ADIA FAQs

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF ADIA?

• The Australian Data and Insights Association (ADIA) is the peak industry body for the research, data and insights industry. ADIA works in partnership with its members, plus privacy authorities, business, government and the community to protect and promote the industry.
• ADIA (formerly AMSRO) is the administrator of the Award-winning Privacy Code.
• ADIA (formerly AMSRO) has the power to investigate and take action against any breaches of the Privacy Code.
• There are two levels of membership – an ADIA member organisation and an ADIA Trust Mark organisation (the Trust Mark requires certification to the globally recognised ISO 20252 Standard which is independently audited every year).

WHO ARE OUR MEMBERS? 

ADIA is the home of Australia’s leading data, insights and research companies. Our members include: full-service market and social research agencies, online research and panel companies, market research fieldwork companies, market research software and data providers and independent research consultants. ADIA members represent all research methods- including qualitative and qualitative from telephone (CATI) to face-to-face and online.

A full list of members is available here.  For ADIA Trust Mark members please see the Trust Mark Directory.

WHAT DO THE AUSTRALIAN PRIVACY PRINCIPLES (APPs) MEAN FOR AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COMPANIES?

The Market and Social Research Privacy Code has been developed to provide data, insight and research organisations certainty under the Privacy Amendment Act (launched on 12 March 2014).  The Code works to ensure ADIA members follow the highest privacy and ethical standards working over and above privacy law legislation.

WHY CHANGE FROM AMSRO TO ADIA?   

The past few years have seen existing trends within and around the market and social research industry accelerate.  Those trends include accelerating globalisation; the drive to lower cost solutions especially for commoditised, lower value-add research services; software companies entering our industry with automated technology-based solutions; increased use of existing data sources as opposed to primary data collection; and management consultancies, combined marketing services businesses and others continuing to encroach into the space once solely occupied by research agencies.

Evidence-based consumer insights are more important than ever, but increasingly clients are turning towards providers other than traditional research agencies, or technology enabled solutions to provide those insights, or bringing these services in-house. 

In Australia, this meant that our association brand AMSRO – The Association of Market and Social Research Organisations – no longer comprehensively represented our whole industry.  The parts we are not regarded as representing as well – data analytics and software-enabled or technology-enabled research – are some of the fastest growing sectors of the industry.  The importance and growth of this part of our industry is backed by international research, provided by ESOMAR, AMSRO’s Association partner (ESOMAR Global Market Research Report 2019 & 2020) and our own research (AMSRO, Broader Tent Research 2019 – 2020).

A new association strategy was needed – one that services and encompasses new players, while still representing the ‘traditional’ part of our industry, and that focuses on the benefits our industry delivers to our clients, rather than focusing on the craft or process of research. That new strategy which seeks to represent a ‘broader tent’ needs a new brand to support it. 

The Australian Data and Insights Association (ADIA) allows the existing, traditional industry (formerly AMSRO) to embrace and work with emerging players. 

The ‘broader tent’ works in three ways –

1. it provides newcomers with a relevant industry association, providing services and representation for these organisations and their employees.
2. it enables our industry to extend our robust approach to quality and privacy and an effectively self-regulated environment to the whole industry (as now defined)
3. it enables our industry to protect and sustain itself in the long term.

HOW DID AMSRO GET HERE? 

To support our transition to a stronger, broader, more inclusive industry body, the AMSRO executive committee commenced discussing and refining its Broader Tent strategy (in late 2018) including interviews conducted with AMSRO members, former members, clients and key stakeholders. The project took approx. 6 months and culminated with an AMSRO Committee meeting (representing 25% of its member base n =93) who supported the following:

• An association rebrand.
• Exploring use of the terms ‘Data’, ‘Analytics’, ‘Insights’ (and possibly ‘Research’) – all have relevance to all or parts of the membership and future membership base.

Following that, AMSRO engaged HOW Communications to work on a brand research project, which again, involved in-depth stakeholder consultation with members and the broader industry focusing on next steps. 

Outcomes included:  

• We must reposition AMSRO to help protect and sustain the industry.
• We need to ensure the brand includes emerging and existing members now and into the future.
• We need to ensure the brand keeps the recognised AMSRO legacy characteristics of quality and trust but is also dynamic, modern and distinct.
• We need to place AMSRO in a position of strength which sets it apart from other industry (related) associations. 
• We need to change our name (to reflect our repositioning) to stay relevant.

WHY ADIA?

Based on the research findings, AMSRO’s Executive recognised the impact of these changes on the industry and decided that changing the brand name to the Australian Data and Insights Association (ADIA) offered greater scope and a broader tent to all companies now operating in the industry.

Key points follow:

• Repositions the former AMSRO to protect and sustain our industry’s future, embrace newcomers and enable research in its many forms, to prosper in Australia.
• Covers the spectrum of activity that our industry (and members) offers to clients.
• Allows for leading practitioners of existing and emerging methods to become members.
• Ensures the brand keeps the AMSRO legacy of quality and trust but is also dynamic, modern and distinct.
• Holds appeal to potential broader tent (new research) members but still applies to existing members.

• Data drives insights and therefore we felt the name order is important.
• Data and Insights are the core elements of our industry and in the interest of inclusiveness, both words were agreed to be relevant and necessary.
• Is geographically focused.
• The use of the word “Association” ensures we are known as an organisation (industry body) that is focused on member service.
• We need to be recognised (clearly) as an Industry Body.

HOW IS ADIA DIFFERENT TO ADMA?

The Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising (formerly, the Australian Direct Marketing Association) provides services for direct marketing and advertising.

ADIA’s membership is strictly for data, insights and research organisations with membership criteria requiring that ‘personal information for market and social research is collected only with informed consent and under strict codes and practices’ which prohibit direct marketing and sales.

ADIA’s co-regulated framework includes the registered OAIC privacy code and an industry Trust Mark – a seal of endorsement that assures business and government organisations they are buying research that is quality-tested and meets not only ethical standards but also goes over and above minimal privacy legislation. 

ADIA members working under the industry Trust Mark:

1. Work under Australia’s first and only registered Australian Privacy Principles (APP) Industry Privacy Code, enshrined in Australian law.
2. Have an independent annual audit for ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) certification.
3. Adhere to the industry Code of Ethics.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE REGISTERED PRIVACY CODE?

Registered on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) Codes Register, the Privacy Code will continue to serve and protect members.  On the advice of the OAIC, AMSRO (now ADIA) will make a formal application to the OAIC Codes Register to rename the Privacy (Market and Social Research) Code 2021. (Note – the Association’s Australian Business Number remains unchanged.)

WHY HAVE THE RULES CHANGED?

The amendments generally reflect a move to the format and structure of the current Model Rules contained in the Associations Incorporation Reform Regulations 2012. 

The ADIA Board decided an update was required as we had not undertaken a general review, or update, of the Rules for a number of years.  The revised Rules reflect the impact of changes in technology such as the widespread use of video conferencing.  Most of the proposed changes simply reflect the Model Rules. 

The key changes that do not derive directly from the Model Rules are:

• The creation of two separate bodies to manage the newly named association – a Board and an Advisory Committee.  Part 5 – Management of the proposed Rules set out the details of the Board and Advisory Committee and how they operate. 

• The Board will effectively be what we currently refer to as the ‘Executive’ and includes the elected office holders of the Association.

• The Advisory Committee will be appointed by the Board from members who volunteer to participate and will assist the Board in its decision-making by bringing a broader range of member perspectives to the table.

• A change from having an Executive Director to a Chief Executive Officer (who will not have any voting rights). The Chief Executive Officer will be responsible for the day to day running of the association and can be delegated to by the Board at its discretion, subject to the Rules. Rule 66 addresses the role of Chief Executive Officer.

• The creation of a process where the Board can assist in addressing member grievances. This is contained in Division 3—Grievance procedure. 

A copy of the ADIA Rules is here.

WHAT DOES THIS CHANGE MEAN TO ME AND MY BUSINESS?

• If you are an existing member, there will be minimal change.
• Members will be sent a digital membership pack including an updated membership certificate, email signature and membership badge, logo and information sheet.
• For new members looking to join ADIA – the peak industry body – and to align your brand with the key pillars of Trust, Ethics and Privacy as well as Industry Leadership – the ADIA enables your company to see where joining the Association can add value to your brand and clients.