Research 2010

It was an inspired opening. The first keynote speaker at this year’s annual Market Research Society Conference (Research 2010) was Armando Iannucci.

He was interviewed by Marc Brenner, who was at pains to avoid ‘doing an Alan Partridge’. (He saved this for the Big Thinkers session later.)

Armando has done lots of radio and TV series (eg On the Hour, The Day Today, The Thick Of It) and recently made an Oscar-nominated film, ‘In the Loop’.

He is also very funny. And thoughtful.

He told us about his (incomplete) PhD on Milton’s Paradise Lost, whose opening line matches the rhythm of the Flintstones theme tune. He took it as a sign that comedy may be his calling.

Although he also applied to join the civil service. And considered becoming a priest. I suspect he is a bit of a radical and dislikes being typecast.

So he probably would not much like the Daily Telegraph’s labelling him “the hard man of political satire”.

Thinking about it, he is a bit like Michael Moore. Michael Moore in disguise. A very good disguise, admittedly. But the similarities are there for all who don’t see too well.

They both make films. They both nearly became priests. They are both smart and funny and maverick. They both probably hate fatuous comparisons like these.

More to the point, Iannucci believes that playing films and clips to an audience is the best research you can do. The audience may be cruel and critical and fickle, but “if it doesn’t get any laughs, it hasn’t worked”.

His opening keynote address certainly worked and got the Conference off to a flying start.

Comments

[adrian]

Tut you mustn't call it "the Conference", but rather use the more reverential, article-free "Conference" usage as in "got Conference off to a flying start

[kevin]

Sorry Adrian, we won't make same mistake again

[Sofia Rauvola]

They are really a respected person,conference for market research is been a very opportunity for me for everyone.In Finland country market research and consulting is one of the key for a business to go on and i am glad you share same informative info here.