On the 18th October, two of our enthusiastic team members led a one-day training workshop in association with BHBIA on ‘Bringing Insights to Life’. Held in London, we brought together pharma industry professionals in a split day session: tackling qualitative projects in the morning, and quantitative in the afternoon, Cathy and Tessa practised what they preached and shed some light on how we make sure market research presentations are impactful, live beyond the debrief and have actionable and exciting outcomes. In our blog post, Tessa runs through the day and lessons learnt along the way! In a quick poll conducted prior to our session, the average market research presentation was rated by some of our clients as 6/10 in terms of ‘excitement’. We know that we can do better than this as an industry and we hope that we’re taking steps to ensure that in our privileged position (as often the only touch point between a pharmaceutical company and their customers and patients), we can effectively excite audiences to engage with market research findings – and ultimately ensure they live on within the business. Our BHBIA ‘Bringing Insights to Life’ workshop aimed to tackle this slightly limp score head on, to discuss and debate what made a presentation impactful and to inspire attendees to implement simple tips and tricks to improve the end result! The day itself was full to the brim with activities: break out tasks, Vox-pop clips from clients, a quiz, two walk the walls sessions and even a Terry’s chocolate orange… here we have summarised some of the most interesting outcomes from the session! What did we teach and what did we learn along the way? Quantitative and Qualitative: Two sides of the same coin: Our workshop covered both types of methodology in distinct sessions across the day. Although they often seem like chalk and cheese, they are not mutually exclusive elements and a lot of learnings in how to create an impactful presentation can be carried across and tweaked across disciplines. An infographic can be as beneficial in a qualitative study as it is quantitative, and the impact of verbatim from open ended questions can often engage an audience as much as that from an IDI. Don’t be afraid to collaborate: Whilst largely in the domain of the researchers, involvement from both sides (client and agency) can hugely impact and shape your final outcomes. For quantitative research, this can mean some hypothesis development and testing at the start, or some ‘teasers’ before the debrief to engage the wider audience and get them thinking and ultimately predicting expected outcomes. Our minds are busy environments: We took our trainees through the key elements to successfully impact audiences, infiltrate the ‘noise’ of their environment, and motivate them to take action following on from the research insights. By building on the concept of Sticky Ideas (rooted in empirical evidence and understanding), we built upon Chip and Dan Heath’s SUCCESs factors to look at how we can ensure our audience remember what we want them to. By combining elements such as Simplicity, Credibility and Unexpected elements, we brainstormed and developed a strategy on creating stories for our debriefs that engage, excite and ultimately impact our audiences! At HRW, we provide a great ‘lunch and learn’ session on Sticky Ideas, so if you want to find out what a batman toothbrush, the muller rice bear, “Bubbas” and the great wall of China have in common… just get in touch! What do you need to think about the next time you’re involved in a market research debrief? Who are your audience, and ultimately how can you engage them in advance of the session to ensure they arrive focussed and involved in the outcomes? What is your story? What is your core and how can you communicate this in a concise and easily understandable way (without simply wordsmithing or simplifying things)? Where would you like, or anticipate these results to be used? Do you need to include some postcards with key take home messages, or is an infographic more appropriate? Will a dashboard add value or will real patient audio clips engage your audience in the best way possible? By considering the “who, what and where”, you can actively move away from the more traditional debrief presentation and ultimately avoid the dreaded death by PowerPoint. A final top tip: When you’re planning an exciting and immersive day, make sure the venue and equipment play ball! It’s easy to get carried away with creativity, but an eye on the practical is always wise… So, remember, planning is key when you’re aiming to make an impactful and insightful presentation – you don’t want your audience paying attention to the wrong things! There is only one thing left to say, we had a fantastic collaborative session with agency and pharma delegates who all shared a passion for bringing insights to life! To find out more and to book your ‘lunch and learn’ session, get in touch. By Tessa Brayford Apply Now!