Why I Love MR: An Interview with Lyu Kolarova-Allen

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 Lyuboslava Kolarova-Allen, Senior Research Manager 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? 

LYU: Market research kind of fell into my lap as I was finishing up my graduate degree in Experimental Psychology. I loved doing research, so I was considering staying on the academia track until I was introduced to market research as a career option by a former student who had made the switch to doing research with consumer goods. Once I realized what MR actually was, there was no looking back. I was fascinated by its fast pace and wide variety of research opportunities. The biggest draw was that it allowed me to have the best of both worlds – continuing to do research but also being able to see its immediate impact and insights translating into action in real time, with real products (which was a big difference from academic research). 

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? ?

LYU: Qualitative research is where I really thrive – again coming from a psych background I love to dig deep into consumers behavior and qual interviews are the perfect place for that as I can really get the full picture by hearing the consumer’s voice. I also love the fluidity of it where you can probe and pivot on the spot to follow different threads and let the consumer lead where the story goes. I also enjoy foundational research like A&U studies and segmentations where you gain a comprehensive understanding of a category, or brand, or type of consumers. While segmentations can be challenging and overwhelming, there’s something really rewarding about the whole process – from exploring different segment solutions to then taking all the pieces of data and making them come to live into different personas.

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

LYU: Maybe something about food and nutrition. In the past years I have become more focused on what goes into our bodies, so I would be interested in exploring the foods we eat in those early years as babies/children and how they shape things like our gut, immune system, food preferences, etc. I would love to be able to do that across different parts of the world.

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

LYU: Coming from a psychology background I knew research design and analytical skills would be relevant, but I have been pleasantly surprised to see how helpful and applicable my knowledge about human psyche has been in connecting the dots and uncovering the ‘whys’ behind consumers behavior.

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?

LYU: AI of course – it has changed the market research field tremendously already. Artificial intelligence is a great resource that can be used to supplement our skills and boost efficiency (e.g., automation, access to a wealth of information, etc.) But I don’t think it should or can replace the human thought process and creativity that goes into pulling a compelling story together based the data. This part I feel is an art.

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

LYU: I would tell them – go for it if you are interested in working in a fast-paced and always evolving field, where attention to detail and critical thinking are key. If you are looking for something that is more routinized and gets easier the more you do it, this is not the field for you! Market research career will keep you on your toes and you will never stop learning or doing new things.

Thank you, Lyu!

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