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Episode Summary: AI, Innovation, and Market Research Trends (June 20–26, 2025)
AI and Tech Innovations in Market Research
- Ipsos Unveils “Collective Innovation” AI Program: Global agency Ipsos launched Collective Innovation, an AI-powered innovation platform combining multiple data sources and human expertise to help brands pinpoint high-growth opportunities. The program merges Ipsos’ AI-driven tools with trend analysis and workshops, enabling faster discovery of consumer needs and sales forecasts. Ipsos leaders Virginia Weil and Billie Ing said the approach fuses “the best of Ipsos human and artificial intelligence” for igniting brand growth.
- Watermelon Launches Canvas CX Feedback Platform: UK-based insights consultancy Watermelon rolled out a proprietary Voice-of-Customer platform called Canvas, designed by CX practitioners to prioritize essential features. Piloted with over 3,000 users, the system has already captured feedback from 1+ million customers across sectors. CEO Mark Squires emphasized a “no-nonsense” design using only necessary functions and selective AI, avoiding gimmicky extras while making it easy for clients to act on customer data.
- Qualytics Scores $10M to Automate Data Quality: U.S.-based Qualytics, which uses augmented AI to detect data anomalies, raised $10M in Series A funding to expand its engineering and product teams. The platform auto-generates data quality rules and flags inconsistent data across enterprise tools like Snowflake and Databricks. Co-founders Gorkem Sevinc and Eric Simmerman said they built the solution they “always wanted,” putting automation at the heart of data quality management. Backers include BMW i Ventures, underscoring demand for scalable data validation.
B2B Market Research Developments
- Basis Global Forms Dedicated B2B Insights Unit: Transatlantic consultancy Basis Global created a new division focused on B2B research and appointed Tom Percival – former MD at B2B International – as Managing Partner to lead it. The move signals an investment in specialized B2B market insight services. Percival brings deep sector experience to help Basis expand offerings for business-to-business clients, amid rising demand for focused consumer intelligence.
- Rep Data Launches ‘No-Fly’ List to Combat Survey Fraud: New Orleans-based data firm Rep Data introduced an industry-first No-Fly List to permanently bar known “bad actors” from surveys using its anti-fraud technology. Leveraging billions of survey scans, the system flags respondents who take hundreds of surveys a day or repeat the same study across panels. Rep Data’s CTO says this crackdown will “clean up” sample quality by removing professional fraudsters and duplicate respondents, aiming to boost B2B data reliability.
- Nielsen Retains Denmark Media Measurement Through 2029: A coalition of Danish broadcasters extended Nielsen’s contract as the official TV and streaming currency provider to 2029. Nielsen will continue its hybrid panel-plus-census measurement approach to capture evolving viewing habits across platforms. Local industry leaders lauded the move for maintaining stability and “accurate insights” in a fragmenting media landscape. Nielsen executives said the renewal reflects strong collaboration and will ensure advertisers and networks rely on consistent audience metrics.
Partnerships, Mergers, and Acquisitions
- Ipsos Completes Acquisition of BVA Family: Ipsos finalized its purchase of French research group The BVA Family, after clearing regulatory and employee consultations. The deal bolsters Ipsos’ presence in France (rebranding BVA as Ipsos BVA) and integrates BVA’s specialty in behavioral science, CX tracking, and pack testing into Ipsos’ global network. Ipsos CEO Ben Page welcomed BVA’s teams and solutions, saying the “complementary” expertise will deliver greater value to clients worldwide.
- Norstat Acquires Sample Solutions for B2B Reach: European data collection firm Norstat bought Netherlands-based Sample Solutions, expanding its access to high-quality B2B and niche consumer sample. Sample Solutions is known for hard-to-reach audiences across Europe. The merger strengthens Norstat’s panel capabilities and global reach in specialized segments, aligning with a broader trend of consolidation to meet demand for credible B2B sample sources.
- Dotdigital Buys Social Snowball for $35M: London-based CX automation provider Dotdigital acquired US influencer marketing platform Social Snowball for $35 million. Social Snowball’s tech automates influencer onboarding, tracking, and payouts for e-commerce brands, adding a word-of-mouth channel to Dotdigital’s cross-channel marketing suite. Dotdigital CEO Milan Patel said the deal injects a new performance-based channel “aligned with how smart marketers want to grow” – tying creator campaigns directly to ROI and first-party customer data. The influencer platform will be integrated into Dotdigital’s AI-driven marketing stack.
Industry Leadership & Organizational Changes
- LRW Veteran David Sackman Takes Helm at Bovitz: Los Angeles insights agency Bovitz hired industry stalwart David Sackman as its new CEO, as founder Greg Bovitz moved to Executive Chairman. Sackman previously led LRW (now Material) for decades, growing it into a $400M global firm. At Bovitz, he will guide an expanding vision blending behavioral science, data science, marketing and change management. His appointment signals Bovitz’s ambition to scale up its consultative research offerings with seasoned leadership.
- Rob Wengel Becomes CEO of Radius Global: Radius Global Market Research appointed Rob Wengel – a former NielsenIQ, IRI, and GutCheck executive – as CEO, succeeding Chip Lister who shifts to a Board advisor role. Wengel’s nearly 40-year career spans consumer goods marketing and top roles in insights firms. At Radius, he’s expected to leverage the firm’s Brand Growth Navigator framework and recent acquisitions to drive growth. Lister said Wengel brings a “sharp insights perspective” and clear vision to evolve Radius in step with clients’ changing needs.
- Accenture Restructures to Infuse AI, Promotes New Leaders: Consulting giant Accenture announced a major reorganization, folding its Song (marketing analytics) unit and others into a new “Reinvention Services” division aimed at embedding data and AI across offerings. Americas CEO Manish Sharma will become Chief Services Officer overseeing the integrated group, while Ndidi Oteh, currently head of Song Americas, will lead the global unit as previously slated. The shuffle also elevates other executives (John Walsh to Americas CEO, Kate Hogan to global COO). CEO Julie Sweet said the changes will help Accenture deliver value faster in the “Gen AI” era, positioning it as an AI-enabled, client-focused organization.
Expert Insights & Thought Leadership
- ESOMAR Updates Code of Conduct for AI Era: International research association ESOMAR released a major overhaul of its professional Code, done with the ICC, to address the rise of AI, synthetic data use, and evolving researcher roles. The revised standards emphasize transparency and ethics when using AI-driven research tools and non-traditional data. By clarifying responsibilities for data scientists, tech providers, and insights professionals, the new Code aims to ensure public trust and quality in an age of automation and simulation.
- New Zealand Scraps Traditional Census for Admin Data: In a bold move with global implications, New Zealand will abolish its five-yearly national Census after 2023, shifting to an “admin data-first” approach by 2030. Statistics NZ will compile population stats annually using government-held records (tax, health, etc.) supplemented by smaller surveys. Officials say this modernizes data collection amid rising costs and falling response rates, though some experts warn it may leave blind spots in representing vulnerable communities. The decision underscores a growing debate on replacing massive surveys with big data pipelines – trading breadth of coverage for frequency and efficiency.