NeedScope Philosophy

At work, I'm not working much. It's pretty cool, actually. Instead of pushing me to work hard, my directors are committed to my training and integration into the team. They make me read books, do exercises and give me lectures that remind me of uni.

Business plan
It makes sense, once you understand our business. Our NeedScope model is a psychological framework that is used in 80 countries around the world by our much larger mother company, TNS. We are experts on the use of NeedScope and spend most of our time helping TNS offices do better research for their clients and promoting best practice NeedScope use.

We do project work ourselves too, but that is not our main source of revenue. In fact, we do it mostly to become better consultants and to innovate the Needscope model and software.

Training
So I need training. A lot of training. I must become an expert researcher, with the ability to advise other professionals. All of that appeals to me, so I am doing my best to learn fast and well. As a part of that, I will refresh my own memory by telling you about what I learn.

History of market research
I started learning about NeedScope from the beginning and that's how I will tell it to you too:
In the beginning of the 20th century research was about measuring product characteristics. People were viewed as rational agents, who would optimise the benefits they could get for their money. In such a market, the best product at the best price always wins.
Later, it was discovered that the market is not that perfect. A lot of good, cheap products never become popular, while some inferior, expensive products do well. Researchers learned, that they could explain some of this phenomenon if they took the social identity of consumers into account. They learned that a businessman will buy more expensive clothes than a farmer, not because he is richer, but because expensive clothes are what businessmen wear. That was the birth of market research.
With this new knowledge business started making products to suit smaller groups of consumers. The companies grew and became more efficient and by the end of the 20th century cheap products of good quality were available in almost any category, made to many different customer groups.
But these were not the only products doing well. Some products were clearly overpriced, but still they did well in the market. These products did not give the consumer unrivalled quality or a uniquely desirable social identity. They did something else. They appealed to the deep emotional needs that we all share and that made them irresistible to some consumers.
A Rolex watch does not just make you part of an exclusive, elite group of rich people, it makes you feel like a king. A Ferrari car makes you feel bold and masculine. Dove shampoo makes you feel warm and genuine.

We believe
Any great product today must fulfil customer needs in all three categories: functional needs, social identity needs and emotive needs. That is our belief. That is our philosophy.

See you next week
Tonight I am flying to Brisbane, Australia, for a week of vacation. I will stay with my Danish friends Tilde and Louise, we will rent a car and it will be awesome. That is all I know and all I need to know.

All packed and ready

Welcome to NeedScope

I have received a warm welcome at NeedScope, where I now work as a "quantie" (quantitative research executive). I am bursting with things to tell you about it, but let's start with the simple stuff.

Office tour

Today, I'll take you inside for a quick tour of the office.

Welcome, Mary will ask you to take a seat
while she calls the phone on my desk

Thanks Mary, I'll be right there

Hi, nice to meet you. Please follow me.
On your left is Apollo, the serious meeting room

On your right is our much used library.
Meet Alana, Constance, Mel and Phil 

The best place for a chat is in Hera, our cozy meeting room

We could also go and meet the rest of the team in Aphrodite
but it's not time for morning tea yet, so they will be busy.

Goodbye Marie

At home we have said goodbye to Marie. She will travel New Zealand for four months before flying home to France. We have had a lot of fun together in the four months we have both lived here and I am sad to see her go.

We love you too, Marie.
Have a good trip!

The cake she is carrying is a large mille feuille. A traditional treat from the French bakery where she used to work.

A day at Long Bay

I have been to Long Bay before, but this time I brought my running shoes and a determination to explore the area. The tide tables told me the low would be at 4 pm. Perfect.

Long Bay regional park

Long Bay is not just a beach, it is a large regional park next to a marine reserve. It has marked hiking routes and I had chosen one on the map at home. First, it led me through the grassy park. Here I met a lot of people walking around or preparing barbecues and many birds.

The park is an overlooked part of Long Bay

This bird has a funny walk and a bobbing headdress

The track led e on a hilly walk with a great view of the sea

Low tide

At the end of the track there is a beach with a warning sign.

Scream and run into the sea if rocks fall

But I knew that and I arrived at 3:30 pm in perfect timing with the tide.

Two girls are riding their horses in the shallow water

Otherwise the beach is deserted

I quite enjoy the solitude

It feels like walking under water

The beach is diverse and beautiful

I wonder where those rocks came from...

In the end I return to Long Bay
It's not really long, but it is a wide beach

Fighting the immigration robots

As always, I have had a busy week here in Auckland. I have started in my new job at Needscope International and I am super excited about that. So excited, that I have forgotten to take pictures and put time aside to tell you about it. But don't worry.

I'll tell you more, promise
I am going to stay with Needscope for a long time, so you will see plenty of pictures from the office and read about the fun I have with my colleagues. Of course I am going to tell you about my first week, but not today.

A dark morning
I am in the middle of breakfast and my mind is not on work or fun, but immigration. I told you last week that I had a 'minor' issue with getting my master's degree recognised. I still have. Only it has escalated to a point where I have been issued a final warning. My robot-like case officer has informed me that "they are unlikely to approve my residency application" if I don't pay for an International Qualifications Assessment.

I have chosen not to roll over and pay, but to take the fight. It is unlike me to be that stubborn, but I care about this. I know that I cannot change the bureaucratic, robot like manner of my case officer, but I can be proven right. I hope this will eliminate the problem for others with a Danish education.

Thankfully, my Danish university sees the issue in the same way as I do. They are willing to support me with an official statement from the Dean. I hope it will somehow unlock the cogs of my robotic case officer. If not, then I am of a mind to take my chances at an appeal.

This makes little rational sense, because an appeal would cost 700 NZD, about the same as an IQA and the chance of success is obviously lower. However, I still believe there is a chance my visa will be approved without an appeal and that is what I am betting on. And I want the satisfaction of being right!

My robot is not allowed to make the decision himself, but most involve another robot. I have no illusions about the other one being more human, but I think there is a chance that the other robot will simply interpret my papers correctly.

But most of all, I hope the support of Aarhus University will make the difference.

Not to worry
I think this immigration battle may end badly for me, but I am not worried. It is more important for me to make a stand for justice, than to get my residency application approved. Afterall, I already have the job I want and I can stay for years without a residency class visa.

The robots will never deport me.

Between jobs

This past week I have had a short vacation. I didn't know how long it would last until today. My (second) work visa application has just been approved. That means I will start working tomorrow at Needscope and I am excited about that.

An early weekend
After quitting my job at Creative Agency Secrets I needed some time to rest. I felt like I was ready for a weekend after my final day of work Tuesday. I had been stressed, but now I could finally unwind. I did almost nothing for a couple of days. I stayed at home, read books and watched TV series and when I was feeling energetic I cleaned the kitchen.

This is not my ideal type of vacation, but I had planned to live that way for a couple of days. It was my way of gaining appetite for new adventures.

Devonport
When the real weekend came, I was done relaxing. I decided to visit Devonport, a charming part of Auckland I had never seen before. Devonport is just 10 minutes from the city centre by ferry, but far from everywhere else.

I went on Sunday and it was indeed sunny. To me it felt like summer had come back around and I felt comfortable wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

I was not the only one enjoying the weather

In Devonport there are two main attractions. The North Head and Mount Victoria. Both of them offer a spectacular view of the city across the bay.

View from Mount Victoria

First I visited North Head, a small roundish mountain that marks the entrance to Auckland harbour. It is an ideal vantage point to overlook the bay and in the past the military took advantage of that. They built tunnels, installed cannons and other defensive measures that today make it a nice tourist destination. The old bunkers are used for picnics, providing shelter from the wind, but allowing for an amazing sea view. The tunnels provide a convenient access to the sea.

Venture into the tunnels at your own risk

It's dark inside, but there is light at the end...

On top of Mount Victoria the military has installed a large canon. The story goes about how difficult it was to get the massive cannon up there in the beginning of the 20th century before WWI. The 13 tonnes cannon was dragged up the mountain by a score of men and two horses. Targets were placed on Rangitoto to use for practice (the island is void of life, so I don't know why this irks me). When the canon was fired for the first time, the massive shockwave from the blast broke the windows in a lot of Devonport houses. The citizens complained and the canon was never fired again.

This canon is hiding, perhaps from embarrassment?

I'm so ready

I've sorted out a lot of small things in my short vacation. Done my washing and cleaning, bought some new clothes, a new bag, stuff for the kitchen and a return ticket to Australia (more on that later). Nothing is missing. I am so ready to start my new job.