Trends

This Week in Research {twir}

Written by:

Michael Hess

March 13, 2025

21 minute listen

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 (March 7-14, 2025)

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AI and Tech Innovations in Market Research

AI Moderation & Qualitative Insights: Behavioral consultancy Protobrand introduced Convo, a voice-driven AI interview moderator grounded in behavioral science principles. Convo simulates human interviewers in real time, probing respondents via voice to gather emotional and symbolic insights, which the firm says improves data quality and reduces respondent fatigue.
Ad Testing at Scale with AI: Ipsos expanded its Creative|Spark AI ad evaluation tool to 24 new global markets. The platform uses behavioral science, neuroscience, text analytics, and machine learning to predict how consumers will react to video ads (linear TV, YouTube skippable, social media) and delivers actionable feedback within minutes. It draws on five years of data (18,000+ human responses) via Ipsos’ GenAI-based Facto platform to help budget-conscious advertisers quickly optimize creative assets.
New AI-Powered Insights Firm: Research tech veterans Raj Manocha and Jonathan Chavez launched Gydence Group (Toronto/Dallas), blending “time-tested” research methods with AI and machine learning for faster, reliable insights. Gydence offers services like advanced tracking, holistic segmentation, and AI-driven analytics aimed at combating fragmented data and declining quality in traditional MR. The founders emphasize fusing established techniques with cutting-edge tech to enable quicker, more confident decision-making for businesses.

B2B Market Research Developments

Linking B2B and Consumer Data: Dun & Bradstreet unveiled D&B ID Graph Plus, an identity solution connecting consumer insight data with extensive B2B2C datasets and digital intent signals. The tool uses unique identifiers (the D-U-N-S® Number for businesses and a persistent person-level key for individuals) to accurately link offline and online identities, including mobile ad IDs and addresses. By tapping 50,000+ attributes and 83 million linked contacts, ID Graph Plus lets B2B marketers enrich their audience understanding (associating consumer attributes to business contacts, and vice versa) and drive more personalized omnichannel campaigns.

Partnerships, Mergers, and Acquisitions

EX–CX Integration Partnership: Survey platform QuestionPro announced a partnership with MarketCulture to connect employee experience (EX) metrics with customer experience (CX) analytics. MarketCulture’s continuous employee feedback methodology will integrate into QuestionPro’s platform, creating a seamless solution to gather and act on staff input. QuestionPro’s CEO says this is “a significant leap forward in aligning employee engagement with customer satisfaction” by creating a positive feedback loop between engaged employees and loyal customers.
Entertainment Analytics Acquisition: LA-based content intelligence firm Cinelytic acquired Jumpcut Media, a provider of AI-driven IP management and audience analysis software. Jumpcut’s flagship ScriptSense tool uses AI chats, version comparisons, and budgeting breakdowns to help entertainment professionals speedily evaluate scripts and projects. Cinelytic will integrate Jumpcut’s tools (including SocialSense) into its platform, enabling real-time insights into content development, audience alignment, and market potential for film/TV projects. The deal solidifies Cinelytic’s end-to-end AI offerings – from script evaluation to revenue forecasting – for major studio clients.
Major Ownership Moves at Kantar: Industry reports suggest Kantar’s owners (Bain Capital with 60%, and WPP with 40%) are exploring strategic options for the insights giant. According to reports, one option under consideration is selling Kantar’s Worldpanel/Numerator division for over £5 billion ($6.5 billion); another is a broader break-up and sale of parts of Kantar. Kantar recently sold off its Media division in January and its public sector arm in 2022. The owners had previously weighed an IPO, and declined to comment on the sale rumors. Industry observers note a Worldpanel sale would leave Kantar’s core brand and consulting business as a standalone entity.

Industry Leadership & Organizational Changes

Human8 Growth Hire: Communities-based insights consultancy Human8 (formerly InSites Consulting) appointed Alex Creed as Head of Business Development, US & Global Practice Lead. Creed brings 25+ years of experience at firms like Kantar, Morning Consult, and Hall & Partners; in his new role he will drive lead generation, revenue growth, and strategic collaboration worldwide. This hire follows Human8’s recent expansion (the firm has grown via nine acquisitions in six years) and a new US Managing Director appointed in January.
Privacy & Compliance Leadership: Toronto-based Environics Analytics named Amanda Maltby as Chief Privacy Officer and promoted James P. Smith to Chief Compliance Officer, effective mid-April. The company says these appointments underscore its commitment to personal data protection and “best-in-class” risk practices. Maltby is a privacy veteran (former Canada Post CPO with public- and private-sector experience), while Smith has spearheaded Environics’ compliance and security efforts for nine years. Founder Jan Kestle noted that bringing in a recognized privacy expert allows Environics to expand thought leadership in privacy-by-design, while letting Smith focus on rigorous compliance as the firm grows its data collaboration services.
EMEA Expansion at Hightouch: San Francisco-based marketing data platform Hightouch hired Lindsay McEwan as General Manager for EMEA, to lead its European expansion and enterprise offerings. McEwan, a former TIBCO, Oracle, Tealium, and CRO at Imagino, has deep experience in customer data and AI-driven marketing tech. At Hightouch, he will oversee rollout of a new AI “Decisioning” product that lets marketers set goals and have AI agents automatically deliver 1:1 optimized customer experiences. His appointment comes on the heels of Hightouch’s Databricks partnership in January and an $80 million Series C funding last month (valuing the company at $1.2 billion) to fuel product development and go-to-market hires.

Expert Insights & Thought Leadership

AI, Data & Industry Future (GreenBook CEO Series): In a March 13 GreenBook interview, Leonard Murphy spoke with Bruce Haymes (co-founder of Stage 18 and Chairman of Toluna) about his unconventional career from satellites to market research. Haymes shared perspectives on the future of the MR industry, discussing how firms are leveraging AI, data monetization, and strategic acquisitions to drive growth. He noted that companies like Toluna are positioning for growth by adopting new tech and industry consolidation, and advised up-and-coming researchers to embrace continuous learning and be open to unexpected opportunities. (GreenBook “CEO Series”, published March 13, 2025)
Insights from Quirk’s Event (Quirk’s Blog): Quirk’s Media News Editor Marlen Ramirez recapped lessons from the Quirk’s Event LA conference (blog post March 12). The piece highlights cross-generational insights and inclusive research practices – for example, Gen Z’s concept of the “American dream” now centers on financial security (77% of Gen Z seek stability to avoid living paycheck-to-paycheck, rather than fame), and researchers were urged to design surveys that accommodate adults 65+ (using mobile-friendly interfaces, larger text, and minimal personal questions to encourage participation). The blog underscores the value of industry events for networking and learning about emerging trends across tech, demographics, and methods.
Podcast – Turning Data into Impact: On the Curiosity Current podcast (March 11 episode), hosts Stephanie Vance and Matt Mahan interviewed Karen Kraft, Associate Director of Consumer Insights at Johnsonville. Kraft discussed the “art and science” of making research insights impactful within a business. She shared strategies for speaking the language of different stakeholders (adapting how insights are communicated to executives, marketers, etc.) and for elevating the role of research in decision-making.

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Market research weekly update for March 20-26, 2026: Qualtrics synthetic panels, quantilope Category Twins, Nielsen leadership changes, and M&A deals.Welcome to briefd: Market Research & Insights – your weekly intelligence briefing on the market research industry. Each week, we scan leading MR publications, blogs, and news sources to surface the developments that matter. Please note, briefd is AI-generated and may occasionally make mistakes. Edition Summary: Market Research & Insights Trends (March 20 – March 26, 2026) AI and Tech Innovations in Market Research Qualtrics Launches Synthetic Consumer Panels for Market Research At X4 2026 in Seattle, Qualtrics announced synthetic consumer panels for U.S. audiences that simulate how consumers respond to research questions. The capability enables companies to test product ideas and marketing messages more quickly than traditional methods, with expansion to UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand planned for the first half of 2026. quantilope Debuts Category Twins Synthetic Research Product The insights firm launched Category Twins on March 17, building AI replicas of specific audiences for early-stage research from clients' own brand health data. The synthetic data solution uses metrics from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute and automatically updates with each new tracking wave, allowing brands to instantly create twins for different segments. Kantar Partners with Quilt.AI to Co-Develop Innovation Tool Kantar announced a strategic partnership with Quilt.AI on March 18, including a non-equity financial commitment to co-develop joint offers. The first product from the alliance is EvaluateExplorer, a new innovation tool combining both companies' capabilities. Zeta Global Launches Superintelligent Agent Athena Marketing platform Zeta Global made its superintelligent agent for enterprise teams generally available on March 25. Athena converts enterprise data into predictive answers for CMO-level users, powered by advanced OpenAI models and backed by Zeta's proprietary database. B2B Market Research Developments Basis Global Partners with AnswerRocket on AI-Driven Research London-based brand intelligence and market research firm Basis Global announced a partnership with solutions consultancy AnswerRocket. The collaboration promises to use AI to improve how market research is done rather than replace traditional methods. Partnerships, Mergers, and Acquisitions Smartly Acquires INCRMNTAL for Real-Time Marketing Measurement New York-based ad tech company Smartly agreed to acquire INCRMNTAL on March 17, an AI-powered platform providing real-time insights into incremental impact of cross-channel marketing investments. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the deal brings together campaign optimization and always-on measurement capabilities. Accord Marketing Acquires London Insights Consultancy Acacia Avenue London-based insights consultancy Acacia Avenue was acquired by Accord Marketing on March 11. Acacia Avenue, founded in 2002, provides full service qualitative and quantitative research for clients across Europe and North America, and will continue operating with its existing team while gaining access to Accord's infrastructure and resources. Ipsos Acquires Seventh Decimal for Out-of-Home Measurement Ipsos announced the acquisition of Seventh Decimal on January 27, a research technology company specializing in Out-Of-Home audience measurement. Established in 2019 and headquartered in the UAE, Seventh Decimal will benefit from Ipsos resources to scale its operations. Barcelona Startup Uxia Raises EUR 1 Million in Pre-Seed Funding Barcelona-based Uxia, which automates user testing with AI-generated synthetic users, announced a pre-seed funding round of around EUR 1 million. The funds will fuel product development, talent acquisition and international expansion for the B2B research technology platform. Industry Leadership & Organizational Changes Nielsen Names Three Senior Leaders Supporting Key Client Segments Nielsen announced three strategic senior appointments on March 24. Seth Ladetsky was named Head of Global Sports, Trevor Fellows will lead advertiser and agency relationships, and Matt Devitt will oversee national publisher accounts. All three report to Amilcar Perez, Chief Revenue Officer. Ipsos Appoints Alexandre Boissy as Deputy CEO Ipsos announced on March 24 the appointment of Alexandre Boissy as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, effective April 7. Based in Paris and reporting to CEO Jean Laurent Poitou, Boissy will oversee Operations, General Secretariat, Legal, and Corporate Communications globally. He brings over twenty years of executive experience from the Air France-KLM Group. Kantar Appoints David Gompel as UK Executive Managing Director Kantar appointed former Valtech leader David Gompel as Executive Managing Director in the UK on March 10. Gompel brings over 25 years of experience in digital transformation, data and marketing, having most recently served as CEO Europe at digital consultancy Valtech. Rodeo13 Appoints Four Non-Executive Directors to New Board Marketing consultancy for the insight sector Rodeo13 appointed four Non-Executive Directors to a new Board on March 16: Nikki Lavoie, Shazia Ginai, Paul Griffiths and Steve Henke. The establishment of the Board reflects the company's commitment to diversity of thought and ensures operations keep up with rapid growth. Ipsos Appoints Nathan Brumby as Chief Platforms and Technology Officer Ipsos announced the appointment of Nathan Brumby as Chief Platforms and Technology Officer on February 23, effective February 16. The appointment signals the company's continued investment in technology infrastructure and platforms to support its global market research operations. Expert Insights & Thought Leadership Quirk's Dallas 2026 Highlights Industry Focus on Speed and AI The Quirk's Event Dallas 2026, held March 10-11, confirmed that agility was the word of the show as brands face pressure to make decisions with less time and smaller teams. Digital twins emerged as one of the buzziest topics, with brands using AI-built personas to simulate consumer behavior and test decisions quickly. ESOMAR LATAM 2026 Conference Held in Rio de Janeiro ESOMAR LATAM 2026 took place March 22-24 in Rio de Janeiro under the theme Floresça, focusing on growing ideas, inspiring connections and shaping thriving markets. ESOMAR partnered with Globo, the largest media company in Latin America, for content collaboration and visibility around the event. Quirk's Virtual Event Explores The Changing Consumer Quirk's Media hosted Quirk's Virtual – The Changing Consumer on March 25, featuring sessions on insights playbooks for strategic decision-making and how TikTok and EyeSee are exploring shifts in consumer behavior and the creator economy's role in turning cultural signals into commercial outcomes. Industry Debate Intensifies on Synthetic Data in Market Research Qualtrics research shows 62% of market researchers have already used synthetic data, and 71% believe it will constitute the majority of research within three years. The synthetic data market is projected to grow from $1.8 billion in 2024 to $8.2 billion by 2029, with industry bodies like ESOMAR and MRS expected to publish validation frameworks within two years.

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