Recent Articles

The responsibility behind every qualitative decision

I've spent the last year having coffee with Heads of Insight.

This article is based on a talk delivered at the AEDEMOTV Media Research Conference held in Spain in March 2026.

What it means, how to assess it, and why the market signal matters

What Autonomous Agent Adoption Tells Us About Trust and the Hype Cycle Ahead

The UK insights sector alone generates £18.7 billion annually. Yet 83% of insights functions face budget pressures, and teams are being downsized at an accelerating rate. This paradox signals something structural, not cyclical.

In B2B software, forecasting adoption is one of the hardest jobs in product strategy. We compared the results of a human conjoint with five synthetic conjoint results. One of the tests came within a percentage point of real buyers’ choices.

In January 2026, economic concerns remained top of mind in the U.S. and globally—though varying by market—according to the *What Worries the World* report, based on the long-running Ipsos Global Advisor survey across 29 countries.

In a typical online survey today, a large share of the responses collected never reach the analysis stage.

Examining how AI is reshaping the meaning of good work, arguing that human skills such as judgment, creativity, and critical thinking are becoming even more valuable alongside AI-driven efficiency.

In this Esomar Global Prices Study 2025 article, expert Shinichi Hosokawa discusses the challenges of online qualitative projects and panel fatigue in the industry.

The Insight250 spotlights and celebrates, annually, 250 of the world’s premier leaders and innovators in market research, consumer insights, and data-driven marketing.

Each month, Simpson Carpenter’s Rhiannon Price asks some familiar faces in the MRX world what they have learned about themselves and the industry on their journey so far.

Trust is the foundation of AI adoption. As autonomous technologies become more common, success will depend not only on technical capability but on whether people understand, trust and feel in control of the systems they use.

How people feel about Car Ownership and what the industry can learn

After close to 30 years in market research, I have seen just about everything. The good, the bad and the “why are we even doing this” moments.

Fifteen years working across UX, CX, product, and market research teaches you something that no methodology course covers: the biggest threat to an insight leader's relevance is not a new tool. It is staying excellent at the wrong things.

Like futurists, many insights professionals seek to have clients not only understand the results of their research, but also to act. One of the challenges and reasons for resistance is the risk involved in change.

Learn how Esomar’s AI Trends study 2026 sheds light on AI adoption and governance

At the Esomar Congress in September, we will host a red-teaming debate on how AI is being adopted by the research and insights industry.