MRS Awards

Winners:
Gallup, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition for ‘The Global Diet Quality Project’

Channel 4 and Clear Channel in partnership with Backlight and The Good Side for ‘Black Owned Businesses: The UK’s Untapped Business Potential’

Since founding Taylor Nelson Sofrès in 1965, Dr Liz Nelson OBE has been passionate about championing the power of research and insight outside the commercial sphere. The Liz Nelson Grand Prix for Social Impact was created to cement that ethos in the programme.

This year there was such a diversity of winning entries the judges have decided to award two Liz Nelson Grand Prix for social impact to two very different projects.

The judges thought that Gallup, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition demonstrated the power of evidence to make changes across geographies and for diverse projects and were impressed with the decision to make the research openly available and the commitment to its wide dissemination. They thought the project demonstrated immediate impact and had considerable future potential.

The research from Channel 4 and Clear Channel in partnership with Backlight and The Good Side demonstrated how research could have immediate impact by creating practical benefits in the development of programmes to improve participation in business ownership.

Sponsor:

Winner:
University of Oxford

The University of Oxford conducted a study to understand the proneness to extreme violence amongst online users. This Research develops a novel method of assessing the risk that online users will engage in acts of violent extremism based on linguistic markers detectable in terrorist manifestos. It involved comparative NLP analysis across 15 manifestos from violent to moderate political stances.

The work confirmed the identification of linguistic markers for groups prone to acts of violent extremism. The assessment framework may prove useful to police and security professionals in helping assess the risk that online users will engage in offline violence.

Finalists:

Colombe Ladreit, Bocconi University

The Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research (I-SPHERE) (Heriot-Watt University) and GISS (Bremen)

University of Essex, iCARP and the National Institute for Health and Care Research

Winner:
MTM

This award is one of the most prestigious and hotly contested of the night. It seeks to recognise agencies which have produced innovative research, excelled financially and cultivated an inclusive, supportive workplace culture, all while flying the flag for the research sector. This year, the competition was fierce, as was the judges’ debate. Ultimately, the agency which came out on top was MTM, who are crowned Agency of the Year 2023.

The judges said:

“While the standard of submissions in this category was exceptional, MTM stood out for their excellent, clearly-communicated entry. Their impact on the industry has been huge, the level of investment within their organisation is massive, and their financials are exceptional. Their diversity and inclusion focus is also genuine and admirable. To be so strong in each of those areas was unparalleled. It’s a pleasure to award them Agency of the Year.”

Finalists:

Basis Research Group
Beano Brain
Boxclever
Differentology
DJS Research
FlexMR
IFF Research
Kokoro
Opinium
Savanta
VERVE

Sponsor:

Winner:
Kokoro

The best places to work are defined by the professional development they provide to staff, the inclusivity of their workplace culture, and the sense of pride and belonging felt among the team. All-in-all, they put people at the heart of their overall strategy. Based on these criteria, the winner of the 2023 Best Place to Work award is Kokoro.

The judges said:

“We were inspired by Kokoro’s entry. Their graduate scheme is phenomenal, and the time and money that they spend on training is fantastic. They offer a clear path to promotion and rewards for developing skills and responsibilities. Women are well-represented in the company’s leadership and they’ve achieved a zero gender pay gap. The amenities that they offer employees, like their on-site charity shop and chef, are also really unique and attractive.”

Highly  commended: IFF Research

Finalists:

BVA BDRC
DJS Research
Empower Translate
Firefish
Ipsos
Opinium
Zappi

Sponsor:

Winner:
Differentology

The Best New Venture award champions the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of those who have set up new agencies or transformed an existing business or department. Winners must show the uniqueness of their new venture within the sector, as well as their financial sustainability. This year, the agency that did just that is Differentology, which has gone from strength to strength following its management buyout in 2021.

The judges said:

“Differentology’s entry was really compelling. The creation of a commercial business from an internal department felt new, different and meaningful. Their financials are strong, and the data that they shared on the business was impressive. They are very deserving winners of this category.”

Finalists:

Obsurvant
Opinium Amsterdam
Potentia Insight

Sponsor:

Winner:
Human8 & Philips

The Business Impact of the Year – Global award celebrates organisations or clients who have delivered outstanding work outside of the UK, using research to shape critical aspects of their businesses on an international scale. This year, Human8 and Philips nailed this brief, and take home the award.

The judges said:

“Human8’s work with Philips on simultaneous continual learning programmes has driven change both to businesses and to underserved communities. Having worked over two years to deliver this insight, their impact has been hugely transformative and commercially successful. Their work is innovative, collaborative and comprehensive – it sounds like an amazing project to be involved with.”

Finalists:

BBC World Service
C Space & Global Hotel Alliance
Deep Blue Thinking & Basis
Formula E & Context
Mars Petcare
McCann Truth Central & General Motors
STRAT7 Incite & Kenvue

Sponsor:

Winner:
Deep Blue Thinking & Checkatrade

Research is pivotal to businesses in countless ways, influencing operational strategies, business practices, company culture and attitudes. The Business Impact of the Year - UK award recognises the UK organisations that have used research to make a lasting impact on their business. Deep Blue Thinking and Checkatrade win this year’s prize.

The judges said:

“Though the contenders in this category were all strong, Deep Blue Thinking and Checkatrade’s emphasis on the results and impact of their work set them apart from the competition. The way their research evolved into a campaign felt unique, and we were struck by their success in bringing stakeholders on board in a tricky sector.”

Finalists:

BBC
Human8 & Nationwide Building Society
Virgin Media O2
Walnut Unlimited & Sainsburys

Sponsor:

Winner:
Holland & Barrett

The In-house Team of the Year award spotlights the research and insights team that has made a significant impact on their wider organisation through outstanding work. To award a winner, judges must see evidence of the ways in which a team’s work has led directly to a stronger campaign, programme or way of working. Holland & Barrett takes home this year’s prize.

The judges said:

“We got a genuine feel from their entry of how well Holland & Barrett’s in-house team is working . They’re growing the team quickly and performing well financially, which is particularly impressive given recent economic challenges. It’s also great to see their focus on diversity and inclusion and data integration, which still feels relatively rare in the sector. The considerable impact of their work on the business was clear from their submission.”

Finalists:

BBC
Formula E
Google
HSBC
LADbible Group
Nexus
Reckitt
Sky UK
Youth Sport Trust

Sponsor:

Winner:
Freemavens

Innovation sits at the heart of our sector and this award recognises the organisation which has introduced a new product, service, methodology or initiative. To win the award, entrants must present to our Dragons’ Den style panel of experts and demonstrate the impact their innovation has had on the business, clients and the industry. Following lively debate, the judges gave the award to Freemavens.

The judges said:

“What Freemavens has achieved in automating data analysis and combining such a range of sources is extremely exciting for our sector. We were impressed with the flexibility of the Tilt platform, the speed with which it can incorporate new data and produce fresh insights, and how accessible it is, particularly for in-house teams facing time and cost pressures. Freemavens’ presentation was clear, well thought out and used compelling examples to bring the team’s work to life.”

Highly commended: Inspirient

Finalists:

Kantar

Sponsor:

Winners:
Josh Proctor, jump! innovation and LaShanda Seaman, Opinium

The winner of this award must show evidence of their outstanding personal achievements, as well as their impact on the profession. They should act as a young ambassador for research while extending their skills and sharing them with their colleagues. The quality of entrants in this category was so strong that the judges couldn’t choose just one winner. This year’s joint winners are Josh Proctor from jump! innovation and LaShanda Seaman from Opinium.

The judges said:

“Josh is a huge talent in the industry, and his passion for his work is evident. His commercial impact on his company has been significant. He is committed to developing his professional skills and expanding his knowledge of new techniques. He has done all this while mentoring and assisting younger researchers, acknowledging the barriers that people can face early in their careers by approaching them first.”

“LaShanda is well-known for her strong contributions to the sector, including her qualitative work to ensure diverse perspectives are heard. She has mentored younger people, contributed to industry podcasts, and appeared as a guest speaker at various conferences. She is also on the MRS board, is involved in the Leadership Team of &More, and is an active member of the D&I Policy Council. How she has time for all this alongside doing fantastic work in her day job, we don’t know!”

Finalists:

Ellie Gould, 2CV
Christina Tarbotton, Boxclever
Daniella Mercado, the7stars
Deana Kotiga, Ipsos
Florian Preusser, Kantar Profiles
Garima Agarwal, Purple Audacity Research & Innovation
Hatty Gittins, Kadence International
Morgan Burgess, MTM
Robert McLaren, the7stars
Tom Richer, Differentology/The Bridge Between
Zoe Rivlin, Opinium

Sponsor:

Winner:
Jigna Taylor, Acacium Group

In this category, judges turn their attention to client-side researchers that have worked in the sector for less than five years or were aged under 30 as of 1 July 2023. They look for someone who works well within their team, communicates effectively with clients and whose creativity, ideas and aptitude have made a real impact on the wider business. The researcher that most impressed the judges was Jigna Taylor from Acacium Group, who is named client-side Young Researcher 2023.

The judges said:

“Jigna’s focus on continuous development made her stand out. Her work on AI is exciting and really positive for the sector, and her commercial results are impressive, particularly for someone early in her career. She’s clearly keen to learn and do more, and share that with others.”

Finalists:

Joe Blamey, BBC
William Kipping, The Football Association

Sponsor:

Winner:
Formula E & Meshh

Meshh analysed and interpreted data on footfall, dwell time, traffic flow and behaviour collected through spatial analytics sensors, to deliver insights on the fan and sponsor experience at Formula E (the single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars) races. The actions implemented in response to the findings had major implications for the client, including influencing sponsor partnerships and the locations of fan zones and grandstands to best suit each individual venue. Global attendance shot up by over a third as a result.

The judges said:

"Meshh’s work is a fantastic demonstration of the potential of technology when paired with creative, comprehensive analytics and clear communication and data visualisation."

Finalists:
Freemavens
STRAT7 Bonamy Finch & STRAT7 Advisory

 Sponsor:

Winner:
BBC

The BBC’s new regional initiative to provide value for everyone, ‘Across the UK,’ needed detailed local data which was not readily available and could not be obtained from traditional sources. In response, the team iteratively developed a new tool using digital data from BBC Sounds, which allows them to provide reliable and timely regional data to a wide variety of stakeholders. The insights gained are helping the BBC to target engagement strategies for specific areas, as well as measure the ongoing impact of their programming.

The judges said:

"The Sounds Regional Dashboard is an exceptional extraction, analysis and application of data which was already being generated through BBC Sounds – a very worthy winner in a competitive field."

Finalists:
BBC World Service
Kantar & Philips
STRAT7 Bonamy Finch & STRAT7 Advisory

 Sponsor:

Winner:
Channel 4 & Clear Channel in partnership with Backlight & The Good Side

Using a collaborative, mixed-method approach, Backlight and The Good Side explored the realities of being a Black business owner in the UK, with the insights feeding into tailored outcomes and influencing committed investment from decision makers.

The insights have been applied to develop and launch initiatives coming from Channel 4 and Clear Channel which will deliver free advertising opportunities for 15 black-owned businesses, valued at £650,000, as well as further mentorship and masterclasses for many more.

The judges said:

“The iterative approach, together with a well thought out sample structure, which allowed greater understanding of the lived experience of black business owners, and the delivery of tangible solutions all worked to make this entry really stand out.”

Finalists:

Google
Sky & MTM
Vodafone UK & Dectech

Sponsor:

Winner:
The Outsiders, McDonald's, Leo Burnett, Peek Content & house51

The aim of this research was to inspire a creative approach which would rejuvenate the connection between McDonald’s and its customers. A review of cultural insights was followed by focus groups, film ethnography and in-depth interviews which prioritised representation. The team homed in on the everyday pressures people experience which can be relieved by the occasional ‘sod it’ moment.

Insights delivered around the emotional reactions to an invitation for a McDonald’s allowed the research and creative teams behind this project to create an award winning campaign which has had considerable commercial impact.

The judges said:

“This was the genesis of the ‘Raise your Arches’ campaign, one of McDonald’s most successful ever. Well done to this team who showed that insights and creativity are perfect bedfellows – a clear winner against tough competition.”

Highly Commended: PepsiCo, Zappi & Acacia Avenue

Finalists:

davies+mckerr & John Lewis & Partners
McCann Truth Central & The Electoral Commission

Sponsor:

Winner:
VERVE & BBC Studios

BBC Studios and VERVE set out to understand how the decline in popularity of soap operas might be tackled. Exploring how the world has changed since soap operas first graced our screens, interviewing fans on what drives their love for the genre, and semiotic decoding of the nation’s most loved programmes, the VERVE team brought to life what the British public want to see from TV. Using these insights, characters were re-written and new plots created for some of the BBC Studio’s most successful soaps.

The judges said:

“This was an exemplary project which distinguished itself in every way. It shed new light on British culture and gave the BBC a clear plan of action, as evidenced by the client’s ringing endorsement.”

Finalists:

C Space
Jump! Innovation
Sign Salad & GambleAware

Sponsor:

Winner:
Firefish & Barclays

In today’s economic environment, Barclays’ brand promise of helping people feel better about money is a challenging task. Firefish’s phased and multi-faceted research prioritised hearing directly from customers, with methods including face-to-face interviews, online focus groups, customer film and digital analysis.

The resulting insight has informed an array of initiatives for Barclays, from its innovation pipeline to its customer experience and marketing campaigns.

The judges said:

“This is an excellent example of research being used to place customers at the heart of decision making. The approach and methodology were well tailored to the category and delivered clear benefits for Barclays through short and longer term initiatives.”

Finalists:

HSBC & Kantar
Ipsos & Visa
Opinium & Direct Line Group

Sponor:

Winner:
Thinks Insight & Strategy & Worcestershire County Council

The Public Health Team at Worcestershire County Council commissioned Thinks Insight & Strategy to identify how they could better support their employees following the stress and low morale caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Through creative methods including journey mapping, letters to self and conversations with loved ones, the research team immersed themselves in the lived experience of participants and delivered in-depth insight which drove the introduction of new strategies to boost workers’ wellbeing.

The judges said:

“Innovatively designed, thoughtfully deployed and powerfully delivered, Thinks Insight & Strategy’s work exemplifies how research can drive meaningful change in the field of healthcare.”

Finalists:

Boots & Trinity McQueen
Ipsos & Haleon
the7stars

Sponsor:

Winner:
Basis Social

Basis Social’s work sought to uncover and address the barriers to participation in research among hard-to-reach groups to ensure public policy can be based on truly representative data. The team’s sensitive approach was reflected both in their methodology and in the recommendations made to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). These informed the ONS’ first annual review into the UK statistical system’s progress towards inclusivity, published earlier this year.

The judges said:

“Basis Social’s work encapsulates the spirit of this award. Their careful methodology paid dividends in the quality of insights delivered and will continue to influence research practices well into the future.”

Finalists:

Discovery Research, Basis Research Group Ltd & UKHSA
Kantar & Over The Bloody Moon
MTM & Google

Sponsor:

Winners:
Gallup, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

These teams came together to understand eating habits and pinpoint where action is needed to tackle global malnutrition. The resulting Global Diet Quality Project – the world’s first framework for measuring diet quality – offers data on 56 countries, with plans to expand this to 140, and addresses a critical gap in our knowledge of one of humanity’s most pressing issues. With the findings made freely available, this project provides policy makers around the world with an invaluable tool to support public health.

The judges said:

“This winning entry brilliantly demonstrates the vital impact that our industry is able to deliver on a global scale, not just today but for generations to come. Bravo!”

Highly Commended: AKAS

Finalists:

BBC World Service
Bloomberg Media & DVJ Insights

Sponsor:

Winner:
JCDecaux & Kantar

By combining JCDecaux’s daily movement figures with Kantar Worldpanel’s household purchase data, this partnership was able to fill a long-standing gap in the industry’s ability to measure the commercial impact of out-of-home advertising. This pioneering solution has been put to the test with several FMCG clients to resounding success, revealing to one such client that out-of-home was delivering an impressive £1.60 return for every £1 spent – the highest return of any of the business’ advertising channels.

The judges said:

“We were struck by JCDecaux and Kantar’s creativity in the collection and analysis of a variety of data sources. The project has had real commercial impact, helping to shape their clients’ strategies and better target investment.”

Highly Commended: 

Thinkbox, Channel 4, ITV, Sky, PWC, Gain Theory, EssenceMediacom, Wavemaker, Mindshare & Acacia Avenue

Finalists:

BMG Research & Ofcom
Giraffe Insights

Sponsor:

Winner:
The Behavioural Architects & Google

How do people decide what to buy? This is what The Behavioural Architects and Google set out to answer with their project ‘Making Sense of the Messy Middle. Simulating online shoppers’. It examined the decision making process at each stage in the purchasing journey from search through to different points of sale, and found that behavioural science can be just as powerful as discounting. The burgeoning demand for The Behaviour Architects’ research is testament to the commercial influence of these findings.

The judges said:

“In a closely run field, this was our clear winner. It was an extremely clever and thorough piece of scientific testing – an outstanding contribution to purchasing insight.”

Finalists:

Channel 4 & Craft
Kantar & Cadbury
Trajectory, CACI & Fair4All Finance

Sponsor:

Winner:
Ipsos

The Scottish Jury Research project, led by Ipsos, was the largest mock jury study ever undertaken in the UK, with 64 juries and just shy of 1,000 individual participants recruited. It found that jurors were significantly less likely to favour a guilty ruling if the contentious ‘not proven’ verdict, unique to the Scottish legal system, was available. This groundbreaking conclusion has had a transformative effect – it was instrumental in driving the Scottish Government’s April 2022 announcement that the ‘not proven’ verdict would be scrapped.

The judges said:

“Ipsos’ methodology in staging mock cases and jury deliberations was unique and thought-provoking. They have contributed significantly to the delivery of more effective justice in future cases brought to court in Scotland.”

Finalists:

Madre Brava & Northstar Research/HarrisX
The Football Association, Kick it Out & 2CV
Thinks Insight & Strategy & Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles

Winner:
Madre Brava & Northstar Research/HarrisX

Northstar Research/HarrisX helped start-up Madre Brava to raise the profile of their campaign against the climate change countermovement, the “Big Meat” Goliath. Through the deployment of both quantitative and qualitative research, Madre Brava attained an enhanced understanding of their audiences, influenced their media narrative and gained valuable publicity in The New Statesman and Politico. The business’ stated aim is to achieve 100% sustainable, healthy, affordable food for all and the research has helped it to secure further funding, enabling their lean three-person team to continue their important work.

The judges said:

“Through their creativity and ambition, this year’s winners have helped underscore for policymakers and the public the link between the ‘Big Meat’ Goliath and climate change, driving meaningful change which will be crucial for the world to reach net zero by 2050.”

Finalists:

BBC, ITV, C4, Channel 5, Sky, UKTV, Ipsos & CAST
Ipsos & Google
Mars Petcare

Winner
Hush Research & Strategy

‘Reinventing Ollie’ by Hush Research & Strategy is an excellent example of how multi method qualitative research, including stakeholder interviews, Psychology Ai Analysis, In-home Observation, and Semiotic Analysis, can provide deep insights resulting in great benefits for parents, clients and most importantly, sleeping babies!

The judges said:

"The Reinventing Ollie case study stood out this year as a great example of how insightful Qual can successfully help a brand evolve and reinvent itself.”

Highly Commended:

antedote & Saga

Finalist:

Magenta

Sponsor:

Winner:
Nexxt Intelligence for inca SmartProbe API

Next Intelligence's Inca Smarprobe product enables intelligent dynamic follow-up questions based on the responses to open ended quantitative survey questions through the injection of advanced language models. In a short time, they have a proven approach loved by clients that has delivered actionable insight that would never have been found with traditional methods.

The judges said:

'"We were highly impressed with this innovation using AI and latest LLMs to evolve traditional verbatim questions with code can be easily embedded in multiple survey platforms. We appreciated their approach to only release product options involving the use of AI that are tested for efficacy and ethics."

Finalist:

Signoi Ltd for Alethai
Survey Tester, powered by 2x4 for Survey Tester

Sponsor:

Winner:
BookTrust

From entirely redesigning its approach to targeting families with early-years children and developing a new antenatal pilot programme, to identifying new partner organisations to help reach target audiences, this insight has impacted every operational facet of BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity. This has been supported by a concerted effort to embed research within the organisation’s culture, including involving board members and senior leaders in live projects.

The judges said:

“BookTrust has threaded its insight the whole way through the organisation and beyond, to its 6,000 partners across the UK where it will drive further engagement. Impressive!”

Finalists:

Fred Olsen, Trinity McQueen & PLH
Holland & Barrett
ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland)

Sponsor:

Winners:
McCann Truth Central & Prologis

This project sought to tackle preconceptions about the logistics industry by engaging people both inside and outside of the sector. McCann Truth Central adopted a mixed-method approach incorporating proprietary methodology which utilised extensive open text data capture and linguistic analysis.

The outcome was a data rich whitepaper which is allowing Prologis, a leading logistics real estate business, to open more informed conversations with government and wider industry. It is amplifying the voices of logistics workers, shifting public perceptions and showcasing the opportunities offered by a career in the sector

The judges said:

“This is a superb paper, delivering invaluable insight through innovative and flexible methodology, to help Prologis and its industry promote itself and reach its potential. Excellent work!"

Highly commended: Verve & Sky Business

Finalists:

Acxiom & MTM
Northstar Research/Harris X, Amadeus & Fire on the Hill
Opinium & Kraft Heinz

Sponsor:

Winner:
Untapped Innovation & BookTrust

BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, had an ambitious five-year strategy to further its work with families from low-income or vulnerable backgrounds. To guide this strategy, Untapped Innovation conducted innovative qualitative research with target families, alongside semiotic analysis and social listening, centring on both children’s and parents’ needs. From here, a number of exciting ideas were developed and prototyped, as well as the creation of actionable tools to assess future innovation. The outcomes have transformed the organisational mindset and will guide the charity for years to come.

The judges said:

“This project shows the very best of what can be achieved when bringing together a bespoke team of independents – a fantastic creative range of research methods to drive a programme of innovation and long-lasting impact for the client.”

Highly Commended: PS Research

Finalists:

HUSH Research & Strategy
Moorcroft Market Research
White Rabbit Research, Deep Blue Thinking & AP Research

Sponsor: