By: Marilyn Weiss, Co-Founder, Chief Innovation Officer
What do iconic brands and artists like Madonna, Chobani, Apple, Queen, Nike and Old Spice all have in common?
Innovation. And the guts to do it. All of these brands have proven this to be true time and time again. It’s (partly) why they are iconic. They have each reinvented themselves at times when their brand life stage or relevance in people’s lives would have otherwise expired.
While necessity may be the mother of invention, at SIVO Insights we believe the need for relevance is the mother of innovation.
Sometimes being “innovative” means creating a brand-new idea for a product or service, sometimes it is about a new application or method, and sometimes it’s flipping an idea on its head and reinventing something through a creative lens or with a fresh perspective.
In every case, innovation is about meeting or anticipating a need – a need that is of value to end users.
SIVO Insights continually innovates, both for the insights and brand work we do with our clients, as well as for our own business.
The consumer insights industry and profession has changed dramatically over the last 5-10 years, and client needs have shifted right along with it. We see a growing trend taking place in consumer insights departments across organizations: department sizes and resources are shrinking but demands and goals are not. The work still needs to get done.
Rooted in this insight, we developed a concept, got feedback, iterated and created an innovative solution called SIVO Insights Flexible WorkForce™.
What is SIVO Insights Flexible WorkForce™?
Clients trust and value the insights and strategy work SIVO provides. Now, by tapping into our exceptional pool of insights professionals, they can trust us as a resource for trusted insights talent as well – to fill in open positions, lead and manage projects or initiatives, to navigate research tech, and more. Customized as we do when designing each and every research plan, this offering flexes with the need: scope, long-term to short-term and range of experience levels from executional to strategic.
Having worked with Fortune 100 companies, start-ups and mega brands over the last 10 years, SIVO’s intimate understanding of consumer insights talent levels and skills make it a unique solution that general staffing agencies can’t provide.
We’re already providing talent to Target Corporation, Wells Blue Bunny and Foster Farms. I recently connected with Helen Kurtz, CMO for Foster Farms, and asked about her experience with SIVO Flexible WorkForce™.
CMO, Foster Farms
What need did you have and why did you choose to address it in this way (vs. a full-time position or with traditional staffing)?
“When I joined Foster Farms, the company had never had Consumer Insights (CI) talent in house. They had always outsourced the testing and counted on Marketing to interpret and drive strategy from results. I knew from my past how critical having a CI role was and wanted to have talent that would immediately hit the ground running. I also wasn’t sure if the role would be full time or less, so I needed a flexible solution.”
Why was SIVO the right partner to fill this need?
“I immediately spoke with SIVO about my dilemma and opportunity, thinking that they would have some recommendations. They helped source a talented professional for my specific situation. I couldn’t be happier with the result; the person SIVO recommended and placed has been an amazing fit and made an immediate impact. Plus, with the power of SIVO resources behind her, she is able to work efficiently and effectively. Importantly, our company is headquartered in California and even from 2,000 miles away and a 2-hour time difference, I’ve found it to be seamless and just as effective (in most ways better) than an in-house situation.”
What tips or advice do you have for other client-side insight professionals with this need?
“Be really clear about your needs with SIVO. If you’re like us and will have someone working for you remotely, be planful about travel requirements, and make time for status updates about the arrangement, since that person won’t have access to ‘in the hall’ conversations.”
We are excited to do the same for you. To learn about how SIVO can support your insight talent needs, please contact us at Contact@SIVOInsights.com.
Marilyn is a passionate, dynamic researcher with more than 20 years of experience. Her approachable manner inspires people to invite her into the most personal aspects of their life. Her previous life as a pediatric ICU nurse is a testament to her bravery, ability to remain calm under pressure and her undeniably huge heart.