30Under30 Nominee: Jack Cody
Great to hear from Global 30 Under 30 Nominee, Jack Cody, who is an Associate Director at Opinium, a global insights company devoted to insights with impact across brand, communications, thought leadership, product, and beyond.
So, how did you get into the industry, and take us through how you got to this point?
I joined Naxion in Philadelphia out of college. It’s actually considered the first ever commercial research company, and I was excited to join because of all the impressive, experienced leadership there, and because I was generally quite interested in the intersection of market analytics and human psychology/behavior. Then I found Opinium, and was even more excited by its growth potential and how kind and passionate everyone I spoke to was. So, I joined as the fourth member of the US office in early 2022 and am here to this day! Our agency’s slogan is: ‘Insights with Impact’, which sounds like my ideal career choice to be honest. I work closely, in partnership with my clients to deliver insights that make an impact to their organisation.
Why should anyone consider a career in market research, data and insights?
It’s a discipline that can be applied to the full range of industries, company types/sizes, and methods. It’s a great opportunity to analyze business challenges both qualitatively and quantitatively, and then having a salient impact on a client’s strategy or overall reputation is always really rewarding.
Career paths are rarely without challenges. Can you share an honest moment from your career when things didn’t go quite according to plan, but the lessons remain with you to this day?
In my first job, my manager left after just a few months, so there was a bit of baptism by fire where I had to take on the extra work at a level of autonomy I was not yet used to. It was really stressful but I was forced to learn a ton that I still make use of today.
What two things should junior researchers focus on as they progress in their careers?
(1) Get exposure as much as you’re able – even just seeing more senior members on pitch calls, putting together proposals, or deciding how best to present to clients can all be very valuable ways to soak things up and learn from the examples of people who have been at it for decades
(2) Ask questions. Don’t be afraid of what you think are stupid questions, they’re usually very important to ask and can save you a bunch of time. Asking questions is a great way to learn and show how engaged you are.
Do you have any advice for our sector?
Embrace innovation – I think the sector can get the reputation of being a bit stuck in its ways, but I believe the insights industry can benefit from recent technological advances as much as any other, while still preserving its foundational tenets.
And do you have anyone who has helped your career so far that you’d like to acknowledge and say thanks or give a shout out to?
Have to shout out everyone on my team, we’re a close-knit bunch, and my life would be much, much more difficult without them; James Endersby, Mark Petrone, Allie Davenport, Bridget Folk, Charlotte Morelli, Chloe Kohl, Philip Bard, Cassidy DiSabato! And to Giulia Prati, my manager when I first joined Opinium!