30Under30 Honouree: Rachel Julius

Great to hear from Significant Insights Global 30 under 30 honouree  Rachel Julius, a Consumer Insights Lead on Under Armour’s Global Consumer Insights team who is experienced in leading qual and quant research across strategy, product, and marketing communications categories.

So, how did you get into the industry, and take us through how you got to this point?

As an undergraduate I knew I had an interest in understanding the “why” behind human behavior, but I yearned for a way to apply my background in Sociology & Psychology in a business focused setting. This led me to earn my Masters in Marketing, with a focus on Consumer Insights & Analytics, from Northwestern University. With an understanding of the methodologies underpinning consumer behavior analysis, I then applied my skills in the real world – first as a Media Analytics Associate at Circana (formerly IRI Worldwide) and now as a Consumer Insights Lead at Under Armour. 

Why should anyone consider a career in market research, data and insights?

I love the market research, data, and insights industry because it provides me with the opportunity to dive deep into understanding different customers, people, and cultures. Humans are ever evolving, and as a result so is market research. I find the change of our industry extremely compelling and feel it pushes me to grow as a researcher and insights professional.

Career paths are rarely without challenges. Can you share an honest moment from your career when things didn’t go quite according to plan, but the lessons remain with you to this day?

Early in my insights career, my team got a research request with the objective of gathering insights on a new product. I was tasked with conducting focus groups and creating a consolidated report of key consumer findings. While I successfully executed the research in field, after presenting findings it became clear that there was not a solid plan for how insights would be actioned on. From this experience, I learned the importance of asking the right questions before engaging in research – understanding the impetus for the request, how insights will be used in decision making, and the impact on the business to most effectively drive growth. 

What two things should junior researchers focus on as they progress in their careers?

1. Involvement in the Insights Industry: At the beginning of 2024, I made it a personal goal for myself to become more active in the insights community. Joining organizations like WIRe’s Mentor/Mentee program and Insights Association has been an invaluable experience, and has opened doors to connecting with and learning from other researchers. As 2024 is coming to a close, my advice to junior researchers would be do look for ways to get involved in the industry (outside of their day to day job) as early as possible!
2. Progress, not Perfection: At the beginning of my career, I remember being focused on making sure every report and presentation was “perfect.” As I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve learned that a perfect report, while aesthetically pleasing, doesn’t equal insights adoption. Making progress in an organization by focusing on growing stakeholder relationships, creating new processes for insight integration, and improving data literacy has led me to the greatest success.

Do you have any advice for our sector?

My advice for our sector is to prioritize identifying the highest value projects. Often times, there are a plethora of research requests, and not enough researchers to meet demand. When possible, prioritizing the projects that most closely tie to business growth can allow for personal and professional success.

And do you have anyone who has helped your career so far that you’d like to acknowledge and say thanks or give a shout out to?

I feel lucky to have worked with many folks who are great researchers, and more importantly great people. I’d like to give a special shout out to Cassie Lopez and Cailyn Gray from Under Armour’s Global Consumer Insights team. I gained critical skills on how to manage vendor relationships, execute projects with varying methodologies, and build stakeholder relationships with their mentorship and leadership.

Additionally, I would like to thank Michael Zalesne and Mira Lares, who I sit on Insights Association’s South Atlantic Chapter Board with, for their support over the past year.