TORONTO, March 21, 2025 – The Canadian Research Insights Council’s (CRIC) Complaints Panel (hereafter, the “Panel”), constituted by CRIC’s Standards Portfolio Chair, today imposed a Sanction of Censure against Nick Kouvalis and Campaign Research Inc., stemming from multiple complaints of professional misconduct received in the fall of 2024 and continuing into 2025.
CRIC’s communications to Mr. Kouvalis regarding the potential resolution of the complaints remain unanswered, and Mr. Kouvalis continued to behave unprofessionally in public settings, tarnishing the reputation of the industry.
Campaign Research is no longer a member of CRIC and will not be permitted to reapply for membership until the company issues a public statement of apology and convinces CRIC that it will comply with CRIC’s quality standards and Code of Professional Conduct.
The Canadian Research Insights Council is Canada’s voice of the research, insights, and analytics industry both domestically and globally. CRIC represents the highest standards, ethics, and best practices in research that protect the public interest. Members include research agencies, companies that rely on insights, and other industry partners such as academic institutions.
Investigation and Findings
Public Statements which Tend to Bring the Industry into Disrepute
Between September 2024 and February 2025, CRIC received several complaints from members of the association regarding a number of posts on X, formerly Twitter, by Mr. Kouvalis.
The initial complaints were related to Mr. Kouvalis’ unprofessional posts and unjustifiable criticism of another member agency. Following a dialogue with CRIC’s CEO and a member of its Executive Committee, Kouvalis agreed to delete one of his most offensive comments.
Mr. Kouvalis also made a number of posts critical of other association members that were unprofessional and, at times, profane. Highlights of these posts are attached to this decision at Appendix A.
It is CRIC’s considered view that both the criticisms themselves and the language employed fall well below the standards required of CRIC’s members, who are required to conduct themselves with professionalism. Public shaming of other members in the manner undertaken by Mr. Kouvalis tends to bring CRIC into disrepute and undermine public confidence in public research.
Failure to Include Required Disclosures in Public Statements
Additional complaints were received after this including complaints that stem from the publication on X of polling results conducted by Campaign Research that do not comply with CRIC’s Disclosure Requirements. These disclosure requirements are important because they provide transparency on the sponsors of the research and the methodology used so that members of the public can independently assess the reliability of the posted research results.
Acting on the complaints, CRIC’s Chief Executive Officer sent an email to Mr. Kouvalis on November 25, 2024, reminding him that the publication of research findings must include the required disclosures, and that several postings by Mr. Kouvalis failed to include:
- who sponsored the research;
- who funded it;
- a description of the sample design;
- a description of the sources of sample;
- a description of the survey methodology;
- whether weighting was applied; and
- the detailed tables with the weighted and unweighted number of responses by standard demographic categories.
Neither Mr. Kouvalis nor anyone at Campaign Research responded to this communication, and Mr. Kouvalis has since posted on X additional research findings without the required disclosures, in flagrant non-compliance of the CRIC requirements.
Determination
CRIC reviews each matter involving the breach of its standards on a case-by-case basis. The outcome of each investigation is predicated on CRIC’s factual findings after having given the subject of the complaint full opportunity to respond and provide information in its defence.
The discipline levied depends on both mitigating and aggravating factors so that the outcome is proportionate and accords with standards of fairness, while promoting CRIC’s professional and ethical goals. Ultimately, CRIC must maintain the public’s confidence in research and ensure that such research is accompanied by adequate disclosure, to protect against sampling or other methodological error and bias.
- The public statements made by Mr. Kouvalis on behalf of Campaign Research were extremely unprofessional and tend to undermine the public’s confidence in public research. Using metaphors about brothels and referring to other member organizations as clowns or clown shows are inflammatory, inappropriate, and tend to undermine the public’s confidence in our members and tend to bring the industry into disrepute.
- The failure to make required disclosures does not permit members of the public reviewing published data to understand whether it is inherently reliable by assessing methodological factors and bias. Transparency is integral to maintaining public confidence in research results and Campaign Research’s continued refusal to comply with those standards also undermines public confidence in the industry.
- Neither Mr. Kouvalis nor Campaign Research participated in the complaint review process, despite communications by CRIC’s CEO, and showed no contrition in what were obvious and flagrant breaches of CRIC’s standards and ethical rules.
- The Panel also notes that it is not the first time that Campaign Research has been sanctioned by a professional association. CRIC’s predecessor organization, the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA), sanctioned the company in 2011 following complaints of professional misconduct regarding calls made to the public that allegedly pushed misleading information about a sitting Member of Parliament – actions the then Speaker of the House of Commons, Mr. Andrew Sheer, declared as “reprehensible.” In imposing its sanction of Censure on Campaign Research, the MRIA Complaints Panel concluded that Campaign Research had violated core principals of its codes related to public confidence and that its actions had likely diminished the confidence of the public in marketing research.
- Specifically, the Complaints Panel finds that Campaign Research, through the actions of Mr. Kouvalis, violated CRIC’s Ethical Code and CRIC POR Standards and Disclosure Requirements.1
The Panel finds that Campaign Research and Mr. Kouvalis’ breaches of CRIC rules and standards were serious, repeated, and not ameliorated by any mitigating factors. For these reasons, the Complaints Panel imposes a Sanction of Censure and Expulsion upon Campaign Research and Mr. Kouvalis.
The Complaints Panel notes that Mr. Kouvalis posted on X on January 28, 2025, that he does not intend to renew his membership with CRIC, although he has not sent an official notice to CRIC to this effect. Regardless, CRIC has withdrawn its membership renewal offer in light of this Sanction of Censure and Expulsion from CRIC.
1 CRIC Ethical Code:
Article 9 Professional responsibility
(b) Researchers must always behave ethically and must not do anything that might unjustifiably damage the reputation of research or lead to a loss of public confidence in it.
(d) Researchers must not unjustifiably criticize other researchers.
CRIC POR Standard and Disclosure Requirements
III. Standards of Disclosure
Disclosure Requirements
About CRIC
The Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC) is Canada’s voice of the research, analytics, and insights profession both domestically and globally. CRIC represents the highest standards, ethics, and best practices; provides effective promotion and advocacy of the industry; serves as a source of information and thought leadership; and is a forum for collective industry action. CRIC’s members include Canada’s leading research agencies as well as client organizations, academic institutions, and other industry partners.
For more information, visit www.canadianresearchinsightscouncil.ca or contact John Tabone, Chief Executive Officer, at john.tabone@canadianresearchinsightscouncil.ca.
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