There are two ways to initiate a marketing research project: either a company figures out that it has a marketing question that requires research and therefore solicits help from a research firm, or a company has no idea they have a problem and it is up to the account executive to show them that they need help anyway. In either case, the result is the same. The account executive is responsible for compiling a bid.
The account executive meets with the potential client, either in person or over the phone, and discusses the marketing problem, complexity of the research needed, budgetary constraints, and deadlines. Armed with this information, the account executive, with whatever help s necessary from the statistical wizards back at the office, draws up a proposal that fits within the parameters established. The bid consists of a statement of the marketing problem, goals of the research, methodology, questions that will be answered by the research, the form of the presentation of the results, and (last but certainly not least, and sometimes most important) the cost of the research broken down showing the different steps of the project. The proposal must accomplish three things: get the account, spell out the contract, and generate a profit for the firm.
When the account is landed, the account executive's responsibilities change. No longer is the account executive the sole contributor, but rather is an overseer of the work done by the rest of the firm. Taking into consideration the client's deadline, all the components of the project are scheduled and coordinated. The scheduling is not just a matter of outlining what should be done and when. Within the marketing research organization, there are a fixed number of resource personnel (coding, interviewing, analysis, data compilation, and so forth), whose time must be allocated among all the projects throughout the entire firm. The schedule designed by the account executive must take into consideration the availability of these resources.
After the schedule is completed, the account executive sees that the project is properly executed, but is normally not involved with the actual performance of the research; that is the responsibility of the project director. (However, in small firms, the account executive and project director are likely to be the same person.) Some of the activities that must be performed are sample and questionnaire design, tabulation design, pretesting, interviewing, and data analysis. Depending upon the current workload, the account executive may assist in or actually complete any of the steps above. During the completion of the research, the account executive is charged with "putting out fires" to keep things on schedule, and this can be a source of headaches, especially since the account executive does not have direct authority over the various functional departments of the firm. Therefore, it is crucial during the execution stages of the research for the account executive to be able to rely on good working relationships with the folks who actually get the work done on a continuing basis. ["Hi, Mabel! Oh, nothing much. Just stopped in to say hello and to buy you a cup of coffee.... ")
When the research is completed, the account executive is responsible for reviewing, analyzing, and applying the data to the original research questions. The account executive is also responsible for presenting the results to the client in written report form or, if necessary, via a personal presentation. Whether it be a written report or an oral presentation (Vulcan mind probe), here is the moment of truth. It doesn't matter how much or how little work was done, only the results carry any weight. If the client doesn't think they are valuable, grin and bear it. If the client is satisfied with the quality of information, the account executive is the star of the hour.
When not involved in overseeing a research project in, this requires visiting past clients to maintain a good relationship with them, finding out if there are any upcoming projects, or calling on new prospects to plant the firm's name with them. Depending on the size of the account executive's territory and account load, this often requires a good deal of travel.
The account executive in marketing research is essentially a consultant who does not actually perform the research tasks, but takes the responsibility for their completion in the most efficient and appropriate manner possible. The variety of clients and research questions keeps boredom out of this job, and the amount of money to be made in research keeps successful account executives smiling through even the most rigorous assignments (all the way to the data bank).
Q - Why did you choose marketing research as a career?
A - After graduate work in advertising I started as an assistant project director, which is an introductory position for people interested in project management. I had been here about three years when I felt that I had learned practically all I could learn as far as directing projects. I was interested in being able to influence the design of the research- what methods should be used, what sampling procedures should be recommended, things like that. I decided to try a little different role in research, so I went into client services.
I was in a graduate program in advertising, management, and marketing, and in the second year of the program I became involved in a project for a division in my university. I put together, conducted, and analyzed the market for certain technical publications; this work turned into a thesis, which finally led me into marketing research. In the course of that project, I had become involved in a lot of different aspects of research, and when I finished my master's degree, that was what I decided to pursue. What had interested me at that time, and what continues to interest me now, is sitting down with a client, talking about his or her company's objectives, and designing some sort of program to carry out those objectives? It comes down to problem solving.
