In honor of Applied Marketing Science's 30th anniversary, AMS President and Managing Principal John C. Mitchell interviews several long-term AMSians about the company's history, significant memories, and what they wish for the firm in the future. In this second installation, John speaks to AMS Principal Kristyn Corrigan.
I'd love to start by hearing a little bit about when you joined AMS back in 2005. Why did you come here and what was it like? What's kept you at AMS for so long?
I knew that I wanted to work in market research, and right away when I interviewed at AMS I knew that this was the place for me. The work was interesting and the people were great.
I feel like the work here is so varied in terms of the clients that we serve and also the methods that we employ. Things are growing and changing all the time, and we have a dynamic team. I'm always learning something. I'll also add that the people here, the culture, the environment is just amazing. It's a culture where we all support each other and it's also a place where you can learn and grow. Gerry, Bob and others have really been instrumental in teaching me everything that they know, and that's what really helped me to grow as a researcher and stay loyal to AMS.
What would you say have been most of your memorable project experiences?
At AMS we get to learn about a lot of different products and industries. Part of that learning often involves observing and trying out products. I think those have been some of my favorite moments. For example, when we have projects about heavy equipment or construction, I get to drive the equipment. I think it was last year I got to drive this incredibly large highway paving vehicle. I’ve also driven track loaders, excavators and been on an aerial work platform.
What are some of the new things that we're doing that most excite you?
I think one of the most exciting new things that we're working on is related to machine learning and AI - understanding how we can harness that mountain of customer feedback that's out there. Whether it’s social media, product reviews, surveys or call center data, companies have access to more data then ever. The machine learning initiative that we've been working on with folks over at MIT has just been fantastic in helping our clients add clarity there and really find those needle in the haystack insights that they otherwise might not have found.
What is unique about AMS? What would you say is different about this place versus anywhere else?
At AMS our culture is really what sets us apart. We all really care about the work that we do. I always joke that we're all kind of nerdy, but we all have each other's backs and we all care about each other. We're all in it for the same reason. The work is interesting and we feel like we're really helping our clients to solve their business problems. We’re all excited to come here and do what we do every single day. I don't think you're going to get that in a lot of places.
How has AMS stayed fresh and relevant for 30 years?
We've listened to the market and recognized what they need in terms of research offerings. That involves talking to our own clients to understand what was good about the engagements and where their unmet needs are. It involves going to conferences, attending webinars, staying up on the latest publications and blogs and keeping in close contact to academia, which is very important for AMS. We maintain close ties to MIT and work on commercializing some of the academic research that they're doing. Our machine learning offering is an example of that.
What do you hope for AMS for the next 30 years?
Obviously I love AMS, I've been here for 13 years. My hope for AMS is that we grow but hold true to our values of providing our clients with great results and providing our team with interesting work and a place to build a career. I hope that we continue to be proud of our contributions to our clients and the research community and that we're around for 30 more years.
For more insights from Kristyn, watch for her recent webinar, Voice of the Customer for Product Managers.
Tags: News , Machine Learning/AI