IHG HOTELS AND RESORTS - Catherine Willis, Head of Guest Insights. Decoding consumer behavior like a detective; the importance of the 'love spark' in car purchase; lessons from Ford, Delta Airlines, and LG Electronics.

Send us a textWhat a pleasure to welcome on Catherine Willis of IHG Hotels and Resorts onto the podcast. Catherine is a font of knowledge and brings to bear amazing perspective.   In addition to our chat about the importance of beige food and darkened rooms (qual researchers, you’ll understand), some highlights from our conversation:How to uncover true consumer motivationsIdentifying and addressing anxiety pointsLearning from police interrogation techniquesThe importance of the ‘love spark’ in car purchaseAdvice for young people entering the industryThe impact of AILessons from Ford, Cox Communications and LG ElectronicsAll episodes available at https://www.insightplatforms.com/podcasts/Suggestions, thoughts etc to [email protected]

Send us a textDelighted to have on Steve Phillips, the Founder, former CEO and now Chief Innovation Officer of Zappi. Steve is one  the foremost thinkers and entrepreneurs in consumer insights, marketing and innovation,  a veteran of several  start ups and the driving force behind Zappi, who took on a $170m investment from Sumeru Equity  Partners in December 2022 to drive further innovation.  We have a great conversation including: The story behind Zappi’s creation and growthAdvice for entrepreneursHow to instill true benefits from  automationThe balance between self-service and conventional agency offeringsUsing meta-data and AI models to ideate before testingThe use of AI agentsManaging the transition from CEO and ensuring staff still say ‘no’With thanks to Insight Platforms for their support and MX8 Labs for sponsoring. All episodes available at https://www.insightplatforms.com/podcasts/Suggestions, thoughts etc to [email protected]

Send us a textIs brand tracking totally broken?  Or just boring? Well, maybe it’s neither. I’m delighted to chat to James Turner (JT) who is the founder and CEO of Delineate, the pioneering firm challenging the status quo in a critical sector. Drawing on experience and learnings from Circana, BT, Black Swan and Edelman, JT is great company and offers a unique perspective. Among other areas, we discuss:Learning to handle ‘big data’ in the early daysWhy consumer insight businesses often don’t have their data houses in orderLearning from the world of PRMoving from brand tracking to campaign tracking….and back againLessons for foundersWhat’s next for DelineateIf you want to support the podcast and future episodes, please follow/ review etc on Apple, Spotify etc. All episodes available at https://www.insightplatforms.com/podcasts/Suggestions, thoughts etc to [email protected]

Send us a textHave you ever thought about how environmental principles could translate into consumer insight? Not necessarily in the sense of more sustainable approach to the practice of market research, (although that is clearly very important) but evaluating how we can take learnings from the interaction of natural ecosystems and apply those to understandings of businesses and their interactions with consumers….nope, me neither!Well, fortunately, the brilliant Erin Sowell of Thoughtful Research has done exactly that. Erin is  the emerging leaders representative for the MRC and has developed her framework in association with the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia and among other areas we cover:What is ecosystem science?How principles from the natural world interrelate with businessThe LEARN, ADAPT and ENGINEER frameworksIntersections and differences with traditional market researchThe Emerging Leaders program at the MRCAll episodes available at https://www.insightplatforms.com/podcasts/Suggestions, thoughts etc to [email protected]

Send us a textVery topical this week for all you WICKED fans - we have on Owen Myles of Universal Pictures, explaining how film studios adjust their marketing in relation to a film’s likely performance. Owen also adds in some great lessons from his time at other brands and agencies, as well as a refreshing twist on what makes a good brand/ agency relationship.  Among other areas we cover:Lessons from Kantar, Sony Europe and BBC WorldwideJuggling 20+ launches per yearIntegration of traditional and new measures to anticipate successDifferences between U.S. and international approachesThe state of the film industry post CovidWith call outs to Chris Massey, Henry Heywood, David Boyle and thanks to Insight Platforms for their support and to MX8 Labs for sponsoring..All episodes available at https://www.insightplatforms.com/podcasts/Suggestions, thoughts etc to [email protected]

Send us a textA real pleasure to have Fiona Blades, Founder and Chief Experience Officer of Mesh  Experience on the podcast.  It’s a great conversation, incorporating: What you can learn from the indie music scene in ManchesterLessons for founders The importance of experience metrics and correlation with market shareThe (hitherto hidden) impact of retail media on brand equity and advocacySetting up a ‘data as a service’ propositionThe role of the Market Research CouncilWhat makes a good clientAnd why teenage boys really wear deodorant (yes, really). With call outs for SMG, the Path to Purchase Institute, the Market Research Council. And thanks to Insight Platforms for their support and to MX8 Labs for sponsoring. All episodes available at https://www.insightplatforms.com/podcasts/Suggestions, thoughts etc to [email protected]

Send us a textSo delighted to have on Stefanie Zammit of Bang & Olufsen, formerly of  Marks and Spencer, and Starbucks. There’s so much fantastic perspective and insight from Stefanie in this episode….not least do’s and don’ts of work in the Middle East, learning how to socialize research at M&S, and researching at Starbucks during the pandemic. You’ll also learn about Stefanie’s unintended moment of stardom in Sri Lanka…Some of the key areas in this episode:How client side is fundamentally different from agency: “the final report is only the beginning”.Research and analytics departments are flip sides of the same coin: distinctions are often artificial and not helpful.How insights infrastructure and sequential knowledge building enables you to optimize resources.Budget restrictions can sometimes be a benefit (really?...yes!).Lessons from mentorsHygiene factors and what really makes a good agency stand outKey considerations in structuring a research departmentListen in to find out more....All episodes available at https://www.insightplatforms.com/podcasts/Suggestions, thoughts etc to [email protected]

Send us a textUnlock the secrets of neuromarketing with Marco Baldocchi, a trailblazer in the field of neuroscience and marketing. Ever wondered how the brain determines which brands we remember and which we forget? This episode promises to reveal how engaging key components of the brain such as the hippocampus and limbic system can transform fleeting impressions into lasting brand loyalty. Marco walks us through: Cutting-edge techniques for measuring brain activity, such as gaze tracking and galvanic skin responseThe nuances of capturing genuine emotional responses.The critical role of emotions like fear of missing out and anticipation in shaping consumer behavior.Functions of key brain regions like the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.Subconscious priming and how subtle stimuli like sounds and smells can influence consumer behavior without their conscious awareness. The episode wraps up with a discussion on the importance of deep work for productivity and what makes an ideal client. Don't miss this chance to elevate your marketing strategies with insights directly from the intersection of neuroscience and consumer behavior.All episodes available at https://www.insightplatforms.com/podcasts/Suggestions, thoughts etc to [email protected]

Send us a textGet an insider’s perspective on Warner Brothers Discovery's corporate strategy team, focusing on insights and analytics that drive business operations across movies, TV shows, streaming services, and games. Vera delves into the importance of consumer behavior and trends in optimizing current practices and identifies future opportunities in emerging technologies. Among other areas, in this episode we cover: How AI can genuinely be usefulTechniques used to evaluate emergent trendsTailoring presentations for left brain and right brain stakeholdersUnderstanding need statesWhere the metaverse is nowDifferences between sectors and additional perspective from Vera’s time at Mattel, Del Monte and Microsoft Xbox Do’s and don’ts for agenciesAll episodes available at https://www.insightplatforms.com/podcasts/Suggestions, thoughts etc to [email protected]

Send us a textImagine you’re buying a new bike….you’ve been to multiple websites, you’ve seen several ads, you’ve clicked on some but not others, read reviews on different sites and…eventually you buy the bike.  However, how does the bike seller understand the contribution of each marketing channel?  And where should they invest next for other customers?This is just one of the questions, which John Readman  founder of Ask Bosco addresses in the latest Futureview podcast. Originally recorded in the summer of 2024 (hence some of the references) we cover a great range of topics including:How to educate the CEO and CFO on how marketing spend really worksIntegrating marketing data to create a level playing fieldAi tools to forecast marketing effectivenessThe importance of brand, creative and being brave to stand outThe journey from Dragons Den and the RAF to the world of marketingLessons from John’s DadAll episodes available at https://www.insightplatforms.com/podcasts/Suggestions, thoughts etc to [email protected]