Brief intake, brief execution, repeat. That was what I thought agency work looked like. After all, my client-side days consisted of that exact rhythm of work with creative, PR, and research agencies.
Now, I find myself just over five months into my first research agency role at Upwords.
To sum up how it has been, I would say that my client-side self would be proud but also surprised by how much my understanding of agency-side researchers has changed.
Where My Understanding Began
Throughout my client-side experiences in CPG, start-up, and corporate retail marketing, I typically filled out briefs instead of receiving them. That very dynamic shaped my initial understanding of what research agencies did.
In my most recent client-side experience, I got glimpses into research supplier work through kick-off calls. Fortunately, I was part of a supportive internal research team that allowed me to take charge of certain steps in the research process. I was used to defining the scope of the research, and being the one providing the final ‘yes, approved’ or ‘no, let’s change this’.
Over time, I began to see research agencies as the ‘do-ers’ who delivered what was requested.
A Common Pitfall
My preconceptions of agency-side research connected to a similar idea from Insights on the Brink by Brett Townsend and Tim Hoskins. A pitfall discussed was how market researchers risked being valued primarily for execution, just there to conduct studies and deliver findings for clients.
In retrospect, I did not narrowly define the role of research agencies because I was a ‘bad client’. I simply did not know what I did not know. I saw value within what suppliers were requested to do, which, in fairness, has been an established and longstanding way I had always worked with research agencies.
I just did not realize everything agency researchers could contribute beyond what was written on paper.
Looking to the Other Side
A catalyst for my decision to move agency-side was conversations with colleagues who had agency experience. As I learned from their stories and career progressions, I was intrigued by the exposure to various industries and methodologies out there.
I started to question: What am I missing on the other side of the brief?
That very curiosity brought me to Upwords.
First Light-Bulb: From Supplier to Insight Partner
Joining Upwords has been nothing short of an eye-opening experience. My first light-bulb moment challenged what I believed about the value agency-side researchers can bring to clients.
In my first end-to-end project, I remember sitting at a long table in a boardroom with Bronwen and our clients. We came together for a strategic development meeting that followed our report delivery a few weeks earlier, a stage that I had not anticipated as a researcher nor experienced before as a client.
The Spark Moment
There was a specific moment during the meeting when we broke out into smaller groups, and the energy in the room buzzed with anticipation for the future of the business.
Ideas were bounced off each other, and everyone including me had the opportunity to share their thoughts and visions. Some of the participant perspectives I had gathered while moderating even informed the client’s planning. I felt the same rush of excitement and ownership that I had experienced as a client when providing direction during kick-off calls.
In that moment, I realized how Upwords collaborated with its clients differently from what I was used to. Bronwen and I were not just researchers or suppliers, but partners shaping decisions.
Valuable strategic partnerships could have been left on the table by boxing the role of agency researchers as just ‘do-ers’. In hindsight, my proximity to the consumer voice equipped me to provide unique perspectives to the client beyond the report itself. This approach to client-agency collaboration can unlock more impactful work and stronger, insight-driven strategies for both sides.
Second Light-Bulb: Versatility Is Part of a Researcher’s Value
Another light-bulb moment at Upwords impacted the way I envisioned my career in research.
Prior to joining, I was fixated on finding a niche in research, whether it be a product category, industry, or even a specific step like programming or report creation. I assumed that all researchers eventually needed to specialize in something to advance their career and become the best at what they do.
That was until Layla, Bronwen, Deborah, and Clare taught me the importance of strengthening skills across the entire research process, no matter the industry nor subject matter.
In the past few months, I’ve been a project manager, a discussion guide developer, programmer, participant manager, moderator, report builder, the list goes on.
My brain was doing a new HIIT workout circuit each project, with every new task flexing a different muscle in my thinking. Through it all, I learned to distinguish findings (the ‘what’) from actionable insights (the ‘why’ and ‘so what’), strengthening my storytelling. Gradually, I felt stronger and more confident to take on certain tasks by myself.
Abilities Evolving
Broadening my skillset taught me something invaluable: how different parts of a project affect one another. Managing participants changed the way I thought about screeners and research design; developing a guide changed the way I moderated and analyzed the findings; moderating changed the way I thought about the questions asked during fieldwork; analysis and reporting changed the way I thought about the outputs of future research.
My progress contrasted sharply with my initial assumption that diversification came at the expense of my career progression. In fact, being well-rounded made me a stronger researcher, with the ability to take on new challenges as they come.
Beyond the Brief
There is so much that can happen after a brief is submitted and a kick-off call ends.
My client-side experience taught me the fundamentals of how to ‘do’ research and think strategically, for which I am incredibly grateful to have started my journey there.
My first few months at Upwords showed me how much more researchers can do beyond execution.
Taking My Learnings Forward
Looking ahead, my light-bulb learnings will impact the way I approach my development as a researcher.
At Upwords, I foresee more opportunities to learn ways researchers can get involved strategically with clients through data. I find myself drawn to getting involved in conversations after reporting and envisioning how insights can come to life (perhaps a bit of my client-side self is shining through).
At this early stage in my career, I now also crave variety in my experiences. In research, I get exposure to a sandbox of different clients, industries, and methodologies. My team at Upwords granted me the opportunity to uncover tons of precious learnings, which would have remained buried if I had focused on narrowing my skills like before. There is value in specialization, yet I hope to explore new experiences rather than avoid them.
Final Takeaway
On a final note, this reflection reminds me of a particular guiding principle at Upwords, which coincidentally summarizes my journey perfectly: To “challenge assumptions and the status quo and seek to see things from different perspectives and mindsets.”
Applying that very principle to my career will continue to reveal how much more an agency researcher can do beyond the brief.