A reimagined insights and market research community gathered together in Denver as part of TMRE 2026, which itself was part of the first Insight to Impact Conference. The conference, which featured TMRE, Content Marketing World, Lions-driven content and several related summits, featured no shortage of compelling keynote speakers across the various platforms. Here, we look at what we learned from the TMRE keynotes.
Developing a Consumer-First Insights & Marketing Engine
“Consumers Lead. Insights Guide. Growth Follows” kicked off the start of the conference, with a strong insights and marketing message delivered by Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, and Kirti Singh, Chief Analytics and Insights Officer, Procter & Gamble.
Connecting to the overall theme of the event, Insight to Impact, Pritchard and Singh made their case that even for a brand powerhouse like P&G, the strategy is kept deliberately yet powerfully simple: Focusing on “consumer first” is essential, as is translating that understanding to action through insights. Creating an experience for the consumer is also important but one must always protect the consumer truth across the experience.
That’s not to say that strategies at P&G haven’t evolved over time but that rapid evolution has always remained on the consumer first. AI is just one trend changing the shopping and retailing experience.
“The ways people discover brands, experience ideas, and make shopping choices have fundamentally transformed—and the tools available to us are changing just as fast,” said Pritchard during the keynote.
“What has also changed is the scale and speed of how we learn,” added Singh. “We need two complementary modes: deep human insight that builds enduring brand experiences, and everyday, always-on learning that helps us move fast. But more information doesn’t automatically create more understanding. We need to have the consumer first mindset to discover the insights that matter.”
The P&G executives shared some key principles that have driven their consumer-first philosophy:
Principle 1: Dive Deep into Trends to Uncover Truth: We have more consumer data available to us than ever before, but more data doesn’t guarantee better decisions. The challenge is knowing which signals deserve our attention. Data expands what we can see, but human inquiry determines what matters.
Principle 2: Give Human Meaning to What AI Discovers: When we spot a signal, AI is exceptionally useful for surfacing possible explanations at extraordinary speed. But AI does not tell us which explanation reflects the consumer’s lived experience. Technology can give us the what at incredible speed, but it takes human empathy to uncover the why and translate it into the how.
Principle 3: Use Insight to Unlock the Full Value of Superiority: Brands are designed to serve a broad range of consumers and a wide range of consumer needs. Insights lead to ideas for new products that deliver superiority on a specific benefit. But the question is, how can we get the most value from that superiority? Are we serving the widest range of consumers? Are there insights that can unlock additional value?
Principle 4: Protect the Truth Across the Brand Experience: Consumers experience the whole brand—the product, the package, the retail shelf, and the communication—so the insight must be protected to survive and thrive at every touchpoint of the brand experience.Insights must inspire and be reflected in every aspect of the brand from the product, package, communication and retail execution. When that happens…growth follows.
Singh further called insights leaders to action: “To the insights and research leaders in this room: bring Humans + Data+ AI together. Become the architects of continuous consumer closeness and distinguishing signals from noise. Combine deep human understanding with every day, 24/7 learning. And stay engaged throughout the consumer journey—our opportunity is not simply to produce insights faster; it is to improve the quality and speed of decisions to create winning consumer experiences.”
Pritchard meanwhile appealed to brand, marketing, and creative leaders: “Embed a culture of consumer-first obsession on your teams. Find the consumer truth to inspire the best brand ideas. Take that truth and idea into every aspect of the brand experience. Move to the new world of a continuous flow of engagement across multiple consumer cohorts, with multiple voices, in multiple moments to create a compounding effect that drives growth.”
Developing Influence
Another keynote was brought to the audience by Dr. Amy Cuddy, social psychologist, award-winning teacher and best-selling author, in her presentation on “How to Lead with Confidence and Be More Influential.”
In her keynote, Cuddy leaned on the themes of power, presence, and performance, especially as it relates to the market researcher striving to create and make an impact. “Insight and expertise drive impact but there’s a gap. How do we bridge the gap? By driving influence,” said Cuddy.
A key point Cuddy makes is that there is an expertise trap that executives often find themselves in. “We are constantly evaluating trust and competence. We often lead with competence, expertise, data. But can I trust you? Trustworthiness comes first, competencies second for effective leadership,” observed Cuddy.
The end result would be to lead with trust, as trust is the conduit of influence. We must also trust ourselves, as it’s challenging to connect if we are self-monitoring. Personal power and confidence are key to building trust and to being influential.
“Grant yourself the power to access your inner powers,” said Cuddy. Why is this often so hard? Because there is more uncertainty and less control. “We are in the flux era,” she said. The approach you take directly connects and activates influence. “You are selling data and insight but also selling you,” she said.
Cuddy also shared some thoughts on giving trust generously; getting familiar with the space and arriving first; finding your anchor people; and prepping your body and your brain. “Our body language is a force that shapes how to feel, think and behave,” she said.
Developing Relevancy
Following Cuddy was Sol Rashidi and her keynote, “How to Avoid Becoming Irrelevant.” Drawing on her research from Harvard Kennedy School on “The Future of Work in the Age of Automation, Augmentation, and Agentic AI,” along with her broader experience as a former AWS executive and the world’s first Chief AI Officer, this keynote explored one of the most overlooked consequences of artificial intelligence: how AI is fundamentally reshaping the way expertise, judgment, and careers are built.
Rashidi tempered the excitement of AI developments with a cautionary tone—that we must strive to validate and verify AI results and secure the ecosystem—along with bringing back a “people first” mentality.
She noted that 85% of AI initiatives have not seen meaningful impact, according to McKinsey. This may be a time to pause and reassess, said Rashidi.
AI governance and data security can drive the workforce, preparedness and mindset. But data architecture is not keeping up. Not all AI is created equal, and it’s still a journey through generic AI, applied AI, generative AI, and agentic AI. The point being—select and use the right tool for the right job.
At times, it is messy humans that must have agency. “It’s critical thinking and discernment which are key human attributes,” she said. Thinking independently, agency (choice and storytelling) and discernment (instinct and expertise) are all still key human traits that give us relevancy.
“But we must train the experts of the future now,” she said. “Ultimately, humans must lead and AI must support.”
Developing Leadership
Perhaps most impactful was a keynote from research community veteran Pamela Forbus, SVP, Global Chief of Insights & Analytics, Mondelez International. In “Leaders Make the Future,” Forbus boldly asked a question that is likely on the minds of the entire industry: “What insights future are we making?”
Forbus presented a rather stark graphic on the screen behind her about the future of insights: It may be faster and cheaper (the left path) or better (the right path) or could it possibly be both? Or will it just branch off into either direction? Will the insights industry as we know it cease to exist?
She further made the point that with the advent of AI, and the democratization of data and insights, that stakeholders are starting to talk to IT functions instead of insights teams. But it is the insight teams, she asserts, that answer the questions, become the voice of the customer, and provide the key strategic recommendations.
“We have to stand up and be better, and do better,” she asserted.
Forbus further outlined some tough choices that the future might hold. Is the future automated, centralized business hubs? Data foundations with AI? If insights is moving towards IT, then we have to partner with them, she noted. If insights moves towards strategy, then we have to be strong and definitive in our choices, assertions, and directives. It may be challenging but a necessary move. And she pointed out that insights may need to weigh evidence vs. nerve or gut instinct more often.
In closing, Forbus did not do any sugarcoating of the future. Instead, she pointed out three core beliefs:
1. Change the answers (to time and money saved).
2. Put yourself on the line.
3. Address the right questions with the right stakeholders, whether that’s marketing, supply chain, finance, or risk management. Tell the business story, she said.
Ultimately, the future of insights depends on the leaders who shape it. So, just what are we building? It can’t simply be a cheaper, faster version of what we do today, said Forbus, who challenged leaders to stop optimizing the old and start defining what comes next.
Editor’s Note: The next Insight to Impact Festival will be held November 2-4, 2027, at the Music City Center in Nashville, TN.
