Annual conference Reinvent, refresh & regroup The rule of law As president of the UK Supreme Court, Baroness Hale of Richmond presided over the courts examination of the legality of the governments decision in 2019 to prorogue parliament. This extended over five of the eight weeks leading up to the deadline for the UK to either agree a deal with the EU or depart without one in place. Hale said the arguments went to the essence of the Prime Ministers role within the constitution, with the court eventually finding against the government. The ruling reversed the prorogation on the grounds that the governments decision went beyond the powers it had under the constitution and undermined parliamentary supremacy. The world is slowly emerging from one of the most extreme challenges it has ever faced. In this context, the Market Research Societys (MRS) Impact Conference 2022 looked at how society can rebuild in a way that offers true progress and prosperity. Colette Doyle, Liam Kay and John Reynolds report on some of the ideas proffered with a view to reinventing the way we work, create and interact She noted that the ruling was outside of the arguments of the rightness or wrongness of Brexit. She also underlined how important it was for the court to put the public debates on the issue to one side when deciding on the legality of prorogation. Whether we should or should not have left the EU was not the argument. We were not concerned about that one little bit. We were concerned about the relationship between government and parliament, Hale explained. Balancing evidence with creativity The most effective pieces of research balance the need for robust evidence with creativity, thereby using insight to create a reliable narrative for an organisation, according to Pete Markey, chief marketing officer at Boots UK. Markey described the role of the modern marketer as part artist, part scientist and part champion for the marketing function within the company. He continued: Its definitely possible to combine data and creativity; you just need to make sure that both your company and your agency are on board and that you build in time to properly pre-test and measure. There are a lot more tools available nowadays (digital and AI solutions) than there were previously and these give you confidence and enable you to sell an idea within a business. Markey also commented on the importance of bravery in leadership. Bravery means not being afraid to push boundaries in terms of the established norms we need to have the courage to question things, question the way that something has always been done. Some of the breakthrough moments have come when you go into a job and ask: Why do you do it like that? and the answer is often because thats the way its always been done. He concluded with his top tips for insights professionals: Be bold, use the platform that you have as an opportunity to help unlock potential in a business. Find those insights that can make a real difference. Help to shape the thinking of the organisation, champion the customer and drive growth. 12 Impact ISSUE 37 2022_pp12-13_Conference.indd 12 28/03/2022 14:40