Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast

Great research starts with the business question and lets the right methodology follow. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Aksel Bedikyan, Founder and CEO of OhGee Insights, discusses why researchers should stay methodology-agnostic, how mixed methods can reveal insights hidden in conflicting data, and why existing data should be explored before new research is commissioned. He also shares how generative AI is changing the research process by taking on time-consuming analytical work and why curiosity, human judgment, and client relationships become even more important as automation improves.

What does it take to build a research function that leadership actually uses? In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie Vance and Molly Strawn-Carreño sit down with David Yin, a fractional research and marketing leader who has built insights functions at companies including Fitbit, Ancestry, Eventbrite, and Poshmark. David shares how researchers can build credibility from scratch, understand stakeholder problems, earn leadership buy-in, translate research data into business action, and turn consumer insights into competitive advantage.

For the longest time, market research has been focused on understanding why people behave the way they do. But what happens after the insight is delivered? In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with Will Leach, founder and CEO of Mindstate Group, to explore why researchers need to move beyond insights and recommendations and become behavioral designers who can help brands turn research into action. Will breaks down the say-do gap, explains why behavioral science and data analytics need to work together, and introduces the Mind State Activation Blueprint, a framework designed to translate behavioral research into practical creative and marketing guidance. He also shares how AI uncovered a cultural pattern across 19 different studies that he would have missed by looking at research one project at a time.

Data quality isn’t just about better fraud detection or securing individual surveys. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie Vance and Jonathan sit down with Karine Pepin to explore what’s actually broken in the research ecosystem and why fixing one survey at a time can only go so far. Karine shares how researchers can establish their own “ground truth,” interpret conflicting fraud signals, question unrealistic sample claims, and rethink what’s possible when researching hard-to-reach audiences.

Turning research insights into action requires more than delivering good data. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, strategic foresight practitioner Mina McBride explores how researchers can build credibility, understand the political and emotional realities of their clients, and prepare stakeholders to act on uncomfortable insights. She also shares how foresight can help researchers distinguish meaningful signals from noise, take calculated career risks and stay focused on the work that matters most.

Researching products that do not yet exist requires looking beyond the technology itself. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, UX Research Leader and Product Strategy Advisor, Preeti Talwai, discusses how researchers can anchor early-stage work in enduring human needs, separate the experience from the technology enabling it, and measure impact even when a product never launches. She also shares why AI should augment rather than shortcut qualitative research and how teams can move faster by changing the way insights are delivered.

AI can accelerate research, but it can also make flawed conclusions sound convincing. In this episode, Sasha Mitts, an independent researcher, joins Stephanie Vance and Molly Strawn-Carreño to explore how researchers can use AI without surrendering their judgment. They discuss validating AI outputs, breaking analysis into smaller tasks, documenting assumptions, and preserving the human perspective behind meaningful research.

Retail media has become a powerful tool for brands to connect digital communication with physical purchases. In this episode, David Glaza, founder and CEO of Digits Agency, discusses the rapid rise of retail media networks and how first party data is removing the guesswork from advertising. David shares insights on the challenges of network fragmentation and why the best strategies prioritize relevant customer experiences over simple promotion.

Technology is changing the pace of research but the core of understanding people remains a human task. Tom Rich shares his perspective as a self-described carbon-based qualitative researcher. He explains why artificial intelligence serves as a sophisticated probability calculator rather than a source of wisdom. He also reveals how moral frameworks and techniques borrowed from the world of psychics help uncover what people truly value. Tom highlights why the journey of research matters more than just the end deliverable for brand strategy.

Andrew Embry of Eli Lilly explains how to innovate when the walls feel small. He shares how his team uses synthetic respondents to move faster and why regulatory boundaries actually fuel creativity. The importance of change management and the need for researchers to get in the mud with the business comes out through this conversation. Andrew highlights why human judgment remains the most valuable asset for insights professionals in a world of increasing automation and provides a framework for building trust and delivering tangible results.

Examine the tension between AI automation and the need for human closeness in consumer insights. Martin and Katie, Managing Partners at Basis Research, share why businesses return to custom models for strategic decisions and how brands can deal with a growing culture of consumer distrust. They address the potential gap in junior researcher development as technology absorbs entry-level tasks and why mentoring matters more than ever for the next generation of strategists.

Sarah Kling from Amazon explains how her team uses generative AI to scale global insights without losing the human touch. She highlights how she went from initial skepticism to using internal tools for massive data sets. The conversation covers the necessity of human rigor to prevent hallucinations and explains why the thinking cave is essential for quality. Sarah also details the evolving nature of consumer privacy and describes what the next phase of interlinked enterprise workflows might look like for the industry.

Data quality is often treated as a checkbox, but the impact of bad data reaches far across an organization. Insights teams must move from accepting claims to demanding proof. The hosts discuss the hidden costs of poor quality, including the erosion of stakeholder trust and slowed decision velocity. By explaining a framework centered on prevention and proof, they show how the industry can move toward a more disciplined approach where transparency becomes the primary buying criterion for research partners.

Data can inform decisions, but people make them. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Molly Strawn-Carreño and Stephanie Vance talk with Bill Salokar, Director of Business Development at Gazelle Global. They explore the critical role of human relationships and trust within the research ecosystem. Bill shares his journey from statistician to relationship builder, discussing how to maintain the human element as technology scales. The conversation highlights why active listening, contextual understanding, and research wisdom remain irreplaceable even as AI reshapes the industry.

Market research is evolving as AI automates traditional tasks. In this episode of the Curiosity Current, Elle Park from Arcutis Biotherapeutics discusses why a broad background in data and strategy provides a unique advantage in a world favoring specialization. She explains the critical difference between being a human in the loop and being a human in the decision loop. The conversation explores how researchers can maintain their edge by focusing on foundational methods and strategic judgment within regulated industries.

Social media has transformed from an entertainment platform into a sophisticated decision engine. In this episode, explore how the linear consumer journey has collapsed into a dynamic loop where discovery, validation, and conversion happen simultaneously. Vladimer Botsvadze explains why brands must shift from broadcasting to listening, the importance of human-centric marketing, and how high-growth companies use social intelligence to build lasting cultural relevance.

Understanding human behavior requires embracing complexity. In this episode, Byron Reeves who is a pioneering Stanford researcher and has spent decades studying how humans interact with technology. They discuss why traditional research methods struggle to keep pace with fragmented digital lives. The conversation explores how AI simulations might help predict consumer behavior and what remains irreplaceable in a landscape driven by machines.

Market research is often focused on the present, but staying ahead requires a shift toward the future. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie Vance and Molly Strawn-Carreño speak with Kerry-Ellen Schwartz, Global Senior Director, Consumer Insights for Food Ventures at PepsiCo. They discuss the critical difference between insights and foresights. Kerry-Ellen explains why human empathy is the foundation for any successful brand strategy and how scenario planning helps businesses prepare for the needs of future generations like Gen Alpha.

The research profession is transitioning from hands-on execution to strategic orchestration, yet many organizations struggle with adoption. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Zontziry Johnson, Head of Learning and Research at the Insights Career Network, explains why new tools often fail to deliver promised results. She discusses the gap between tool adoption and process transformation, the importance of business literacy over technical execution, and how leaders can build teams that feel empowered to experiment. Discover how to identify hidden alignment barriers and future proof your career.

Alec Levin discusses the evolution of professional learning and explains why structured curriculums are failing modern researchers. He shares how his community, Learners, fosters a more effective and chaotic ecosystem for growth. The conversation examines the impact of ai on the research field and uses the cheese factory analogy to distinguish between artisanal work and automated insights. Alec explains why researchers should view themselves as study designers to remain essential as the volume of available data explodes.

Deborah Mendez joins The Curiosity Current to discuss why discrepancies between consumer claims and actual behavior are signals for market innovation. Drawing on her leadership experience at major brands like Kraft Heinz and Mars, she explains how agile research allows teams to identify patterns rather than isolated data points. The conversation explores how to maintain high research quality under budget constraints and why the rise of artificial intelligence is sparking a qualitative renaissance. Deborah also highlights the essential human roles of problem framing and judgment in a data saturated world.

In this episode of The Curiosity Current, host Stephanie Vance is joined by Marin Mrsa, Founder and CEO of Peakator, to discuss the evolving landscape of research technology. Marin shares his journey of entering the insights industry from the outside and how that perspective shaped his vision for a more efficient research process. The conversation explores why surveys remain a vital communication tool between brands and consumers, the role of AI in automating tedious tasks, and why human judgment is more important than ever for strategic decision making.

Breaking into market research is getting harder, and it has long term consequences for the industry. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly speak with Brooke Reavey, Professor of Marketing at Dominican University, about the shrinking talent pipeline in insights. Brooke shares why internships and entry level roles are disappearing, how AI is reshaping both learning and work, and what the industry risks losing if practical experience continues to fade.

AI is transforming market research, but regulation and ethics are struggling to keep pace. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly speak with Howard Fienberg, Senior Vice President of Advocacy at the Insights Association, about how researchers can navigate growing complexity around AI, privacy laws, and participant trust. Howard shares guidance on staying responsible while the tools and expectations continue to evolve.

Cleaning is no longer just about hygiene. New research shows consumers increasingly see it as a source of control, satisfaction, and emotional reset. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie Vance and Lev Mazin speak with Oksana Sobol, Vice President of Consumer Insights at The Clorox Company. They discuss how people’s relationships with their homes are evolving. Drawing from the Home Care Redefined report, Oksana explains why emotional outcomes from cleaning are rising in importance, how “in-the-flow cleaning” is replacing traditional routines, and what these shifts signal for brands, researchers, and the future of home care innovation.

Consumers often behave very differently from what they say in surveys, creating a critical gap in how decisions are made. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Kate O’Keeffe, CEO and co-founder of Heatseeker, explains why traditional research methods struggle to predict real-world behavior. She explores how live market experiments help teams identify true buying drivers, validate decisions before launch, and generate insights that reflect actual customer actions rather than stated intent..This episode explores how live experiments reveal what actually drives decisions.

Research defines and informs food and beverage decisions. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly speak with Gloria Reardon, a brand marketing leader with deep roots in the food and beverage industry, about how consumer insights shape brand strategy, drive product innovation, and help marketers connect with consumers in meaningful ways. Gloria draws on her experience at Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, Captain D's, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and The Fresh Market to explain why skipping the research is a risk no brand can afford.

Speed is reshaping how insights teams operate, but hearing directly from customers still matters. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly speak with Sarah Haftings, Insights Manager at Shurtape Technologies. They talk about why qualitative research remains essential even as AI accelerates insight generation. Sarah shares how her team balances qualitative and quantitative methods, evaluates new research technologies, and uses AI powered tools to scale voice of customer insights without losing the human perspective that makes research meaningful.

The people behind good research have to speak for it. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly speak with Aarti Bhaskaran, Global Head of Research and Insights at Snap Inc., about how insights professionals stay impactful as platforms, audiences, and attention spans all shift at once. Aarti shares how she leads global teams, tells research stories that cut through, measures brand health across a uniquely fragmented competitive set, and advocates for the bold, boundary-setting mindset that keeps insights functions relevant.

AI is accelerating research, but it isn’t replacing human judgment. In this episode of The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast, Molly Strawn-Carreño is joined by Lisa Wilding Brown, CEO at InnovateMR. They explore what “data quality” really means in today’s environment of AI-powered tools, hybrid methodologies, and increasing fraud risk. Lisa shares why there is no silver bullet for quality, how respondent experience directly impacts insight integrity, and where human-powered sampling still makes the difference between surface-level metrics and meaningful foresight.

Research, trends and insights do not stand still, and neither do the people who practice it. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly step away from guest interviews to reflect on five lessons from the past year of conversations with researchers, strategists, and marketers. They share what surprised them, what made them uncomfortable, where they disagree on speed versus rigor, and the open questions they are still wrestling with about influence, measurement, and the future of insights roles.

Consumers say they care about health, sustainability, and quality… but their behavior doesn’t always align. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Laurie Demeritt, CEO of The Hartman Group, explains why the aspiration–behavior gap in food and beverage is human, not irrational. She explores how integrating quantitative and qualitative research reveals emotional trade-offs, how to interpret consumer skepticism around claims, and what emerging wellness shifts including GLP-1 adoption mean for brands trying to make smarter decisions.

In this 50th episode, Shanon and Lev reflect on the journey of building a meaningful B2B podcast. They explore the lessons learned from 50 guest conversations the consistency and collaboration required behind the scenes, and the themes that continue to shape the show. Looking ahead, they reaffirm their commitment to creating thoughtful, long-term value through conversation.

Market research only works when companies actually listen to it. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly speak with Ernest Baskin, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Food Marketing at Saint Joseph’s University, about why market research still matters and why it does not have to cost an arm and a leg. Ernest explains how organizations misuse data, overlook bias, and skip context, then shows how simple, intentional research practices can lead to better decisions, fewer failed launches, and a deeper understanding of customers.

Strategic insights only matter when leaders trust them. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly speak with Christopher Khoury, Vice President of Strategic Insights at the American Medical Association, about how credibility is built over time inside complex, highly regulated organizations. Christopher shares how insights teams earn trust by saying yes early, getting close to the business, building strong team chemistry, and using market intelligence to guide leaders through uncertainty rather than chasing shiny ideas.

Enterprise research teams often produce plenty of insight but struggle to influence real decisions. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie speaks with Kylee Lessard, Group/Principal Product Marketing Manager for Insights & Strategy at LinkedIn, about how she helped build a centralized insights function that leadership actually relies on. Kylee breaks down the practical steps she used to move from scattered, ad-hoc research to a shared system for prioritization, synthesis, and decision support. The conversation covers how to design insight charters, align research to planning cycles, separate signal from noise, and use simple AI workflows to stay close to both market shifts and customer reality.

The story that older adults struggle with technology keeps showing up. The data says otherwise. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Molly is joined by Dr. Brittne Kakulla, Senior Consumer Insights Manager at AARP, with special guest co-host Elana Marmorstein, aytm’s Market Revenue Operations Specialist and host of Waves of Thinking. Brittne shares what over two decades of research reveal about older adults in tech, including gaming, smart devices, and AI. The conversation reframes adoption as selectivity, not reluctance, and shows why trust, usefulness, and life stage matter more than age when designing technology for the 50+ market.

Market research often rewards speed, confidence, and verbal fluency. That leaves insight behind. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Molly is joined by Garret Westlake, Vice Provost for Innovation and Strategic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, with special guest co-host Katie Bernal, Senior Director of Learning and Enablement at aytm. Garret explains how LEGO SERIOUS PLAY can be used as a legitimate market research methodology, why embodied and visual thinking matter, and how serious play creates space for insight from people who do not thrive in verbal-first research settings. The conversation explores inclusion, storytelling, innovation, and how AI can support creative sense-making without replacing human judgment.

In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with Jason Cohen, Founder and CEO of Simulacra, to explore how causal AI and scenario modeling are changing the way market research actually works. Jason explains why more rows rarely fix weak studies, how seeded synthetic data can extract insight from incomplete datasets, and why understanding cause and effect matters more than ever in modern consumer research.

Market research is losing great talent because the career path remains invisible. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly are joined by Charitie Dantis-Gayo, Corporate Vice President, Center for Consumer Insights at New York Life Insurance Company. Charitie shares her nonlinear path into market research, explains why visibility matters more than credentials, and outlines what truly attracts and develops the next generation of researchers. The conversation covers recruiting for initiative and curiosity, using AI with discipline, and why human judgment and fieldwork remain essential in modern insights work.

AI can accelerate research. It cannot replace context. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with Nancee Halpin, a researcher and insights specialist whose career spans Fuel Cycle, SurveyMonkey, Highlight, and Strella. Nancee explains why human judgment, curiosity, and lived context still sit at the center of good research, even as AI reshapes how fast teams can move. The conversation explores where AI genuinely helps, where it falls short, and why researchers remain essential interpreters between data and decision-making.

Influence does not come from more data. It comes from understanding risk, value, and timing. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly are joined by Ed Kahn, Senior Principal of CX Research and Insights at Mutual of America Financial Group. With a career spanning consumer electronics, syndicated research, and financial services, Ed shares why researchers often feel excluded from decisions and what actually changes that dynamic. He explains how fluency in business context, clarity around risk, and relevance in the moment turn research into influence. This conversation reframes the idea of a “seat at the table” and offers practical ways insights teams can earn it.

AI is transforming research, but human judgment still anchors the work. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with David Evans, Director of Market Research at Microsoft and author of Bottlenecks, to explore the realities of building AI and digital products that respect how humans think, feel, and decide. David draws on a decade of applied psychology at Microsoft to examine where AI truly accelerates research, where rigor is at risk, and why the voice of the customer must guide decisions long before any model speaks. From synthetic data to privacy, from UX bottlenecks to conversational interfaces, this episode reframes AI not as a shortcut, but as a partner that demands stronger theory, clearer ethics, and deeper accountability.

Research is evolving from reporting the past to shaping what comes next, and the most meaningful shifts begin with how we understand people. In this Greatest Hits episode of The Curiosity Current, five guests share the ideas that are redefining the insights profession. From Adam Hagerman’s view of research as a strategic engine, to Lindsey Goodman’s lived-world ethnography, to Marcus Cunha on influence and ROI, to J. Walker Smith’s return to analog life, and Ben Valenta’s work on connection and well-being, this episode brings together the human themes that turn information into impact.

UX research only matters when it changes something. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with Amberly Miller, Director of UX Research at Prudential Financial, to discuss the real work of turning insight into influence inside a heavily regulated, high-stakes enterprise. Amberly shares how she rebuilt Prudential’s approach to research, moving from a tightly gated silo to a democratized model that empowers more than a hundred practitioners and what it takes to deliver insights that land, even when the truth is uncomfortable. From stakeholder silence to C-suite pressure, from separating signal from noise to knowing where AI belongs, this conversation goes beyond theory and speaks to the reality of earning a voice at the table.

Modern CMOs are overwhelmed with data yet short on clarity. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, host Molly Strawn-Carreño and guest host Shanon Adams, President and COO of aytm, sit down with Steve Olenski, “The CMO Whisperer,” to unpack what CMOs really need from insights partners. Steve explains why insights must be treated as a growth engine, how the strongest teams align on trust, translation, and timing, and why storytelling and speed now matter more than volume. The conversation breaks down how to earn a real seat at the table, how to use AI responsibly, and what separates insights teams that drive decisions from those that only deliver decks.

Every plate, product, and policy starts with research. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Molly and Stephanie talk with Steve Markenson, Vice President of Research & Insights at FMI – The Food Industry Association and longtime President & Consultant at WBA Research. They explore how industry-wide research shapes the food retail ecosystem, how consumer behavior is evolving, and how emerging technologies and analytics are transforming the way decisions are made across a $1 trillion grocery landscape. From defining value beyond price to balancing speed and rigor in research, Steve reveals how FMI brings data, advocacy, and collaboration together to serve an entire industry.

Speed gets the headlines. Consistency drives the decision. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, host Molly and co-host Stephanie sit down with Charlie Grossman, Owner of CG Research & Consulting and former VP at BASES and Burke, to unpack what makes research trustworthy and actionable. Charlie explains why context and consistency beat one-off metrics, how to avoid the novelty trap of high purchase intent, and where AI helps and hurts interpretation. He shares practical rules for parallel testing, targeting true decision makers, and managing promise so launches create repeat, not just trial.

Change gets the headlines. Fundamentals drive the business. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, host Stephanie and co-host Andrew Kawalek sit down with J. Walker Smith, Knowledge Lead for Strategy & Consulting at Kantar, to unpack what truly shapes consumer behavior. Walker explains why convenience remains the strongest driver of choice, how pricing tells a brand’s story, and why storytelling, not dashboards, still persuades. He shares his practical mantra, “one thing” for clarity in communication, a measured view on AI’s role in research, and a compelling argument for using technology to give people back their time.

Every brand has a voice but few realise their loudest one sits quietly on the shelf. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, host Stephanie speaks with Matt Salem, SVP of Customer Success at Behaviorally and co-author of unPACKED: Predict Packaging That Sells. Matt explains how the Four-S framework: Seen, Shoppable, Seductive, Selected, helps brands design packaging that drives decisions at the shelf and online. He shares how behavioral science, real shopper observation, and AI-powered tools like Pack.AI are transforming packaging into a measurable growth engine for brands that want their design to sell.