We recently took centre stage at 2024’s MRMW NA in Atlanta, hosed by Merlien Institute. Our very own Jenny Kieras, Global Head of Key Accounts, and Devra Jacobs, SVP, were in attendance. Taking to the podium, Jenny delivered an unforgettable talk on making innovation success more predictable – complete with balloons and audience participation…
The event, chaired by the Sequoyah Glenn, was abuzz with insights, from AI trends to creative research methodologies. Dive into our Q&A with Devra and Jenny for the inside scoop on standout speakers like Jennifer Avery from Universal Parks & Resorts and Lavanya Bakshi from Samsung, challenging the status quo of market research. Plus, hear about the innovative approaches shared by Sandeep Das from Mars Wrigley and Sweta Kannan from Kraft Heinz.
Stay tuned for insights, stories, and a glimpse of the US President!
How was the event?
Devra Jacobs: Once again, the conference was chaired by Sequoyah Glenn, who brings a wonderful energy and enthusiasm to MRMW. Coming off the end of Cannes, there were some fascinating stories and connections from one industry event to the next.
On a fun note – we got to mingle with the US Men’s National Soccer Team (in town for Copa America – go Team USA!) and left right before the first Presidential Debate took place in Atlanta (even passed one of the Presidential motorcades on our way to the airport!).
Can you share some of the standout snippets from the speakers in the NA market?
Jenny Kieras: Jennifer Avery from Universal Parks & Resorts gave a very provocative speech about ensuring research isn’t just for show by saying ‘no’ to BS box-checking!
This opened up great dialogue in the Q&A and beyond as it got everyone talking about the times when either the ‘ask’ or the methodology they were being encouraged to use felt like it added no value or opportunity to pursue a sensible outcome, instead just having been done for the optics of doing it. This research-for-research’s sake is HUGE when we consider the time, energy and money that is spent on MR each year. It sets a great challenge for us all to find the right ways to define problems and push back on BS to ensure that research is always adding value.
Lavanya Bakshi from Samsung pushed everyone to consider their research creativity – to allow for a more exploratory approach to research and less single-minded goals.
He spoke about the impact of cultural and generational shifts as well as advances in tech. For example, when considering AI we need to also be mindful that Gen-Z may not have the time or patience to complete a 30min survey. So, how do we leverage AI, data lakes, collaboration and cross-functional learnings and objectives to ensure we can engage ourselves and our stakeholders to the full extent of insights as the world continues to move at pace?
DJ: Finally, Sweta Kannan, the Director of Coffee Innovation & White Space at Kraft Heinz gave a fascinating presentation on the power of ‘How’ in driving meaning and differentiation for an iconic 130-year-old brand, Maxwell House.
By going beyond the ‘why’ of coffee rituals and utilizing AI and projective techniques, Sweta shared how Kraft Heinz uncovered unique insights for the brand and consumer – leading to the first rebrand in nearly 10 years to reach a younger category of coffee drinkers, while staying true to Maxwell House’s legacy. In addition to sharing updated packaging, the rebrand also included a new tagline, “Live Life to the Last Drop,” inspiring coffee drinkers to reach their max with each coffee sip. Very inspiring to see the end-to-end process!
What’s been most interesting from the Catalyx viewpoint of continuing to supercharge innovation?
DJ: Not surprisingly, AI was on everyone’s lips. Similar to our recent white paper, it was interesting to see the trends of weariness for AI among consumers – most are afraid of how fast things are changing and uncertainty for the future, according to Jennifer Brace, Chief Futurist at Ford Motor Company.
Interestingly – people were more concerned how it would impact others and less how it would impact themselves as it relates to being replaced in the job market, etc.
Sandeep Das from Mars Wrigley led a fascinating presentation on The Future of Storytelling, it explored how anecdotes always work better with numbers, and how you can start and end presentations with anecdotes for the most impact.
AI plus Storytelling is the next big frontier in social media, content development, employee onboarding and more. There were many mentions of utilizing personalized GPT tools to transform insights. Yogesh Chavda, Director, Center for Marketing Solutions, at the University of South Carolina shared a comprehensive exploration of GPT tools and how he’s weaving together multiple tools to potentially revolutionize large-scale research methods, such as segmentation.
He shared a story stunning an audience member earlier in the day to remark that the results were eerily similar to her research that took 1 year and a 6-figure price tag. Yogesh walked through an example where he used AI tools to create a new ad for the University in a matter of days. It was fun to hear the tools currently being used within the MRMW audience, including Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, Replica, DragonFly, SuperHuman, MidJourney and more.
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