Why I Love MR: An Interview with Amelia Gulding

Welcome to our "Why I Love MR" Q&A Series! We have talked with both internal AMC Staff and some of our clients, so keep an eye out for fun interviews coming up exploring all the reasons why those of us who work in market research are so passionate about what we do! Interested in being interviewed and sharing why YOU love MR? Reach out to us.

Here we get a chance to know Amelia Gulding, Project Director here at AMC Global, a little bit better...

A lot of little kids want to be astronauts, firefighters, or doctors when they grow up. Few five year olds would tell you, “When I get older, I want to be a market researcher!” How did you first get involved in market research, and what drew you to it? 

AMELIA: I’ve always loved research. When I first started taking statistics classes, I became fascinated with researching public opinion and polling. In college, I had the opportunity to work alongside a few marketing professors assisting with different research studies on consumer opinion, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. 

Market research studies come in all shapes and sizes, from quick claims and message tests, to large and complex conjoint analysis, to getting your feet on the ground with in-depth qualitative interviews. What’s your favorite methodology or research approach? ?

AMELIA: I love researching new product launches through AMC’s Purchaser-Follow Up methodology. It’s fun learning about the different products that are new to market or coming to market, especially when there’s an element of controversy as to how a product is being received.
 
I also enjoy working on attitudinal studies, focused less on specific products and more on how consumers think about topics or categories more generally. It’s interesting in its own right to have my preconceived notions about how people think flipped on their head or have the data to back up things that I’ve always assumed. 

What has surprised you most about working in market research and insights?

AMELIA: This is a very hard question 😊 I’m interested in different online subcultures and communities, how we communicate and interact with each other online, and how that ultimately impacts socialization and identity formation. Does the internet bring us closer together or drive us further apart? I would love to research something along those lines.

What do you feel are hot topics and cutting-edge innovations in the market research field today? How do you feel this will shape the future of insights careers?

AMELIA: There’s been a trend of people, particularly younger consumers, taking social or political advocacy into consideration when making purchasers. It will be interesting to see if this is something companies will pay closer attention to and increasingly incorporate into their products and messaging.
 
There’s also no avoiding the impact AI will have on market research. There are certainly ways researchers can leverage AI, but it’s also exposed certain susceptibilities, and I think it’s still undetermined as to how exactly the industry will adapt.

What would you tell someone who is considering a career in market research? 

AMELIA: Every day is a little bit different. Market research can look different depending on the study, topic, category, or product you’re working on. It feels like you’re never quite doing the same thing twice. 

Thank you, Amelia!

Why do YOU love market research? Let us know, and maybe you can be our next guest in this series!