Welcome to twir — the weekly show delivering AI-powered summaries of market research news and insights. Each week, we scan and ingest media from top blogs, podcasts, articles, and reports, distilling the key trends shaping the industry. Best of all, twir episodes learn and get smarter over time, building a POV on an archive of past news and trends.
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Episode Summary: AI, Innovation, and Market Research Trends (October 17 – 23, 2025)
AI and Tech Innovations in Market Research
- Toluna expands synthetic personas globally. Toluna extended availability of its synthetic respondent personas to 15 markets (adding Spain, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand) and nine languages, built from first‑party community data on Toluna Start.
- Touchstone Research debuts a gen‑AI UX research practice. New offer targets how users interact with AI products using methods like prompt‑flow analysis, longitudinal in‑context studies, and quant validation.
- iMotions integrates Neurable’s EEG for ‘in‑the‑wild’ neuroscience. The integration supports brain‑activity measurement in natural settings (e.g., in‑car, training) to study focus, fatigue, and engagement.
- Guideline ships an AI agent for ad spend & pricing intelligence. A conversational interface embedded in Guideline’s platform returns answers as text, charts, and diagnostic comparisons.
- MFour adds full‑funnel OOH attribution. New add‑on links verified exposure to app installs, web actions, and in‑store visits alongside brand‑lift in one view.
- Auxia upgrades its agentic customer‑journey platform. The firm announced an AI‑based redesign aimed at unifying design, optimization, and analytics of customer journeys.
B2B Market Research Developments
- Northsea raises pre‑seed to accelerate AI‑native research. Amsterdam‑based Northsea closed €660k to double headcount and scale its AI research assistant for consultants/investors—automating design, sourcing, collection, and analysis.
- Reward builds out commerce‑media intelligence. Alongside hiring a new insight sales director, Reward highlighted its DemandInsight real‑time performance dashboard and RewardIQ customer‑intelligence solution (with Affinity Solutions).
Partnerships, Mergers, and Acquisitions
- Mod Op acquires Ascend Marketing. Adds ABM, journey mapping, and intent‑data capabilities to an end‑to‑end B2B offer; Ascend leaders move into EVP roles.
- Samba TV joins ANA’s Aquila cross‑media measurement. Streaming‑viewership data will feed Aquila’s CMM framework to address cross‑platform reach gaps.
- Stagwell invests in RealClear Holdings (35% stake). Expands owned‑media/polling capabilities tied to Harris Poll/HarrisX; part of a broader “Future of News” initiative.
Industry Leadership & Organizational Changes
- Melanie Courtright moves to Sago as Chief Strategy Officer. The Insights Association CEO joins Sago on Nov 3; will remain IA Board ex‑officio to support transition.
- Kantar appoints Alvin Bowles Jr. (CCO) and Ty Ahmad‑Taylor (CPO). Hires aim to accelerate AI‑native marketing capabilities under CEO Paul Zwillenberg.
- Iterable names new CPO & CMO. Ex‑Tableau CTO Nick Beil (CPO) and former SurveyMonkey marketing head Priya Gill (CMO) step in to drive AI‑powered CX growth.
- STRAT7 elevates Pranay Jeyachandran to Group MD. Internal promotion consolidates leadership across group brands.
- Emporia Research grows client solutions org with Anna Rodgers, Manuel Carlo, Max Mohey and Aiva Chapa.
Expert Insights & Thought Leadership
- Quirk’s: Understanding varying perceptions of AI across global markets explores adoption vs. trust dynamics shaping usage patterns.
- Research Live (Feature): How is AI impacting the future research workforce? on early‑career implications and skills shifts.
- Policy watch: The American Statistical Association warns a congressional directive limiting federal survey contact attempts to two would undermine data quality and representativeness.