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 (August 15 – August 21, 2025)
AI and Tech Innovations in Market Research
- Conjointly launches “Deep probe” for automated survey analysis. The alpha feature lets researchers describe learning goals and get structured outputs (theme coding, scoring, summaries) using LLM analysis or custom formulas. Founder Nik Samoylov says it reduces manual coding bottlenecks.
- Salesforce debuts CRMArena‑Pro to bench‑test AI agents. The simulation uses synthetic enterprise data to evaluate API calls and agent performance across accuracy, cost, speed, trust, and sustainability—positioning it as a “digital twin of business” for safer deployment.
- Pureprofile adds AI coding via Nexxt Intelligence’s Inca. The upgrade auto‑categorizes open ends, builds or imports codeframes, and speeds text analysis inside Pureprofile’s platform. Lorraine Yeung calls it a move from “raw verbatims to real insight.”
- Discuss introduces “vibe coding” and other AI‑led qual features. The People Experience Platform adds natural‑language‑driven automation to help non‑specialists run interviews and surface themes, building on its Genie AI toolkit.
- Parrot Analytics launches Sports Demand. A new sports media measurement system helps value global sports rights in context with broader entertainment IP, expanding advanced content analytics into sport.
B2B Market Research Developments
- UserEvidence acquires Zealot and raises $7m. The B2B customer‑voice platform expands into integrated advocate activation and AI‑powered matchmaking between proof assets and live deals; total funding now $21m.
- BoardClic secures fresh funding and appoints a new CEO. The Stockholm board‑performance analytics firm will accelerate its AI roadmap; Christoffer Hartung becomes CEO and Tom Nyman chairman.
- Optable installs co‑founder Vlad Stesin as CEO. The identity and data collaboration platform says the leadership shift advances an AI‑enabled roadmap for audience insights, planning, and measurement; Patrick Viau named CRO.
- Aurasell emerges from stealth with $30m seed for an AI‑native CRM. The platform aims to collapse GTM data (ICPs, personas, signals, forecasting, conversation intelligence) into a single system to accelerate B2B insight‑to‑action.
Partnerships, Mergers, and Acquisitions
- Thoma Bravo to acquire Verint for ~$2B. The deal adds the CX automation/VoC player to a portfolio that includes Medallia, UserTesting, and J.D. Power, consolidating influence across experience and insights tech.
- Circana completes acquisition of Nielsen’s MMM business. MMM staff and assets join Circana Media (alongside NCS), expanding end‑to‑end measurement spanning planning, in‑flight optimization, and post‑campaign analysis.
- Accenture agrees to buy Japanese consultancy SI&Co. The move bolsters data/AI transformation services in Japan across regulated and enterprise sectors—relevant to research‑adjacent analytics delivery.
- Behavix partners with Shareparty Insights across APAC. The SDK‑based deal enables passive, opt‑in cross‑platform digital behavior tracking and survey recontact across major Asian platforms.
- FreeWheel integrates Experian audience data in the UK. The tie‑up promises more precise demographic and transactional targeting for buyers—another step toward tighter data collaboration between adtech and insight datasets.
Industry Leadership & Organizational Changes
- Tobii CEO Anand Srivatsa to step down. The eye‑tracking/attention computing firm begins a CEO search as Srivatsa relocates to the US; chair Per Norman credits his “transformative” tenure.
- Kantar names Christoffer Hultin MD for Finland. Hultin brings prior leadership roles at Acceleration Nordic, WPP Media Finland, OMD, and Nokia.
- Royal Statistical Society elects Prof. Guy Nason president‑elect. The Imperial College London statistician will succeed Sir John Aston at the end of 2026—signal for UK official statistics and methods leadership.
- Cartology’s Mike Tyquin expands remit. Woolworths’ retail media arm adds insights, media, and loyalty commercialization under Tyquin amid strong revenue growth.
- UK agency promotions. DJS Research announces multiple senior promotions and data team leadership roles; Explain Market Research adds two associate insight directors and expands compliance/insight staff.
Expert Insights & Thought Leadership
- Research Live – Opinion: “Through the AI looking glass: How trust is moving” (Aug 27). Jeremy Hollow argues for framing/interpretation literacy as AI mediates both inputs and outputs in research.
