On this episode, host Sima Vasa talks to James Turner, Founder and CEO of Delineate, about redefining data collection and insight generation in today’s fast-paced market research landscape. James shares his journey from mining engineer to data mining expert and explains how Delineate bridges the gap between traditional research practices and agile, technology-driven approaches.

Key Takeaways:

(02:22) Started as a mining engineer before transitioning to data mining.

(07:47) Industry disruption in the 2010s drove significant changes.

(10:02) Speed, quality and cost efficiency reshape client research.

(12:16) Successful disruptors reshape categories with innovative, lasting ideas.

(14:31) Scaling innovation is tricky, even for large companies.

(16:57) Old survey designs create noise and reduce data quality.

(20:44) Human touch remains vital in interpreting client reporting.

(23:17) Situational research helps with product innovation and demand space.

(26:28) AI co-pilots are creating significant momentum in the research industry.

(29:56) Research now stands at the forefront of the data ecosystem.

Resources Mentioned:

Delineate Website

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#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech

On this episode, host Sima Vasa talks to George London, Chief Technology Officer of Upwave. George shares insights into the complexities of the advertising ecosystem, the role of data in campaign optimization and the parallels between financial and ad markets.

Key Takeaways:

(02:14) From philosophy to data leadership.
(05:34) Persistence and adaptability shaped George’s path to CTO.
(08:15) Causal inference helps Upwave provide reliable insights for large media investments.
(11:32) Rigorous measurement turns $10M in ad spend into $20M in value.
(13:10) Daily insights from Upwave simplify complex national ad campaigns.
(15:12) Actionable insights drive Upwave’s mission to optimize brand investments.
(16:23) Targeted surveys reveal brand impact across specific ad campaigns.
(17:59) The ad ecosystem spans brands, publishers and a complex chain of intermediaries.
(20:36) Generative AI powers Upwave’s automated ad reporting with Trade Desk.
(22:47) Advertising shares dynamics with financial markets, including bidding and price discovery.

Resources Mentioned:

UpWave

Trade Desk

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#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech

On this episode, host Sima Vasa talks with J. Walker Smith, Knowledge Lead at Kantar. They discuss shifting consumer sentiments, the paradox of strong spending amid uncertainty and changes in market insights.

Key Takeaways:

(02:14) Experience in trends and futures at Kantar aids in predicting consumer values.

(04:37) Consumer spending is strong, but sentiment is recessionary amid uncertainty.

(07:57) Consumers seek familiarity and reassurance from brands over novelty.

(10:55) Consumers prefer brands focused on well-being and personalization.

(13:55) Gen Z prioritizes mental health and values digital convenience.

(17:20) Gen Z’s tech-driven shopping requires marketing to algorithms.

(19:33) Curating market data to refine key insights and filter noise.

(21:48) AI will automate research tasks, shifting insights to focus on growth.

(25:36) Future insights roles will prioritize strategic growth over pure research.

Resources Mentioned:

Kantar

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#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech

On this episode, host Sima Vasa speaks with Darrell Bricker, Chief Executive Officer, Public Affairs at Ipsos. They discuss the evolving landscape of public opinion research, the role of emotional connection in politics, and the shifting global demographics shaping our future.

Key Takeaways:

(02:30) Mentorship and opportunity shape a meaningful career in polling.

(05:01) Public affairs research centers on understanding citizens, not consumers.

(06:58) Global polling now offers real-time insights into worldwide issues.

(08:43) Mobile phones enable global polling access, even in remote areas.

(10:28) Decline in deference empowers citizens to challenge authority.

(12:56) Political volatility rises as traditional party loyalty declines.

(15:04) Constant skepticism in research strengthens accuracy and reliability.

(16:29) Emotional connection now outweighs rationality in political appeal.

(19:21) A public affairs career thrives on social science and global curiosity.

(22:13) Global population is set to peak mid-century, then decline rapidly.

(25:42) Urbanization and women’s evolving roles contribute to lower birth rates.

Resources Mentioned:

Ipsos

Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline

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#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech #publicopinion

On this episode, host Sima Vasa speaks with Darrell Bricker, Chief Executive Officer, Public Affairs at Ipsos. They discuss the evolving landscape of public opinion research, the role of emotional connection in politics, and the shifting global demographics shaping our future.

Key Takeaways:

(02:30) Mentorship and opportunity shape a meaningful career in polling.

(05:01) Public affairs research centers on understanding citizens, not consumers.

(06:58) Global polling now offers real-time insights into worldwide issues.

(08:43) Mobile phones enable global polling access, even in remote areas.

(10:28) Decline in deference empowers citizens to challenge authority.

(12:56) Political volatility rises as traditional party loyalty declines.

(15:04) Constant skepticism in research strengthens accuracy and reliability.

(16:29) Emotional connection now outweighs rationality in political appeal.

(19:21) A public affairs career thrives on social science and global curiosity.

(22:13) Global population is set to peak mid-century, then decline rapidly.

(25:42) Urbanization and women’s evolving roles contribute to lower birth rates.

Resources Mentioned:

Ipsos

Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline

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#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech #PublicOpinion

On this episode, host Sima Vasa welcomes Michael Winnick, Founder and CEO of dscout. They discuss his journey in the worlds of product, design and technology. Michael shares insights on how patience and persistence shaped his entrepreneurial journey and how dscout helps companies conduct innovative, real-time research.

Key Takeaways:

(02:45) Michael’s journey from startups to founding dscout.

(07:16) Democratizing research with new technology.

(10:32) How UX and design align with research.

(14:24) Adapting products to market shifts.

(17:51) Managing the balance between ambition and patience.

(21:15) The challenge of bringing products to market.

(23:44) The importance of building a great team.

(26:02) Success comes from customer impact.

Resources Mentioned:

The Nielsen Norman Group

IDEO

Stanford d.school

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#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech

On this episode, host Sima Vasa talks to Matt Celuszak, Co-Founder and CEO of Element Human, about the intersection of AI and human behavior. Together they explore how data can drive better brand engagement. Matt shares his insights on understanding human emotions and reactions, focusing on attention data and using behavioral understanding to create memorable, impactful campaigns.

Key Takeaways:

(03:39) AI-driven insights help marketers understand how human emotions affect engagement.

(07:15) Attention and stopping power are crucial for creating lasting brand impressions.

(11:03) Combining human behavior with data drives personalized marketing strategies.

(14:24) Emotional response correlates with memorability and purchase intent.

(19:00) Real-world behavioral responses provide complementary data to standard metrics.

(23:15) Balancing creators’ authenticity with brand messaging is key to successful influencer marketing.

(28:10) The staying power of content is as critical as initial engagement in brand building.

(31:30) Understanding the emotional impact of content helps brands connect more effectively with consumers.

Resources Mentioned:

Element Human homepage

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#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech

On this episode, host Sima Vasa talks to Tim Hoskins, President of Quester, and Brett Townsend, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Quester, about the future of insights and how to drive meaningful change in the industry. Brett and Tim share revelations from their book, “Insights on the Brink,” and discuss how empathy, emotion and storytelling play critical roles in creating impactful business decisions.

Key Takeaways:

(03:45) Empathy and emotion are vital for creating successful consumer insights.

(07:22) It’s not just about data — turning it into actionable insights is where the magic happens.

(10:15) Business strategy should go hand in hand with insights to drive meaningful results.

(13:55) Consumer conflict is what drives great storytelling and effective solutions.

(17:05) Data-driven decision-making requires a shift in mindset and processes.

(21:30) Asking challenging questions can push companies to innovate and break from the status quo.

(24:12) High-end consultative insights are critical to providing value in a fast-evolving market.

(27:45) The future of insights is in combining talent, empathy and technology to deliver impactful stories.

Resources Mentioned:

“Insights on the Brink” on Amazon

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#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech

On this episode, host Sima Vasa talks to Kai Stübane, Solution Chief Revenue Officer for SAP CX for Middle and Eastern Europe, about the evolving role of customer experience (CX) in driving business success.

Key Takeaways:

(00:06) Kai’s journey from PwC to SAP.

(01:21) CX covers all customer touchpoints.

(03:33) SAP uses data to improve CX.

(05:48) CX boosts top-line revenue.

(09:00) Global shift toward automation and self-service.

(13:03) Personalization is critical to customer satisfaction.

(16:48) AI’s growing role in customer experience.

(17:45) Focus on CX leads to market growth.

(21:00) Clean data is crucial for AI and automation.

Resources Mentioned:

SAP CX Solutions

FlixBus

Greyhound

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#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech

On this episode, host Sima Vasa talks to Eugene Murphy, Founder and CEO of Indeemo, who shares insights on how Indeemo is revolutionizing digital ethnography and qualitative research through innovative video solutions.

Key Takeaways:

(00:06) Eugene’s journey from engineering to founding Indeemo.

(02:03) Creating a seamless user experience for all ages.

(04:12) Pivoting Indeemo from a social app to a research tool.

(08:01) The power of mobile ethnography in market research.

(14:07) The importance of capturing authentic customer moments via video.

(18:15) Video is more impactful than traditional research methods.

(20:06) A seamless user experience is crucial for respondent engagement.

(24:15) Generative AI enhances the scalability of video research.

(27:00) Teaching clients to create effective, consistent prompts for research.

Resources Mentioned:

Indeemo

Thanks for listening to the Data Gurus podcast, brought to you by Infinity Squared. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help get the word out about the show, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss another insightful conversation.

#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech