Meeting the Insights Moment
This sea change requires redefining your team’s value proposition, upgrading skill sets, and repositioning how internal stakeholders request and use data. There’s no doubt AI is central to all of these changes with new tools and formats. But it’s also an opportunity to reframe the insights capability in this time of uncertainty, economic and competitive pressures into a more essential hub of the enterprise.
In Niels Neudecker’s blog for Human8, “The evolution of the insights professional: Equipping your organization for what’s next,” he describes how insights teams need to be operational and strategic: “Amid the race for more data, analytics and automation, insights organizations risk losing the human element of insight, grounded in context, meaning and institutional memory. When this happens, decision-making becomes reactive rather than strategic, missing critical opportunities for innovation.”
At the same time, Neudecker observes that insights teams can also capitalize on this moment by grounding themselves with human insights, refreshing their mission and purpose and pivoting to a more proactive driver of change in their organizations. Neudecker pinpoints three pivotal shifts that are taking place in the insights profession right now.
Shift 1: From DIY to Do-It-Together
The democratization of data has driven a continued shift towards do-it-yourself research and platforms. AI has also created this opportunity for more inexperienced business professionals to jump on the insights stage to collect data quickly, cost efficiently, and independently. But there are also risks and opportunities. The first major shift is a move away from siloed, do-it-yourself research models toward more collaborative, integrated approaches, Human8 notes. This shift reflects a broader cultural change: insights professionals are no longer just report writers, they’re strategic partners. By jointly reviewing what is already known – both from a quantitative and qualitative perspective – teams can identify knowledge gaps more effectively and generate hypotheses that guide more targeted, efficient primary research.
- Audit existing data sources before kicking off new research, using AI tools for faster synthesis.
- Organize cross-functional insight workshops to identify knowledge gaps and align priorities.
- Build shared dashboards that blend AI-powered summaries with expert interpretations.
Shift 2: From Big Data to Thick Data
Big data has transformed our ability to track and quantify behavior with powerful analytics. Organizations can see what’s happening in real time, detect emerging patterns, and measure performance with precision. Yet as organizations grow more data-rich, they risk becoming insight-poor. Enter thick data. Neudecker notes that thick data combines the scale of big data with the richness of human-centered insight. Thanks to AI-enabled qual-at-scale tools, organizations can now gather thousands of qualitative inputs – selfie videos, chat transcripts, open-ended responses – and process them quickly to reveal emotions, tensions, and cultural contexts at scale. When thick data is layered with contextual market trends and cultural intelligence, it provides a multidimensional view of the landscape. This is the foundation of strategic insight.
- Map cultural and market trends alongside behavioral data to build richer context.
- Use AI-powered text, image and video analysis to scale qualitative insights.
- Develop insight reports that connect numbers to human stories, helping stakeholders act on what really matters.
Shift 3: From Speed to Insight to Speed to Action
Neudecker of Human8 suggests that the third and perhaps most critical shift is a redefinition of what it means to be “fast.” For years, the focus has been on accelerating the time it takes to generate insights. But in today’s hyper-competitive, always-on environment, generating insights quickly isn’t enough. Organizations often find themselves stuck with mountains of reports but little clarity on what to do next. The real competitive advantage lies in the evolution of speed to action. This means moving beyond analysis to activation. It’s about synthesizing insights across multiple data sources and translating them into clear, commercially relevant strategies.
- Design insight reports with recommended actions tied directly to business priorities.
- Build alignment sessions with stakeholders to prioritize and commit to next steps.
- Train teams on storytelling to turn insights into compelling, actionable narratives.
TMRE Session Spotlight: The Human Knowledge Studio
During TMRE 2026, which will be held October 5-7, the session, “The Human Knowledge Studio: Rebranding Insights as a Creative Engine for Strategy,” will be presented by Matthew Frampton, Senior Director, Global Human Knowledge Studio, Crayola.
Insights teams are sitting on the most powerful raw material in business: human truth. But truth alone doesn’t move organizations — story does. This session pulls back the curtain on Crayola’s transformation from a traditional insights department to the Human Knowledge Studio, a rebranded and reimagined capability built on narrative craft, emotional intelligence, and strategic partnership.
You’ll hear how we reframed our identity, redesigned our workflows, and elevated our influence by treating insights like creative assets — shaped, curated, and delivered with intention. Learn how storytelling became our differentiator, enabling us to guide strategy, inspire innovation, and help leaders see the world through a more human lens.
Click here for more TMRE 2026 registration information and the show agenda.
Enter, The Strategic Business Consultant
Human8’s Neudecker suggests that these three pivotal shifts are transforming and reimagining insights into being a strategic consultant, “someone who can connect the dots, tell a compelling story, and recommend a course of action with clarity and conviction.”
It’s not just about using the latest tool or developing the fastest report. As Neudecker relates, “The true differentiator will be the rise of the Strategic Insight Consultant: professionals who go beyond finding insights to activating on them. These professionals will be valued not just for their technical expertise, but for their ability to: connect the dots across complex data ecosystems; tell compelling, actionable stories that resonate with decision-makers; and influence, inspire and guide organizations toward bold, confident actions.”
Video: “Becoming an Essential Strategic Business Consultant,” courtesy of Market Research Institute International.
