Time to Stop Hiding in the Shadows
How Bigger Than Biscuits aims to help our industry prove its worth amongst CEOs and CFOs
Growing influence and impact within their organisations emerged as the top priority for clientside researchers in the recent joint AURA/IMA/MRS research Client Sight 2025.
This perennial challenge is made ever harder at a time when research budgets (and teams) are being disproportionately squeezed* and AI risks amplifying and accelerating a fiscal culture of cheaper and faster.
In economic terms, our industry has been valued at £9bn**. This powerful message now needs to be complemented with empiric evidence of the economic value delivered through the work we collectively do, and communicated beyond our own sector. A new initiative led by experienced industry practitioners, Bigger Than Biscuits, aims to do just this.
Co-Founders, both award winning, lifetime clientside researchers and AURA luminaries, Suzanne Lugthart (eBay, ITV, Rightmove, etsy) and Danny Russell (Boots, Kraft, BA, O2, Sky) will:
- Explain the goals and motivations behind Bigger Than Biscuits, which takes its inspiration from other parts of the marketing industry (Binet & Field, Thinkbox, The Effies etc)
- Talk about the importance of clientside researchers reframing what they do and adopting a more commercial mindset more often
- Share compelling real world case studies delivering commercial returns way in excess of research investments
- Showcase the simple, practical steps clientside teams can apply to connect research investment with business outcomes without breaching company confidentiality
- Encourage AURA members to get involved by submitting their case studies to our evidence base
We believe that no one is going to save us from the downward attrition on research investment and jobs so we need to find our own voice. Biscuits is the start.
*IPA Bellwether Q2 2025 reported a -7% balance for market research investment against a +5.5% for marketing budgets as a whole
**Market Research Society https://www.mrs.org.uk/resources/industry-size
Not an AURA member? Request to attend this event for free here
