Insights & Innovators Podcast from MRII

When AI becomes everyone’s toolkit, “sprinkling a little bit of AI on top” won’t create advantage; companies must overhaul processes and ways of working. In this episode of MRII’s Insights and Innovators, host Nick Graham (Founder, Vertemis) talks with Nick Hammitt, CMO at Newell Brands, about how AI will automate much of marketing and insights’ operational work (paperwork, vendor negotiation, hands-on media execution), shifting people toward strategy, storytelling, and curating real-time learning into coherent opportunities. Hammitt argues early movers can gain a head start, but as AI democratizes, advantage returns to fundamentals: creativity, unique products or routes to market, and small executional margins. They discuss breaking silos for faster iterative workflows, raising the bar from good to great, the growing importance of curiosity and comfort with ambiguity, and the need to build consumer trust as trust erodes amid AI adoption.00:00 AI Needs Overhaul00:44 Podcast Setup03:11 Humans Beyond Speed07:04 First Mover Advantage09:47 Storytelling Still Human12:31 Breaking Marketing Silos18:18 Insights In AI Era23:30 Skills For Next Gen27:32 Trust In AI World30:19 Closing ThanksInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/

When research tools all start to look the same, the real differentiator becomes the operating model that connects them and guides decisions. Charlie Butler, Co-Founder & C0-CEO at Bounce Insights, joins host Niels Schillewaert, Head of Research at Conveo.ai, to unpack why software alone hasn’t transformed insights as much as expected, even with generative AI. They discuss research as an emotional, high-stakes practice that requires confidence, context, and accountability, plus the limits of templated approaches for complex business questions. Charlie explains the idea of an “insights operating system” that unifies knowledge management and quant/qual workflows from business question to decision, improving speed and attribution. Real-world examples highlight how under-resourced insights teams are shifting away from self-serve tools toward integrated tech, expertise, and change management.00:00 Sea of Sameness00:26 Show Intro00:55 Why Software Falls Short03:08 Failing Upward Lessons05:43 Custom Work and Accountability08:01 Insights Operating System10:22 Diet Coke Pricing Example12:11 From Utopia to Bounce Approach13:17 OS vs Dashboards16:13 Client Case Studies20:33 Next Gen Insights Company24:37 Preparing for 203027:02 Career Advice and AI28:59 AI and Critical Thinking29:57 One Big Prediction31:33 Closing ThanksInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/

High-quality B2B data is the make-or-break factor in building synthetic personas that can be trusted. Sascha Eder, CEO & Co-Founder, NewtonX, joins host Jon Last, President, Sports and Leisure Research Group, to discuss why synthetic research is uniquely challenging in B2B, where buyer decisions are made by committees and online data is limited. They clarify key approaches including synthetic boosting, synthetic modeling, digital twins, and B2B-trained synthetic personas, and outline where synthetic can add value today, such as pre-testing questionnaires, message testing, and concept refinement. The conversation also covers validation through A/B testing against independent real-buyer samples, transparency around data sources, and why synthetic should often complement, not replace, primary research to support more continuous,always-on insights.00:00 Building Synthetic Personas00:34 Podcast Intro and Topic02:33 Why B2B Is Different05:10 Data Scarcity in B2B07:04 Four Synthetic Methods11:05 Best Use Cases and Limits13:33 How to Build Personas Right15:18 Validation and Trust Tests18:35 Always On Insights Workflow20:13 NewtonX Approach and Moat23:25 Market Adoption and Hype Cycle26:43 Future Outlook and Wrap Up28:29 Closing Thanks and SubscribeInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/

AI may automate research execution, but the bigger opportunity is refocusing insights on its core job: shaping better business decisions through deeper consumer and market understanding. In this episode, Nick Graham, Founder, Vertemis, speaks with Mary Beth Jowers, VP, Consumer & Market Insights, Americas, The HEINEKEN Company, about how insights teams can “bring their own chair” by aligning work to how leaders make decisions, tailoring outputs to stakeholder needs, and learning from why insights don’t get used. They discuss partnering beyond marketing with finance and other functions, translating insights into decision-ready and financially relevant deliverables, and stepping into process, organizational, and technology stewardship roles. Mary Beth also outlines practical steps like auditing work products, mapping use cases, and building feasibility and viability fluency alongside desirability.00:00 Bring Your Own Chair00:42 AI And Insights Purpose01:39 Meet Mary Beth Jowers04:04 Right Business New Focus06:21 Earning The Seat10:38 Why Insights Get Ignored13:08 Cheat Sheets And Influence14:40 Friends With Finance18:18 Insights As Change Agents21:18 Tech Stewardship And Governance23:37 Redrawing Boundaries28:26 Accountability For Outcomes30:15 Skills To Build Tomorrow33:51 Closing Thanks And SubscribeInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/

The opportunity has never been better for insights teams to earn a meaningful seat at the strategy table by reducing busy work and focusing on the key data that drives decisions. In this episode, Daniel Graff-Radford, CEO, Discuss, joins host Pavi Gupta, Founder, The Insights Exchange, to discuss how researchers can shift from being “traffic cops” to building librarian-like systems that make organizational knowledge accessible and reusable. They explore the risks of partners uploading research into off-the-shelf LLMs, the need for traceability and repeatability, and how to avoid “insight slop” from either excessive questions or generic outputs. Daniel frames AI interviewing as a fast in-between method bridging surveys and live moderated qual, stressing guardrails and using the right tool for the decision’s risk and complexity.00:00 Why Insights Matter Now00:36 Meet the Host and Guest01:44 Cutting Busy Work03:11 From Traffic Cop to Enabler04:57 The Librarian Mindset07:36 Humans Plus AI Guardrails11:26 Avoiding Insight Slop14:16 Traceability and Trust18:23 AI Interviews as the Middle21:40 Choosing Methods by Risk23:22 Key Takeaways and Wrap UpInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/

The insights industry isn’t in decline, it’s being redesigned, and AI is accelerating that shift. In this episode, Jim Whaley, CEO OvationMR, joins host Jon Last, President, Sports and Leisure Research Group, to reframe what AI is really disrupting in market research: tasks like fast fielding, charting, and basic summaries, not the core purpose of insight. They explore why organizations confuse activity with value, how the “kindergarten” moment of AI creates excitement and anxiety, and why fluent answers aren’t always true answers. Jim outlines the risks of “synthetic certainty,” the need for inclusive leadership when adopting AI, and why younger researchers should focus less on producing outputs and more on helping people learn and make better decisions.00:00 Define Yourself by Impact00:26 Podcast Intro and AI Redesign02:10 Decline Versus Redesign03:54 Tasks Disrupted Not Insight05:33 Kindergarten AI Metaphor08:32 We Have Been Here Before12:53 Loud Voices and Governance15:46 Insights as Learning Systems18:39 Fluency Versus Truth22:43 Synthetic Certainty Tradeoffs25:31 Leadership Skills for Researchers29:08 Optimism and Domain Expertise33:06 Closing Thanks and SubscribeInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/

When AI agents can research products in depth and make tailored recommendations, the traditional role of brand as a trust shortcut may shrink. In this episode, Steve Phillips, Founder, Chair and Chief Innovation Officer at Zappi, joins host Niels Schillewaert, Head of Research, Conveo.ai, to unpack “agentic shopping” and how AI-mediated decisions could reshape marketing and insights. Steve shares a real example of using Claude to choose a car, frames agent-driven choice as “system three” (system two on steroids), and explains why agents may prioritize specifics like ingredients, reviews, and scientific evidence over symbolism and advertising. They discuss category differences, how research may shift toward deeper human understanding and human-agent interaction, early experiments like surveying agents, and why insights leaders should lean into AI and lead organizational change.00:00 Brand Collapses With Agents00:42 Podcast Intro And Guest01:44 What Is Agentic Shopping02:32 Car Buying With Claude05:12 System Three Decision Making07:04 Why Brands Lose Power09:42 Category Differences And Grocery11:35 What Researchers Study Now12:44 Agent Behavior And Discoverability15:22 How To Experiment And Innovate18:41 New Service Line For Insights21:09 Skills And Industry Opportunity24:31 One Thing To Do Tomorrow25:05 Closing And SubscribeInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/

Four out of five US adults don’t trust an AI-generated ad, AI-driven product, or service, and that gap between business adoption and consumer acceptance is growing. In this episode, Idil Cakim, Founder & CEO, Iris Flex, joins host Jon Last, President, Sports and Leisure Research Group, to unpack what brands often miss about consumer attitudes toward AI. They discuss why AI usage doesn’t always equal trust, how gender and age shape adoption, and Idil’s AI Proximity framework (exposure, control, delegation, and context) for measuring readiness. The conversation covers audience segments from avoiders to power users, where power users convert more in categories like financial services, auto, and wearable health. They also explore common rollout mistakes, the need for pre-testing and longitudinal tracking, and why human support still matters in sensitive decisions.00:00 Power Users Payoff00:52 AI Adoption Trust Gap02:28 Why Study Consumers04:09 Gender and Age Nuance07:44 Usage Doesnt Mean Trust08:59 AI Proximity Framework12:32 Segments From Avoiders14:13 Brand Mistakes and Fixes18:40 Measuring Trust Over Time22:34 Future Attitudes and Governance24:55 Human Touch Still Matters27:35 Wrap Up and Book InfoInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/

The old “commission research, present findings, move on” model is breaking as growth fragments, media splinters, and AI accelerate decisions. Ricardo Dalmas, Global VP of Insights & Analytics at Kimberly-Clark, joins host Nick Graham, Founder of Vertemis, to explain why insights must shift from calibration and testing toward defining strategic growth choices: where to play and how to win. They discuss balancing scale with precision, listening and observing behavior before asking survey questions, and prioritizing timely 70% answers over perfection. Ricardo outlines how AI can automate tasks, spot patterns and early trends, and free insights teams to iterate faster, experiment more, and partner closely with decision-makers. He also shares why emotionally resonant storytelling matters in intimate categories and offers career advice on industry passion, following up on impact, and mentorship.00:00 Why Insights Must Evolve01:34 Meet Ricardo Dalmas03:52 Fragmented Growth Reality07:54 Speed Over Perfection09:23 From Research to Strategy13:50 Will Insights Still Exist18:07 Data Precision and Experimentation20:46 AI Changes and Human Empathy25:19 Emotional Storytelling Wins28:19 Mentorship and Leadership Growth31:35 Future Proof Career Advice34:56 Closing and SubscribeInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/

The organizations that will lead with AI are those that balance privacy and utility through transparency about methods, limitations, and responsibilities across the data cycle. In this episode, Arundati Dandapani, Founder & CEO, Generation1.ca, joins host Zontziry “Z” Johnson, Founder, MRXplorer, to discuss how fast-changing global AI regulation is reshaping governance for insights teams. They explore why global policy matters even for local organizations, including cross-border privacy, sector-specific rules, and the growing expectation for explainable, monitored AI decisions. The conversation covers risk-based and rights-based approaches, frameworks like OECD and NIST, and the shift from regulation to coordination and interoperability. They also examine de-identification, anonymization, synthetic data, client confidentiality, contracts, and digital responsibility, emphasizing that responsible innovation requires judgment, human oversight, and continual reassessment of harms and value.00:00 Privacy Meets Innovation00:12 Show Intro and Topic01:31 Global AI Policy Radar05:18 Risk and Rights Frameworks08:15 Who Sets the Pace11:03 From Compliance to Proactive12:47 Anonymization and Reidentification16:44 Contracts and Data Ownership18:22 Digital Responsibility in Insights20:26 Final Takeaway and WrapInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/