If 2023 is to be remembered for one technological boom, it will be the explosive growth of generative AI. In this episode, we speak to Phil Sutcliffe, Managing Partner of Nexxt Intelligence inca about what that means for the research industry, how new modes of working will develop and why AI represents the biggest opportunity to improve insight since the dawn of the internet. Across this 30 minute episode, we explore some of the present-day applications in ResTech, including conversational surveys and the holy grail for many insight teams - qual at the scale of quant. We also touch on potential future applications that may enter the mainstream conversation soon, such as synthetic users and fully automated projects.   ---   Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR Featuring: Phil Sutcliffe, Managing Partner at Nexxt Intelligence inca   For more info on FlexMR, visit ⁠⁠www.flexmr.net⁠⁠ Or connect via ⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠/ ⁠⁠Twitter ⁠⁠/ ⁠⁠Facebook

The role of research doesn’t end at the point of debrief. To create a successful, valued insight function it’s vital to engage with key business challenges, large and small. In this jam-packed episode, Nicola Stevens shares her experience building a research team from scratch – and the lessons learnt along the way.   We discuss the role of post-debrief decision sessions, the value of running small scale experiments, and the different ways of determining value. The episode also touches on the importance of honesty, outreach and the process of winning trust from colleagues across your business. So tune in to find out how your research team can grow into flourishing decision consultants.   ---   Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR Featuring: Nicola Stevens, Head of Insight at Close Brothers Motor Finance and Close Brothers Premium Finance   For more info on FlexMR, visit ⁠www.flexmr.net⁠ Or connect via ⁠LinkedIn ⁠/ ⁠Twitter ⁠/ ⁠Facebook

It’s a challenging time for the insight industry. But after successive Bellwether reports highlighting a downward trend in spend, new research from the IPA and stagnating customer service standards – the need for sound decision-making has never been greater. In this episode, Danny Russell explains why aiming for a seat at the boardroom table might be a mistake, and how building a culture of customer salience – in which research has a seat at many tables – offers a greater opportunity to have tangible, operational impact. To find out more about Customer Salience and the 4C model, sign up to the upcoming AURA decision making masterclasses in Manchester and London later this year. Or visit the FlexMR resource centre to grab a copy of the online toolkit.   ---   Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR Featuring: Danny Russell, Non-Exec Director & Strategic Advisor   For more info on FlexMR, visit www.flexmr.net Or connect via LinkedIn / Twitter / Facebook

Both the marketing and research industries have undergone tremendous change in the last decade. Discovering the new role that insight teams play in the modern world is a challenge for many. In this episode, we explore the intersection of data, communication and company culture with award winning comms expert Lucy Davison. Over the course of 30 minutes, we cover the major principles that researchers need to grapple with in order to effectively have long-term impact on organisational decision making. Developing an overarching customer narrative. The importance of repetition. Why insight needs confident advocates. And much more. To find out more how researchers can become better communicators of data, and which industry myths should be on the chopping block – see Keen as Mustard, FlexMR and a panel of clientside guests at ESOMAR Congress this September. --- Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR Featuring: Lucy Davison, Founder and CEO @ Keen as Mustard Marketing For more info on FlexMR, visit www.flexmr.netOr connect via LinkedIn / Twitter / Facebook

In Season 3, we spoke to Andrew Cannon ahead of the Year of Joy launch. Now that the community is up and running, we check in and meet Shari Alyse, America’s Joy Magnet, who has joined the team as the official Joy Reporter. On this episode, we hear about some of the previous and upcoming joy superpowers that the team are shining a spotlight on, plus dig into the Joy Barometer as a tool for improving your wellbeing. Over the course of 30 minutes, we explore the impact of purpose, freedom, wellbeing and happiness on our own level of joy, and the steps we can take to increase it. Shari discusses the importance of centring on the self, and Andrew shares how to use scorecards to better understand our own experiences. Tune in for this and so much more. --- Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR (CJ_24K) Featuring: Andrew Cannon, Co-Founder of The Art and Science of Joy (Website / LinkedIn) And: Shari Alyse, Media Spokeswoman and Joy Reporter at The Art and Science of Joy (LinkedIn) Sign up to join the Year of Joy community and get your scorecard here. For more info on FlexMR, visit www.flexmr.net Or connect via LinkedIn / Twitter / Facebook

How can research and insight shape the important conversations around sustainability and the climate crisis? In this episode, we’re joined by members of the Young Person’s Sustainability Council, a part of the MRS &More network to explore exactly that. Nikita and Lisa explain how the group started, it’s ambitious aims and views on building sustainable societies. Over the course of this episode, we examine the role of individual action and institutional change, the practical steps that young professionals can take to contribute to a more sustainable world and some of the projects and actions that provide hope for a better future. In particular, we highlight the work of the Climate Action Groups built by the advertising industry and Patagonia, before looking at how these inspiring actions can provide a blueprint for all. --- Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR (CJ_24K) Featuring: Nikita Simone, Senior Research Executive at The Big Picture (Website / LinkedIn) And: Lisa Mai, Account Director at Headland Consultancy (Website / LinkedIn) Find out more and follow the Young Person’s Sustainability Collective here. For more info on FlexMR, visit www.flexmr.net Or connect via LinkedIn / Twitter / Facebook

The world today is a complex place. We have access to vast, often overwhelming, volumes of data all competing for attention. In that environment, how can corporations and busy executives make sense of it all? That’s the central question we pose to Paul Hudson, CEO of FlexMR and Edward Appleton, Director Global Marketing & Sales at Happy Thinking People, part of InSites Consulting. Over the course of half an hour, we examine the relationship between research, marketing and strategy – including  how the dynamic has drastically changed over time. We ask how insight can make a long-term, meaningful impact and dissect the hallmarks of success. And we apply those learnings to the challenging commercial outlook that lies ahead in 2023. --- Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR (CJ_24K) Featuring: Edward Appleton, Director of Global Marketing and Sales @ Happy Thinking People, part of Insites Consulting (Website / LinkedIn) And: Paul Hudson, Founder and CEO of FlexMR (Website / LinkedIn) To learn about Edward's high impact example projects, visit ana.esomar.org For more info on FlexMR, visit www.flexmr.net Or connect via LinkedIn / Twitter / Facebook

Market research and consumer insight professionals are no stranger to artificial intelligence. The technology has been listed as a top 5 buzz topics in every Greenbook GRIT report since 2016. It’s increasingly being used to power data collection and analytics tools, and offers the promise of previously unseen insight. But the release of advanced natural language chatbots and AI powered art generators have thrown the technology into the mainstream spotlight over the past few weeks. In this episode of the MRX Lab, we took the opportunity to ask one of these tools – ChatGPT – about the role of artificial intelligence in consumer insight. What followed was a ten minute conversation between one human and one language model trained to interact in a human-like manner. --- Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR (CJ_24K) Featuring: ChatGPT from OpenAI (Website) For more info on FlexMR, visit www.flexmr.net Or connect via LinkedIn / Twitter / Facebook

Empathy is a skill that we’re all born with, but as with everything else – it’s something we must practise to become better at. Marketers and researchers are acutely aware of the role that empathy plays in building customer relationships, creating positive work cultures and simply connecting with others throughout all aspects of our day-to-day lives. In this episode of the MRX Lab, we speak to Rob Volpe, CEO & founder of Ignite 360 and author of Tell Me More About That, about the impact that empathy has on marketing, research and leadership. We discuss the misconceptions about the subject, the role of EQ and the common barriers to building empathy with others. Rob also shares his personal journey and highlights important data on the empathy crisis facing the world today. --- Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR (CJ_24K) Featuring: Rob Volpe, CEO & Founder @ Ignite 360 (Website / LinkedIn) To learn about Rob’s book, Tell Me More About That, visit www.5stepstoempathy.com For more info on FlexMR, visit www.flexmr.net Or connect via LinkedIn / Twitter / Facebook

What role does joy play in our lives? How can we measure its impact? What steps can we take to create more joy for ourselves and others? These are the questions we explore in this conversation with Andrew Cannon, Co-Founder of The Art and Science of Joy. Andrew’s latest project is The Year of Joy, an online research community launch in January 2023 that will inspire people to find the components and recipes that enable them to live more joyous lives. Tune in to hear more about the project, what the team hope to achieve, plus what working professionals can do to bring themselves more joy. --- Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR (CJ_24K) Featuring: Andrew Cannon, Co-Founder @ The Art and Science of Joy (LinkedIn) To sign up to The Year of Joy Community, visit www.theartandscienceofjoy.com/year-of-joy Or connect via LinkedIn / Instagram / Web For more info on FlexMR, visit www.flexmr.net Or connect via LinkedIn / Twitter / Facebook