods like neuromarketing, sensory panels and facial decoding to gauge the most accurate feedback from the consumers.
Shobha Prasad emphasized on the ease of training business graduates to understand consumer psychology rather than going about it the other way round. On being asked about the attributes of aspiring researchers, Preeti Reddy suggested that aspirants must be more curious about consumers and their motivations. They should be open to solving problems and seeking solutions.
The Research Clairvoyance was insightful and gave the students a new perspective into the world of research and the changing dynamics within it. “We have experienced an introductory level of research till now, but the experts have shed light on real time industry exposure. It also gave us an overview of the various innovative tools available for carrying out processes,†said Nupur Kedia, a first year Media Management Student at SIMC.
Independent market research agency MRSS India has added social research practice in its list of services and also announces the appointment of Dr Srikant Patel as Head of Social Research Practice.
