GreenBook Future List Spotlight: Danielle Todd

What advice do you have for folks hoping to start a career in insights?

Follow your passion. It can be easy to try to fit in with a company, but your passions, your interests, and your perspective all feed into shaping how you see the world. Especially in our world of understanding the nuances of human emotion, thought and behaviour, all we do adds richness to how we interpret and present what we see in the world. Drawing upon the concept of ‘far learning’, we can take what we have learned from one arena into another.

For example, what can teenage years spent playing sport teach you about teamwork? What can a passion for mystery novels teach you about strategy and problem-solving? What can a love of musicals teach you about capturing an audience’s attention during a debrief? It’s this plurality of visions that are required to accurately represent the world in all its complicated beauty – so let your light shine bright!

 

Since starting your career in MRX, what would you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?

Being a GRIT 2020 Honouree!

 

What are three skills you believe to be crucial to succeed in market research?

Curiosity, bravery, and integrity.

 

If you could change one thing about insights, what would it be?

Clarity and accuracy in our use of terminology (as we’re in the business of representing the world accurately). Especially on the public stage, like conferences, I see the use of terms such as ‘agile’, ‘AI’, ‘insight’, ‘story’ and ‘knowledge’ but they are often used inaccurately, which erodes the meaning of the words themself. Words matter. And how we use or misuse them, impacts how we’re seen and the value we bring. As we aim to guide the inevitable professionalisation of the industry, we are all collectively responsible for how the industry is perceived within the wider marketing function, and thus we need to speak with clarity and confidence. Especially as the world grows more complicated, and the role of trust in the expert could continue to be eroded over time, it’s important that the articulation of insight is carefully thought through and delivered with impact, to continue to demonstrate our value.

 

What do you think the key characteristics or qualities of a leader are? How does this play into MRX?

Humility, empathy, and humour. Great leaders inspire, lead by example, and support. We spend at least a third of our lives at work, and I’m a big believer that we should enjoy what we do, and grow during that time. In an arena with so many voices, having one rise above the rest that motivates you to follow helps embolden you in your career path. It gives you the freedom and drive to push yourself, and understand how and why you’re not only working in the short-term but how you’re shaping your career over the long-term.  Especially in uncertain times, the insight industry needs leaders and strong voices in terms of understanding the very human response, and evolution of behaviour and attitudes in the world we live in now.

 

Outside of insights, what are your passions and interests?

I love challenging myself mentally and physically and love to learn new skills. I’ve recently taken up CrossFit and have discovered strength and fitness I didn’t know I had. The benefits extend beyond keeping fit, as you uncover and stretch your mental grit and longevity, build strength that has a long-lasting impact on your health, embed in a community who support you beyond the gym, and get to be ‘that annoying fitness person’ in your work! I’m also a big reader, and love exploring topics well outside of my day-to-day; for example, I’m currently reading about human rights law.