2020 Has been Difficult but 2021 is Full of Possibilities

Several months ago, I wrote a short article providing tips for conducting research on a budget. At that time, I had no idea what the rest of this year would hold, which included a round of layoffs at my company, PBS. Unfortunately, we all know that the pandemic has left very few business sectors untouched in its wake.

While I am not an optimist at heart, the staff reductions at PBS were perhaps the jolt I needed to recognize that change within my job was possible. In essence, the layoffs presented me with an opportunity to reframe and reposition myself, not only within my department/team, but also PBS overall. Unfortunately, my department lost four colleagues in total (three full-time headcounts and one contractor). We are not a big team to begin with; therefore, we have felt the impact deeply. Individual workloads instantly became heavier as there are fewer people to evenly distribute the work across. For me personally, this has been an especially difficult transition because my manager was one of those let go. What was a small team of two became a team of one (me).

But now that I have had some time to reflect on these changes, I believe both myself and my colleagues will be better positioned to take on the challenges that face PBS in 2021.

 

First, let us be honest, layoffs, reductions in force, etc. are very painful

They are emotional and those who are lucky enough to keep their jobs may have feelings of survivor’s guilt. I know I did. But it also requires a quick pivot where we occupy a bifurcated – not only feeling the losses but also being grateful for still having a job.

After the initial shock of seeing my colleagues let go, I realized that this new reality presented me with an opportunity. I am now a one-person shop and prioritizing projects is essential, but I also wondered: how could I demonstrate my expertise and capabilities to those who were not as familiar with my work? I was kept around for a reason so now it was time for me to rise to the occasion. When you are the only one around, it is a time to shine. Here is a recent example from my own experience that I consider to be a turning point for me going forward.

 

The Opportunity

Earlier this fall my family and I moved. Our new house is only a mile away from our old one (which by the way does not make moving less painful and exhausting), but my husband and I realized we needed more space for our kids sooner rather than later.

The Monday after we moved, I received a text from my Vice President alerting me to an urgent need to test key art for a new PBS series premiering in February 2021. The deadline for the results was ASAP (naturally). Essentially I was being asked to do was help resolve a stalemate between PBS and the producer of the new series as to which image will motivate consumers to watch the new show. Very rarely do I receive requests that are considered emergencies, but this was definitely one of those times. I knew I could get this done quickly with the tools I had available to me, and it is always a good thing when colleagues want to use data to make a point.

Knowing who was involved and what was at stake, I got to work immediately the next morning. I recommended the following approach: a survey would be necessary to truly do a head-to-head comparison of the two images, but the survey should be relatively short. I also suggested that we test the creative elements in a few different ways – including how the images might look in an OTT (Over-the-Top device/service, such as Roku) menu. Too often we test our creative art in isolation, but we need to provide consumers with a realistic environment where they might encounter these images and have to choose whether or not they want to watch a show.

 

Next, it was clear that I would have to conduct two versions of the survey

one with our PBS insights community, commonly known as our PBS Viewer Panel, and a second with a general population sample. The importance of these two different approaches was clear – our Viewer Panel demographics mirror PBS’s traditional TV consumer, (older, more female, more Caucasian), but the general population sample would tell us which image resonated better with other potential target audiences. This is an example of how my deep knowledge of our own research panel served me well and enabled me to make a recommendation on how to conduct the project in a way that maximizes the results.

 

I also faced multiple challenges

Time constraints were very real. I had to work fast and sacrifice part of a weekend to get this taken care of, but it was worth it. Second, as I am sure others can relate, multiple, invested parties provided their opinions on how to proceed. Getting a large group, aka many cooks in the kitchen, all on the same page in the span of a few days was a near miracle. But it did happen. Finally, we had to agree on the questionnaire design and sampling approach.

 

Ultimately, all data collection and reporting were completed in less than a week

At PBS, that is incredibly fast. Perhaps for some, this reads as not a big deal. But for me, after months of wondering about job security and trying to find my place after such significant organizational change, this opportunity meant a lot to me. I shared the results and recommendations, based on the data, in a short presentation to the vested parties. What ensued was a lively discussion where the situation was resolved relatively quickly. This experience was a great reminder of how our industry can directly impact the decision-making process.

This example is my story, but I see colleagues doing similar things daily. I know times are still hard for many of us, but I am hopeful for better times ahead and I am confident we will emerge (at some point) with a better perspective on how to do our work. Best of luck to all of you as we turn the page to January.