This post was mentioned on Twitter by mlmamo: Interesting thoughts to ponder on the future of the #MR industry – MR in 2020 #http://bit.ly/dtmxpZ…

- Since this post I’ve had a LOT of emails about “data, sub-contractors taking over” (it’s interesting how threatened some MR people are by such an idea!) but the core scenario in my post was about how various kinds of unlikely firms who currently supply information to MR agencies and clients could expand – this could well include consultancy firms as you mention, but also software/DB and other information amalgamation orientated outfits. Your point about Google et al is important in this regard.
- I think some neuroscience and social media agencies may well expand rapidly in the next few years and some of their owners will do very well indeed – but the most successful will be bought out by traditional agencies and the emerging types of new players.
- My guess is that the changes happening will make the underlying RESEARCH skill sets of MR still highly relevant: analytical skills, information synthesis, data-based consulting etc. So while the methods may change, and MR people may work in lot of different places (not just agencies and research departments), I think there will still be lots of people who will be pleased to class themselves as “market researchers”.

Anyway, it will be an interesting decade!