Overall takeaways from the track follow, but click the below links to dive into each session:
- A Breath of Fresh Insight: Redefining Air Care with Lysol and EthOS: Paul Chesterman, EVP Marketing & Enterprise Solutions, EthOs/OvationMR & Alka Bhatia, Consumer & HCP Insights Lead, Reckitt
- Reengineering Market Insights for an AI-Driven Future: Kendra Speed, Director of Consumer Market Research, LinkedIn
- Blending Brains and Bots: Strategically Leveraging AI and Human Insights in Qualitative Research: Kendall Nash, SVP, Burke
- Foundational AI Models Turn Data Into Performance: Daniel Scantlebury, VP of Data Science, Resonate & Lyn Duffy, Director of Research, Butler/Til
- Crafted Illusion or Unfiltered Reality? How AI Supported Social Listening is the True Voice of the Customer: Daniel Fazekas, CEO & Founder, Bakamos, Jim Kempland, CO-Founder & CEO, BARE Zero Proof Spirits & Erik Larsen, SVP, Research & Product Development, OvationMR
- The AI Insights Revolution: Discover 3 Ways of Transforming Consumer Research with AI: Eli Moore, Senior Director, Consumer Analytics, The Coca-Cola Company
Key Takeaways
- AI Complements Human Expertise: The integration of AI with human moderators in qualitative research helps streamline processes while maintaining the nuanced understanding that only humans can provide.
- Real-World Consumer Behavior Matters: Multimedia diary studies and in-the-moment research give brands an authentic glimpse into consumer behavior, helping them make informed decisions about product development and marketing.
- Relationships Drive Insights: Building strong, authentic relationships with consumers and using AI to analyze their behavior helps researchers better understand the triggers that lead to product use and loyalty.
Merging Human Insight with AI: The Best of Both Worlds
The summit was a showcase of how AI and human expertise can come together to elevate research practices. In the age of AI, many fear that machines will replace human intuition and emotional intelligence. However, this year’s sessions emphasized that the future of market research is not about choosing between the two—it’s about leveraging the strengths of both.
Take, for example, the concept of hybrid approaches. In a session led by Kendall Nash, the idea of pairing AI with human moderation was explored as a way to enhance qualitative research. AI can handle the heavy lifting, such as managing large volumes of data, quickly analyzing consumer responses, and summarizing key themes. But when it comes to the intricacies of human behavior—understanding context, emotions, and unspoken motivations—it’s the human touch that makes all the difference. It’s clear that AI’s role isn’t to replace humans, but to complement their expertise and help researchers focus on what truly matters: meaningful insights.
AI as a Time-Saving Powerhouse
Another major theme at the summit was how AI can streamline data analysis, turning massive amounts of raw information into actionable insights. With hundreds of participants in studies like Lysol’s, the sheer volume of data would be overwhelming without the help of AI tools. Ethos, for example, used its AI-powered platform to rapidly analyze multimedia content and generate summaries. This allowed the team to focus on what really mattered—extracting valuable insights about product use, consumer behavior, and emotional triggers—without being bogged down by time-consuming tasks like manual coding and sorting.
By automating the grunt work, AI freed up researchers to focus on the more strategic aspects of their role, such as identifying patterns, testing hypotheses, and crafting compelling narratives. It also made it possible to explore more complex, nuanced data in ways that wouldn’t have been feasible with traditional research methods. Whether it’s identifying new market opportunities, analyzing customer feedback, or improving product features, AI’s efficiency allows researchers to move faster and with more confidence.
Building Stronger Consumer Relationships Through Data
At its core, research is all about understanding people. And while AI and data analysis play an integral role, it’s the human element—relationships—that drives real, meaningful insights. The concept of “relationship-building” was a key theme at TMRE 2024, as seen in discussions about strengthening consumer engagement. It’s no longer enough to simply collect feedback; brands need to foster genuine connections with consumers, creating spaces for them to share, participate, and influence product development.
AI in Action
As the sessions unfolded, it became increasingly clear that AI is poised to revolutionize the field of market research. But it’s not just about the technology—it’s about how researchers use it to amplify their human capabilities. AI is a powerful tool that can handle complex analysis, process vast amounts of data, and even predict trends. However, it’s still humans who bring the context, emotional intelligence, and empathy necessary to turn data into actionable insights.
What’s most exciting is how AI is opening up new avenues for research, from hybrid qualitative approaches to multimedia diary studies that capture real-world behavior. The potential for AI to enhance traditional methods is limitless, offering researchers an unprecedented opportunity to dig deeper and faster into the hearts and minds of consumers. But as sessions on hybrid AI-human approaches and consumer relationship-building showed, the future of research is not about technology replacing humans—it’s about using technology to enhance human expertise and create more meaningful connections with consumers.
The Future of Research Is Human-Driven and Tech-Enhanced
TMRE 2024 provided a fresh perspective on the future of market research, one that blends human expertise with cutting-edge technology. By embracing AI as a tool to complement—not replace—human insight, researchers can unlock a new level of efficiency, authenticity, and strategic value. The key takeaway from this event? The future of research is human-driven, tech-enhanced, and full of exciting possibilities. The real magic happens when AI and human expertise join forces to create deeper connections with consumers and drive innovation. The future is bright for those willing to embrace both technology and empathy in their research journey.
10 KEY ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS
- AI Complements Humans:
- Action: Explore how AI can enhance your qualitative research process alongside human moderators.
- Real-World Behavior:
- Action: Consider implementing multimedia diary studies to observe real-time consumer behavior.
- Relationships Drive Insights:
- Action: Focus on building stronger, more authentic relationships with your consumers.
- Hybrid Approaches:
- Action: Pair AI with human moderation in your next qualitative research project.
- Authentic Consumer Behavior:
- Action: Investigate using in-the-moment research methods to capture authentic behavior.
- AI Time-Saving:
- Action: Identify research tasks that can be automated by AI to free up researchers’ time.
- Stronger Consumer Relationships:
- Action: Create spaces for consumers to share feedback and influence product development.
- Experiential Learning:
- Action: Explore opportunities for real-time feedback loops and experiential learning with consumers.
- AI in Action:
- Action: Identify ways AI can enhance traditional research methods in your organization.
- Human-Driven Tech-Enhanced:
- Action: Develop a strategy to integrate AI and human expertise to enhance consumer understanding.
Contributor
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Seth Adler heads up All Things Insights & All Things Innovation. He has spent his career bringing people together around content. He has a dynamic background producing events, podcasts, video, and the written word.
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