Market Research - Adapt or Die

Bob Kaden, President and Owner of The Kaden Company, recently started a discussion on LinkedIn (in the NGMR Group) by asking “are researchers aggressive enough to have real impact?” He quotes Neeraj Arora of the AC Nielsen Center for Marketing Research:
Marketing research used to be a backroom function, but nowadays the distinctions are blurring between marketing researchers and brand managers. Marketing researchers must have the business savvy of a brand manager and the analytic mind of a researcher. They need to be creative, take risks, spot market trends and pass this information onto CEO.

I agree with with Arora. Traditional marketing research and researchers need to adapt or die. No longer can researchers be content to crunch numbers. We need a new call to action – and a more strategic, bigger picture.

My response:

Perhaps the methodologies and platforms will shape the role.  As research moves into a more organic, dynamic, social media space, how will our industry adapt?

Perhaps the changes will come not from internal brand managers, but from external agencies that change the game plan via social media and other platforms from which they can gather "market research." Perhaps these "hybrid" researchers exist in other capabilities?

Do you think external pressures will help to change the relationship between brand managers and researchers?