At The Software Bureau, we welcome the Market Research Society’s Campaign for Better Data. While it may sit adjacent to our core area of data processing, we believe the campaign’s central theme — building trust and credibility in data — is critical across every part of the marketing and insight ecosystem.
With the UK Government positioning the nation as a leader in AI, the spotlight is rightly falling on the quality of the data feeding these tools.
As recent studies have shown, there’s a growing gulf between organisations’ AI ambitions and the reality of their data capabilities. Misinformation, survey fraud, and outdated practices threaten to undermine not only AI, but also the credibility of every campaign or insight generated from flawed data.
This is why initiatives like MRS’s campaign, backed by industry giants like Kantar and Ipsos, are so timely. Their emphasis on upskilling, ethical AI, and future-proofing data standards reflects the urgent need to restore confidence in research — and by extension, in the decisions businesses make based on it.
But (and it’s a biggie) none of this is possible without solid data hygiene. Before you can generate quality insights, deploy AI tools, or explore synthetic data, you need to ensure the basics are in place. That means eliminating duplicates, validating records, maintaining consent integrity, and keeping your databases clean, current, and compliant.
Trust doesn’t begin with tech. It starts with hygiene.
So while we may not be a research agency, our mission aligns with the spirit of the Campaign for Better Data. Because whether it’s research or marketing, AI or analytics, data quality is the common denominator — and poor data hygiene is the silent saboteur. Here’s to a cleaner, clearer, and more credible data future.
