If market research organizations are going to become more like consulting companies (providing value and added insight) and less like data collection companies, they must shed their inverted pyramid client service models in favour of true teams.

Not all firms work exactly like this but too many do. The basic idea that underlies client service in this model is that you have most of the work on a particular assignment being done by junior and intermediate people with the most senior person adding insights and handling the account (they are often also responsible for finding work and handling the client).

The pyramid is efficient but it is not going to meet today’s realities because it assumes that you simply want to develop project managers/ analysts into VPs (if they have the aptitude). There may be multiple people serving a client but it is not really a team approach because the members of the team do not really bring unique skills or insights into the client problem (junior members are just that).

Imagine an alternative… what would it look like?

Does your market research company have true teams? Do you see the benefit of a more collaborative, client focused approach?