Why I Love MR: An Interview with Emily Trentacosta

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 Emily Trentacosta, Vice President of Strategy & Insights 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? 

EMILY: Like many of my colleagues, I took a circuitous path to market research. My love of understanding human motivation and behavior started with studying psychology. After interning as a counselor at a state prison with the goal of becoming an FBI profiler, I realized I needed to be a bit farther away from the action. While studying Social Psychology in grad school, I learned that I adore asking questions about people and doing research to answer them… but it turns out I am pretty impatient! I didn’t want to wait 6 months to get responses from 50 people. That’s what led me to leave academia and pursue a career in market research.

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

EMILY: I just can’t believe how unknown this field is! For how exciting and fun our work is, so few people have heard of it (there are people in my life who I’m pretty sure think I am a telemarketer).

Surprise! You’ve been given unlimited resources to study anything in the world. What does this passion project look like? What would you discover?

EMILY: OOH, don’t threaten me with a good time! I’d love to do a multi-phase study of how to optimize messaging to people worldwide about climate change with the goal of persuading people to take immediate action

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?

EMILY: It’s like making me pick my favorite child!! If I’m forced to pick one, I do really love Segmentation studies. They offer so much information (which I get to analyze in SPSS & Q!), I can fully nerd out picking the ideal solution, and I love to strengthen my creative muscles developing personas to bring the segments to life. And, it feels amazing to be able to give our clients a Typing Tool they’ll benefit from for years to come.

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?

EMILY: I’m excited about new ways we can connect with consumers and get deep into the ‘whys’ of their decision-making. At the root, that’s what we’re trying to understand, but the how of that is always evolving. I was inspired by a lot of the online qual techniques AMC came up with during the pandemic and now how we’re shifting approaches to be welcoming to Gen-Z consumers and hear their voices.  

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

EMILY: It is the perfect field for a curious, creative, detail-oriented, people-person. The best part is all of the like-minded people you’ll get to work with and learn from. I’ve met some of my closest friends in this field.

Thank you, Emily!

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