Australian MR Society Investigates TV Claims

The Australian Market & Social Research Society (AMSRS) is conducting an investigation into the methods and claims of member company McCrindle Research after a critical report on last Monday night's Media Watch television programme.

The ABC1 show, which rejoices in the strapline 'everybody loves it until they're on it', is online at www.abc.net.au/mediawatch . Last week's episode featured a long and skeptical look at proprietor Mark McCrindle's survey results, which have been featured in the Australian print and other media over many years.

Particular attention was paid to claims about the bases for his conclusions about top brands and hot issues in Australian public opinion, generally based on online surveys. McCrindle acknowledged these when he responded to the programme with an apology, stating: 'In the early years of McCrindle Research, when releasing internal, unpaid research, the methodology line referring to the number of people surveyed would sometimes record the number of people sent the survey rather than the number of surveys completed. Almost two years ago this was recognised by us to be inadequate and erroneous and since then we have only made reference to the number of completed surveys received.'

The AMSRS investigation is ongoing. Executive Director Elissa Molloy told Australian marketing news site Mumbrella (www.mumbrella.com.au ): 'any member is entitled to a presumption of innocence during that process' and said the enquiry would examine whether the organisation's code of professional behavior had been breached. If so the body's options would include suspension or expulsion, although Molloy pointed out this sanction has not been exercised for a long time.

Web sites: www.mccrindle.com.au and www.amsrs.com.au .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.