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 (May 16 - May 22, 2025)
AI and Tech Innovations in Market Research
- Fuel Cycle’s UX Breakthrough: Insights platform Fuel Cycle introduced its first UX research tool, FC UX, leveraging AI for instant analysis and cross-device user testing. Built on a recent acquisition, the platform lets product teams validate features in hours instead of weeks.
- Marvin’s AI Interviewer: AI startup Marvin added an AI Moderated Interviewer to its feedback platform, enabling simultaneous qualitative interviews with multiple participants – no human moderator needed. The agent conducts on-demand conversations in 40+ languages and analyzes responses for trends, offering a new way to scale qualitative research.
- Survey Data, Meet AI: UK-based Purify Intelligence launched a platform to automatically cleanse and format raw survey data for AI and analytics use. Now in beta, the tool converts static survey datasets into AI-ready formats, aiming to unlock more value by making survey results compatible with modern data stacks.
- Pre-bunking Misinformation: PR agency MWW unveiled PRISMA Labs.ai, a platform fusing market intelligence with AI to support communications teams. Its first tool, PreBunk, uses AI to detect and counteract brand misinformation in real time – essentially “pre-bunking” false narratives before they spread and helping companies manage reputation in the age of generative AI.
B2B Market Research Developments
- Trade Turbulence Index: Kantar-owned Numerator debuted a Tariff Risk Index that blends government trade data with consumer panel and survey insights to score how vulnerable different business categories are to tariff disruptions. The index is designed for B2B firms to gauge supply chain and pricing risk amid shifting trade policies.
- B2B Trust and Brand Salience: Insight leaders at a London forum urged research agencies to proactively demonstrate business impact and build trust in an AI-driven age. With only ~5% of potential B2B clients actively shopping at any time, speakers stressed the need for consistent client engagement, clear value-add messaging, and thought leadership to remain “safe, trustworthy” partners when budgets are tight.
- Sports Insights Unit: Paris-based agency OpinionWay opened a sports-focused research unit, appointing industry veteran Samy Boudjedra as its director. The new unit will develop insights for sports brands and organizations – a response to growing B2B demand for data on fan behavior, sponsorship impact, and the sports marketplace.
Partnerships, Mergers, and Acquisitions
- Rival & Angus Reid Merger: Canada’s Rival Technologies and Reach3 Insights merged with Angus Reid Group to form Rival Group, now one of North America’s largest independent insight firms. Siblings Jennifer and Andrew Reid continue as co-CEOs (with Angus Reid joining the board) as the $60M+ company eyes U.S. panel growth, AI-driven research, and a push into Europe.
- Cohere Acquires Ottogrid: Toronto-based AI platform Cohere acquired Vancouver startup Ottogrid, maker of a “smart table” web data analysis tool, to integrate its technology into Cohere’s new North (ChatGPT-style) insights platform. Cohere’s CEO said the deal brings a “new way to tackle research” by automating web data extraction and analysis for knowledge workers.
- YouGov & Havas Deepen Data Pact: Polling giant YouGov and ad agency group Havas expanded their data partnership into four new countries. The deal gives Havas broader access to YouGov’s rich panel data – including detailed health and consumer profiles – across more markets, enhancing audience targeting and campaign planning for clients.
- MSQ Buys The Forge: UK marcomms group MSQ – parent of insights consultancy Freemavens – acquired The Forge, a London-based strategy and innovation research boutique (~£4m in revenue). The Forge’s team, known for blending consumer insight with commercial strategy in sectors like healthcare, retail and finance, will join MSQ’s network to bolster its data-driven strategy offerings.
- Hackett Snaps Up Spend Matters: U.S. consulting firm The Hackett Group, which specializes in AI and analytics strategy, acquired Spend Matters, a provider of procurement and supply chain intelligence. The move adds a B2B market insights platform to Hackett’s portfolio, strengthening its capabilities in procurement data and trend analysis.
- Influencer Platform Purchased: Advertising giant Publicis Groupe bought Captiv8, a leading influencer marketing and social listening platform. The acquisition bolsters Publicis’ data toolkit for managing influencer campaigns and measuring social media impact, as brands increasingly seek ROI from creator partnerships.
Industry Leadership & Organizational Changes
- RealityMine’s New CMO: UK-based digital behavior data firm RealityMine appointed David Stanton as Chief Marketing Officer, tasking the former GfK/Knowledge Networks executive with leading marketing and growth from a new U.S. office in New Jersey. This hire signals RealityMine’s focus on expanding its presence in the American market.
- Forsta Boosts CX Leadership: In Boston, Press Ganey | Forsta (the recently merged CX and research platform) hired Luke Williams as Chief Customer Experience & Research Officer. Williams – an alum of Ipsos, Qualtrics and Microsoft – will unify the company’s customer experience and research teams, reflecting a push to integrate insights with patient/employee experience solutions.
- Human8 Scales Client Teams: Global consultancy Human8 (formerly InSites Consulting) announced a wave of senior hires. Jonny Ayres joins as UK Business Development Lead, and three new Customer Success Directors have been appointed across North America, EMEA and APAC. The expanded team is meant to strengthen client relationships and support Human8’s continued growth after its recent rebrand.
- Echo Research Appointment: UK reputation analytics firm Echo Research hired Jason Weekes as Commercial Director. Weekes – who has prior experience at media intelligence firms Carma and Gorkana – will drive Echo’s commercial strategy as the company looks to broaden its corporate reputation and media insights services.
Expert Insights & Thought Leadership
- Synthetic Data’s Surge: The industry is taking note of synthetic data’s rapid rise. Gartner estimates that about one-fifth of AI training data is now synthetic – a share that could reach 80% by 2028. In 2025, major tech firms have been actively acquiring synthetic data startups to boost their AI model training and privacy capabilities, accelerating consolidation in this sector. Experts say synthetic data is quickly moving from niche experiment to mainstream tool in the insights world.
- Data Quality Campaign: Ensuring trust in data has become a rallying cry for research leaders. The Market Research Society this month launched a Campaign for Better Data (with partners like Ipsos and Kantar) to “future-proof” the quality of insights. From combating survey fraud to addressing AI-generated fake responses, the initiative emphasizes collaboration, standards and training to tackle what many call an existential challenge. As one CEO noted, if decision-makers can’t trust research data – especially with AI amplifying biases – the consequences for business and policy are dire, making high-quality data an absolute imperative. (Source: Research Live)
- Guidance on AI in Research: Industry bodies are also offering new guidance on leveraging AI responsibly. MRS published a three-part Delphi report examining how generative AI is reshaping research – from the emergence of synthetic “AI respondents” to the ethical and methodological questions they pose. The series provides best practices for integrating AI into research while maintaining data integrity and public trust, a theme echoed by thought leaders across recent conferences and publications.