Research Association New Zealand (RANZ) has rebranded its biennial awards event and opened entries to a more diverse range.
The new version of the awards event, now dubbed the RAE Awards (Research Association Effectiveness Awards), will for the first time include entries of not only research but also data and insights projects (it was previously only referred to as the Research Effectiveness Awards).
RANZ general manager Rob Bree says this move has been made to bring the research event in line with what is happening in the modern business context.
In the age of big data, analytics and insights can come from a broad range of sources and companies across New Zealand business are increasingly dabbling in numbers to determine the best course of action.
“To quote a presentation given at last year’s conference: ‘I want insights. I really don’t care where I get them. As long as I get them,'” says Bree. “This is increasingly the case and as clients and providers have access to ever-increasing volumes of data, the role of data is shifting from digging for nuggets of customer insights to using those insights to create real commercial advantage.
This shift is in line with the blurring of the lines happening throughout the industry. Whereas data and statistics were previously siloed to research companies, this is no longer the case.
In fact, every day, marketers are working closely with their online analytics teams to ensure that they achieve the best return on investment possible.
“Clients are seeking answers to a variety of ever-more challenging questions from an ever-expanding variety of sources these days,” says Bree.
“Consequently the ‘research’ industry has been evolving into a broader ‘professional insights’ industry. Research Association New Zealand needs to align itself with member and market needs to encompass a broader range of research, data and insights. Changes to the awards to create the Research Association Effectiveness Awards is really a response to the market paradigm.”
By extending the remit of the awards, the RANZ is opening the opportunity for marketers or business owners to have their data-based work recognised.
“Our intention is to make the RAE Awards open to a wider cross-section of the business, data insights and marketing community,” says Bree.
“We’re also keen for clients to enter under their own steam allowing them to demonstrate DIY research and methodologies as well as how they might be working with a number of different suppliers across a variety of disciplines.”
In addition to this change, RANZ has also launched three new awards categories: an international award for a New Zealand-based agency working with a client in the international market; a community advancement award for work conducted primarily for the greater good of the profession; and a sustained success award, which celebrates the success of ongoing research initiative over a period of at least three years.
“We feel these new categories will really open up further opportunities for non-traditional and more diverse entries, we encourage anyone involved with research, data and insights to visit our website to find out more and for the full list of award categories,” says Research Association Board member Horst Feldhaeuser.
The first edition of the revamped awards will occur at the Hilton Hotel on 2 September 2016.
