What happens when the biggest obstacles to innovation aren't technical, but human?

On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest, founder and president of Sylver Consulting, Brianna Sylver, about transforming turbulence into trust through emotional leadership. They explore how insights leaders can navigate the inevitable resistance, doubt, and complexity that emerge when driving meaningful change within organizations. Sylver is the author of "Leading Through Freefall: How Innovators Turn Turbulence into Trust," a practical guide for leaders navigating uncertainty, change, and team dynamics in high-stakes environments. 

They discuss how people experiencing change go through a grief curve that starts with resistance and moves through anger, depression, and bargaining before reaching acceptance. The more complex the challenge and the greater the potential impact, the more intense these emotional peaks and valleys become. Sylver explains that successful leaders must learn to recognize these emotions as signals rather than obstacles, using them as opportunities to lean in with more profound empathy and constructive dialogue rather than turning away or assigning blame. "It's our job to lead the emotional energy of ourselves," Sylver explains. "Our teams and our stakeholders."

The conversation also addresses the crucial transition from delivering great insights to becoming a steward of implementation, emphasizing that engagement along the journey doesn't equal commitment to outcomes. Leaders must help stakeholders understand how new insights fit into existing roadmaps, support the translation of insights into actionable steps through a comprehensive growth strategy framework, and sometimes accept that their role involves planting seeds that may germinate on different timelines than initially anticipated.

You can read a chapter of her book for free by clicking here.

Sponsors:

Priscilla McKinney here! I am very excited to tell you about my book: 

Collaboration is the New Competition: Why the Future of Work Rewards A Cross Pollinating Hive Mind and How Not to Get Left Behind

The book's chapters are designed to be time-efficient, ensuring busy professionals can easily integrate these transformative ideas into their workflow. From discussing the state of affairs in business to providing fundamental strategies and seven practical anchors for staying on course, this book offers a fresh perspective and a competitive advantage in today's complex business landscape. Visit priscillamckinney.com for more information.

Ever feel like your marketing plan is just... meh? You've got the pieces, but are they really working together?

We often find that even when companies are doing the right things, they may not be doing them in the right order. The results are, well, no results. Curious how you can effectively evaluate your marketing efforts? Want clarity on your next best strategic move?

Take our Marketing Assessment Quiz and in just minutes, discover exactly where you stand – and where you could be going.

Click here and take the quiz today and don’t leave success to chance.

What if the biggest factor driving your business decisions isn't logic, but emotions?

On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and Psyclone CEO Ryan Baum about combining psychological science with data analytics to decode the emotional DNA of consumer and voter behavior. They explore how even seemingly rational B2B purchasing decisions are driven by deep emotional patterns, and why understanding the "big three" of thinking, feeling, and behaving is essential for effective marketing strategy.

McKinney and Baum discuss how emotions often serve as early warning signals before traditional KPIs show changes, providing brands with crucial forecasting capabilities in volatile markets. He explains that neuroscientific research proves we cannot make decisions without emotion, even in complex B2B environments where logic seems to dominate. Unlike traditional market research insights that focus on surface-level responses, his approach recognizes that while rational thinking plays a role in decision-making, emotions ultimately drive behavior. "We are emotional creatures," Baum explains. "But we do think rationally as well."

Baum also shares insights from Psyclone's 2024 Presidential post-election study that uncovered how identity alignment often trumps (no pun intended) issue-based considerations in political decisions. This same psychological pattern extends directly into consumer brand loyalty and purchasing patterns, helping explain why cross-channel attribution becomes challenging when emotions drive behavior across multiple touchpoints. This deeper understanding of consumer psychology reveals why traditional brand tracking often misses the full story by focusing on surface-level metrics rather than the underlying psychological drivers that predict future behavior.

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Ever feel like your marketing plan is just... meh? You've got the pieces, but are they really working together?

We often find that even when companies are doing the right things, they may not be doing them in the right order. The results are, well, no results. Curious how you can effectively evaluate your marketing efforts? Want clarity on your next best strategic move?

Take our Marketing Assessment Quiz and in just minutes, discover exactly where you stand – and where you could be going.

Click here and take the quiz today and don’t leave success to chance.

*This episode is brought to you by Dynata, the world's preeminent provider of market data services and first-party permission-based data.*

On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney continues her Conference Flyover of Quirks New York 2025. She conducts interviews with 12 industry leaders, giving you their thoughts on everything from agentic AI workflow automation and post-launch product optimization to fragile consumer sentiment and the critical importance of authentic, inclusive advertising. These conversations reveal how the industry is navigating unprecedented consumer volatility while building more efficient research processes that maintain human empathy and cultural authenticity.

Leaders from companies like Inca, Nailbiter, and Smith-Hanley Associates share how they're building solutions that automate tedious research tasks while preserving strategic thinking, using post-launch measurement to optimize products already on shelf, and helping brands navigate increasingly fragile consumer sentiment. (Wow, that presentation from Borderless Access was a good one!) AI-powered workflow tools are connecting disparate research platforms so professionals can focus on consultation rather than data management, while innovative measurement approaches are catching product failures before they become costly disasters. "When we think about how we're coming in, we're not trying to replace the workflow,” Raj Manocha from Gydence Group explains. “We're trying to make it more efficient or enhance it.”

The conversations also reveal how brands must adapt to consumers who have become increasingly empowered to punish companies for perceived missteps. Research leaders emphasize the need for hyper-personalized understanding of individual consumers rather than broad demographic targeting, while maintaining authentic representation in advertising that builds trust rather than appearing performative. These insights reflect an industry evolution toward more sophisticated consumer profiling and real-time sentiment monitoring, helping brands weather the storms of rapidly shifting public opinion while building genuine connections with their audiences.

If you want to connect with the professionals featured in this episode, their LinkedIn profiles are linked below. If you do decide to connect, let them know Little Bird Marketing sent you their way: Raj Manocha, Lindsey Bartlett, Kathy Cheng, David Dick, Kelsey Whitehead, Kira Greenberg, Mary Kelly, Nicole Mitchell, Maureen Evans, Nicole Ipsen, Jocelyn Simon, and Robert Pierson.

Sponsor:

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*This episode is brought to you by Multilingual Connections, providing unparalleled translation, transcription, transcreation, and localization services to organizations worldwide.*

What happens when market researchers need insights yesterday but can't sacrifice quality or authenticity? They meet on the regular at events around the world to make meaningful industry connections and have real conversations! 

On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney takes you on her Conference Flyover of Quirks New York 2025. She conducts interviews with 14 industry leaders, giving you their thoughts on everything from AI-powered translation and moderation to B2B expert panels and the persistent say-do gap in consumer behavior. These conversations reveal how the industry is adapting to demands for faster insights while maintaining focus on data quality, cultural authenticity, and human-centered research approaches. It’s just what happens when we get together and talk shop! 

The discussions highlight a significant shift in how research professionals approach AI integration, with most emphasizing hybrid models that combine artificial intelligence with human expertise rather than full automation. Leaders from companies like Multilingual Connections, SightX, and Luth Research share how they're building solutions that speed up research processes while preserving the nuanced understanding that only human researchers can provide. Translation experts stress that AI can handle basic language conversion but cultural adaptation requires human oversight, while moderation platforms are using AI to manage scalable conversations so human moderators can focus on complex B2B and healthcare audiences. "They want, you know, on the go, quick, and we're really, our role is to be their partner rather than be a researcher within the company, right?" Ava Arora from DirecTV explains.

If you attended Quirks NY, this will extend the value of your ticket. If you didn’t make it, this will give you a “bird’s eye view” of what happened, and help build your network without leaving your desk! The conversations also reveal creative approaches to the speed versus quality challenge that defines modern market research. Some companies have built platforms that deliver qualitative insights in under 24 hours without sacrificing depth, while others are bridging the persistent say-do gap by combining real-time digital behavior tracking with follow-up surveys to the same respondents. These innovations reflect a broader industry shift toward becoming strategic partners with stakeholders rather than just data providers, requiring researchers to deliver faster, more actionable insights while maintaining the rigor that makes research valuable.

If you want to connect with the professionals featured in this episode, their LinkedIn profiles are linked below. If you do decide to connect, let them know Little Bird Marketing sent you their way: Xavier Vaissiere, Tim Lawton, Jill Kushner Bishop, PhD, Jeff Whiteside and Brandon Richard, Janeen Hazel, Drew Jones, Diana Lim, Danny Farkas, Daniel Khomenko, Cliff Kane, Carlos Hevia, Ava Arora, and Andrew Kawalek.

Sponsor:

Priscilla McKinney is not just a CEO; she is also a LinkedIn Influencer. The reality is that very few people are using LinkedIn efficiently or effectively, and if you’re not careful, social media can become a black hole. When you emerge, you find you wound up in a place you never intended to go and you’re wondering where all the time went.

Time is precious, and trying to be everything to everyone means becoming nothing to no one. That's why she's developed a transformative 12-week course that goes beyond basic tips and tricks – teaching you how to build a strategic network and create stellar content that cuts through the LinkedIn noise.

Click here to learn more, and sign up for a spot in her social influence course today!

What happens when psychology meets the courtroom and artificial intelligence starts reshaping how we select juries?

On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney and CRO Stephanie Douglass give you their Conference Flyover from the American Society of Trial Consultants' 44th Annual Conference in New Orleans. They share insights gathered from interviews with trial consultants, psychology students, legal professionals, and industry veterans who are navigating the intersection of behavioral science and legal strategy.

The conversations reveal how trial consulting has become essential for cases involving wrongful convictions, with some professionals advocating for jury consultants to be standard practice rather than a luxury. Conference attendees discuss the meticulous research that goes into understanding potential jurors, the growing importance of social media management during high-profile trials, and how artificial intelligence is beginning to transform jury selection processes. The field attracts professionals from diverse backgrounds, from forensic psychology graduates to seasoned attorneys, all working to bridge the gap between human behavior and legal outcomes. "I see AI as having significant implications in the future for our industry," Emerson manager Patty Kuehn explains. "I think being on the cutting edge of learning how to use it as a tool is critically important."

The conference addresses pressing challenges facing the industry, including the need for more comprehensive jury selection processes, the role of technology in modern trials, and the importance of maintaining neutrality while applying psychological principles to legal proceedings. Attendees emphasize that trial consulting isn't about winning or losing, but about ensuring fair representation and understanding human decision-making in high-stakes situations. The field continues to evolve as professionals explore new methodologies for identifying bias, understanding jury dynamics, and applying cutting-edge research to real-world legal scenarios.

If you want to connect with the professionals featured in this episode, included below are their LinkedIn profiles. If you do decide to connect, let them know Little Bird Marketing sent you their way: Samantha Weiner, Kyle Leffler, John Si, Patrick Ryan, Jacob Rolls, Patty Kuehn, Colin Piazza, Claudia Varner, Anthony Legion, Molly Outland, and Ally Robertson.

Sponsors:

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Our "peeps" understand market research inside and out. We know your buyers, craft meaningful messages that move them to buy, understand the competitive landscape and where you fit in the market. We get the industry - from qual/quant to emerging technologies.

Why settle for getting the job done when you can soar with marketing that drives real revenue? Click here to get started.

Why do brilliant marketing strategies with massive budgets still fail spectacularly?

On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and CEO Alexander Millet about the critical disconnect between what customers say they want and what they want. They explore how Brandtrust uses applied social and behavioral sciences to uncover the more profound human truths that drive real decision-making. 

Traditional market research often captures what people say they want versus what they do. A perfect example of this comes from Netflix, which  promoted Schindler's List to customers as it was reported as people’s favorite. Basing this decision solely on self-reported information, they failed to see what the data was saying– that these customers actually more frequently watched Dude, Where's My Car. When asked, customers answered what they thought was the most respectable answer, and probably even believed they had watched Schindler’s List more often. But the truth was found not in the self-reported actions, but the actual data. Millet explains that this discrepancy reveals the more profound human truth about self-perception, self-reporting and non-conscious decision-making. With this example in mind, it follows that brands should be careful what data is used as a base for marketing decisions. Their conversation reveals how brands can achieve better marketing effectiveness measurement by understanding the emotional and non-conscious drivers behind customer choices rather than relying solely on self-reported preferences. "Business challenges are [the same as] human challenges," Millet explains. "What's not commodified is understanding and asking the better, more beautiful question."

Millet emphasizes the importance of moving beyond surface-level market research insights to create strategies that deliver results, sharing how Brandtrust’s approach focuses on asking more beautiful questions that reveal authentic motivations, helping brands align their values with genuine human needs rather than assumed preferences. This methodology has helped clients pivot their strategies significantly, sometimes discovering that customers want consistency and reliability rather than endless variety and options.

Sponsors:

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Click here to see how they can support your research, and when you connect with them, thank them for sponsoring this podcast.

Ever feel like your marketing plan is just... meh? You've got all the pieces, but are they really working together? 

We often find that even when companies are doing the right things, they may not be doing them in the right order. The result is, well, no results. Want to effectively evaluate your marketing efforts and gain clarity on your next strategic move? 

Take our Marketing Assessment Quiz today and discover exactly where you stand – and where you could be going – in just minutes.

What happens when market researchers from around the world gather in Amsterdam to discuss the future of insights?

On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney takes you on a conference flyover of Greenbook’s IIX EU Amsterdam conference floor. She conducts interviews with 20 industry leaders, giving you an earful of  their thoughts on everything from AI implementation and global data collection to keeping the human in the loop with AI tools and the changing landscape of market research technology. These conversations reveal how the industry is adapting to new challenges while maintaining focus on data quality and human-centered insights.

The discussions highlight a significant shift in how research professionals approach AI integration, with most emphasizing hybrid models that combine artificial intelligence with human expertise rather than full automation. Leaders from companies like Quest Mindshare, Panolplai, and Rival Technologies share how they're building global communities, ensuring data quality across markets, and creating more engaging research experiences that combat survey fatigue while delivering actionable insights.Regarding the use of AI in your research process, Shafeeq Shajahan from Streetbees explains. "Trust your strategists because they will be the ones guard-railing the output." 

The conversations also reveal how the industry is grappling with global expansion challenges, from navigating cultural sensitivities in different markets to managing customs regulations for product testing. Translation experts and data collection specialists emphasize that successful global research requires more than just linguistic translation—it demands cultural adaptation and understanding of local regulations and social norms.

If you want to connect with the professionals featured in this episode, their LinkedIn profiles are linked below. If you do decide to connect, let them know Little Bird Marketing sent you their way: Steve Pendrell, Shafeeq Shajahan, Tasneem Dalal, Salma Nosseir, Riga Rezay-Strassburg, Nancy N. Hernon, Mike Ostrowski, Michael Steinberg, Kit Wiggin, Michael Vincent, Ed Staples, Dan Foreman, Joseph Wylie, David Bailey, Charlotte Kiddle, Brigette Small, Andrew Reid, Esther Marchetti, Martha Llobet and Julia Polakova.

Sponsors:Ever feel like your marketing plan is just... meh? You've got the pieces, but are they really working together?

We often find that even when companies are doing the right things, they may not be doing them in the right order. The results are, well, no results. Curious how you can effectively evaluate your marketing efforts? Want clarity on your next best strategic move?

Take our Marketing Assessment Quiz and in just minutes, discover exactly where you stand – and where you could be going.

Click here and take the quiz today and don’t leave success to chance.

Priscilla McKinney is not just a CEO; she is also a LinkedIn Influencer. The reality is that very few people are using LinkedIn efficiently or effectively, and if you’re not careful, social media can become a black hole. When you emerge, you find you wound up in a place you never intended to go and you’re wondering where all the time went.

Time is precious, and trying to be everything to everyone means becoming nothing to no one. That's why she's developed a transformative 12-week course that goes beyond basic tips and tricks – teaching you how to build a strategic network and create stellar content that cuts through the LinkedIn noise.

Click here to learn more, and sign up for a spot in her social influence course today!

Can you defend your research insights if stakeholders challenge them?

On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest, speaker and Full Circle Research Chief Product Officer Alexandrine de Montera about the critical shift in market research data quality standards. They explore how industry events have transformed client conversations from focusing on speed and cost to demanding defensible, transparent research practices that can withstand scrutiny, even from stakeholders.

Montera shares how Full Circle Research has evolved from treating quality as a back-end function to making it a strategic differentiator. AI presents opportunities and threats in fraud detection, creating data that may look good, but is actually bad, requiring human validation and manual oversight to identify correctly. They explore the challenges of maintaining customer insights integrity while meeting demands for faster research panels and more sophisticated survey design. "Real transparency actually attracts better clients. It reduces friction in QA conversations. It lets you focus on the strategy instead of defending your methodology," Montera explains. "The question is not, should you be transparent, but how quickly can you get there?"

The discussion covers the impact of the Department of Justice indictment on industry practices, the rising importance of ISO 20252 certification, and how major brands like Procter & Gamble are now mandating quality standards for their research suppliers. Montera addresses the balance between innovation and integrity, emphasizing that transparency builds long-term client relationships rather than compromising competitive advantage. The conversation underscores how reliable data quality enables better data-driven marketing decisions across global research initiatives.

Sponsors:

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Our "peeps" understand market research inside and out. We know your buyers, craft meaningful messages that move them to buy, understand the competitive landscape and where you fit in the market. We get the industry - from qual/quant to emerging technologies.

Why settle for getting the job done when you can soar with marketing that drives real revenue? Click here to get started.

Ever feel like your marketing plan is just... meh? You've got all the pieces, but are they really working together? 

We often find that even when companies are doing the right things, they may not be doing them in the right order. The result is, well, no results. Want to effectively evaluate your marketing efforts and gain clarity on your next strategic move? 

Take our Marketing Assessment Quiz today and discover exactly where you stand – and where you could be going – in just minutes.

Can you grow a market research company to £6 million in just two years?

On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and Potentia Insight Managing Director Suzy Hassan about building a successful consultative data collection company from the ground up. They explore how Potentia Insight achieved remarkable growth by focusing on human relationships and niche market research solutions rather than relying solely on digital automation, which dominates the industry.

They discuss how the key to rapid business growth lies in maintaining personal connections with clients, suppliers, and staff while leveraging senior-level expertise to deliver consultative services. Hassan explains that their approach centers on providing clients with a single point of contact who takes projects from start to finish, contrasting with larger organizations where clients work with multiple team members. The conversation reveals how focusing on hard-to-reach niche panels, such as UK farmers and tradespeople, allows smaller agencies to fill gaps that larger global panel companies often overlook. "We use technology as much as we can,” Hassan explains. “But it was more adding back that human element that sometimes is a little bit lost now in our day and age of technology."

The discussion covers practical strategies for business partnership success, including the importance of implicit trust and complementary skill sets between co-founders. Hassan shares how personal outreach, LinkedIn engagement, and strategic event sponsorships have consistently filled their pipeline through effective lead generation strategies while deliberately avoiding blanket email marketing in favor of personalized communications. They also explore how supporting industry networks like Women in Research creates meaningful professional relationships that extend beyond traditional business development, ultimately providing deeper customer insights that drive business growth.

Sponsors:

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Tired of generic marketing firms that don't get market research? Say hello to Little Bird Marketing, the revenue generation company of choice for the market research industry.

Our "peeps" understand market research inside and out. We know your buyers, craft meaningful messages that move them to buy, understand the competitive landscape and where you fit in the market. We get the industry - from qual/quant to emerging technologies.

Why settle for getting the job done when you can soar with marketing that drives real revenue? Click here to get started.

What's hiding in consumer blind spots that brands need to uncover?

On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and President and Head of Client Consulting at Nailbiter, Gram Bowsher, about capturing authentic consumer behavior through their proprietary in-the-moment video methodology, videometrics. They dive into how Nailbiter's approach provides deeper customer insights than traditional survey methods while removing recall bias that often plagues market research.

Shopping habits continue to change. Ever wonder how brands stay competitive despite these changes? They discuss how brands face challenges in understanding shopper behavior across multiple touchpoints—from pre-shop research to in-store decisions to online price comparisons. Nailbiter's methodology allows brands to quantify consumer behavior at scale through human coding of video data, offering both the statistical validity of large sample sizes and the rich context of seeing consumers make purchase decisions in real-time. This combination of quantitative data with qualitative depth helps brands address issues from new product launches to packaging problems to retail optimization. "Traditional survey methodologies put a lot of burden on the person answering the questions," Bowsher explains. "We [want] to find a better way to open up that black box that [exists] in the industry."

McKinney and Bowsher also talk about the powerful insights revealed when brands see beyond demographics to understand the complexity of human shopping behavior. While age, gender, and income might influence purchase criteria, shopping behaviors and attention patterns are remarkably consistent across demographic groups. Nailbiter's market sizing capabilities help brands understand what's happening in the aisle and why certain products succeed while others struggle. It’s the difference that translates into a competitive advantage. 

Sponsors:

Knowing your customer is essential for moving any company forward. Enter market research. But what if that customer is a patient with a rare disease? Enter Rare Patient Voice.

They don't just find patients - they bring caregivers and health advocates to the table too. When market research firms, health systems, policy makers, biotech companies, and pharma need these important voices, trust the team at Rare Patient Voice.

Click here to transform your patient insights today.

Ever feel like your company is sitting on a goldmine of opportunities, but they keep slipping away?

Most companies already have their next big win hiding in their database. Little Bird Marketing's Revenue Sprint is a proven system that works backward from your revenue goals to create a focused plan for building a sales pipeline and predictable growth.

No massive budget required—just strategic execution that delivers measurable results.

Ready to turn missed opportunities into new wins? Click here and build a predictable pipeline for sustainable growth.