In this episode of Now That's Significant, a market research podcast, host Michael Howard interviews Tom Johnson, Senior Director of Consumer Insight and Analytics at Jack in the Box and Del Taco, about his journey in market research and the importance of aligning insights with business goals.

Tom, with 25 years of experience on both the agency and client side, shares valuable lessons learned from building the consumer insights function at Del Taco from the ground up and navigating the complexities of a merger with Jack in the Box.

Here are five key takeaways from the episode:

Passion for insights can stem from inspiring mentors: Tom's journey began with a college professor who ignited his interest in market research, highlighting the impact mentors can have on shaping careers.

Understanding the full impact of insights requires client-side experience: Tom transitioned to the client side to gain a deeper understanding of how insights are used to drive business decisions.

Cross-functional collaboration is essential for maximizing impact: Building relationships with stakeholders across different departments allows consumer insights to influence a wider range of decisions.

Strategic prioritization is crucial for managing research budgets: A "barbell strategy," balancing high-impact strategic research with efficient, tactical research, helps optimize resource allocation.

Adapting to evolving consumer behavior is key for success: Understanding the nuances of consumer behavior in a changing economic and social landscape is crucial for developing effective strategies.

Tune in to this episode to learn more about Tom Johnson's insights on building a successful consumer insights function and navigating the challenges of the fast-food industry.

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Infotools Harmoni is a fit-for-purpose market research analysis, visualization, and reporting platform that gives the world’s leading brands the tools they need to better understand their consumers, customers, organization, and market.

www.infotools.com

Established in 1990, we work with some of the world’s top brands around the world, including Coca-Cola, Orange, Samsung, and Mondelēz.

Our powerful cloud-based platform, Harmoni, is purpose-built for market research. From data processing to investigation, dashboards to collaboration, Harmoni is a true "data-to-decision-making" solution for in-house corporate insights teams and agencies.

While we don't facilitate market research surveys, provide sample, or collect data, we make it easy for market researchers to find and share compelling insights that go over-and-above what stakeholders want, inspiring them to act decisively.

One of the most powerful features of Harmoni is Discover, a time-tested, time-saving, and investigative approach to data analysis. Using automated analyses to reveal patterns and trends, Discover minimizes potential research bias by removing the need for requesting and manually analyzing scores of cumbersome crosstabs – often seeing what you can’t.

Discover helps you easily find what differentiates groups that matter to you, uncover what makes them unique, and deliver data points that are interesting, relevant, and statistically significant, plus see things others can’t. Add to all this an impending GenAI feature, and you have an extremely powerful, future-proofed tool.

In this episode of "Now that's Significant, a market research podcast," host Michael Howard, the Head of Marketing at Infotools, engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Jeffrey Hirsch, founder and president of the Right Brain Studio and adjunct professor at USC's Annenberg School, about the increasing dominance of short-termism in marketing and its potential consequences for brand building. Hirsch, a seasoned marketing professional with a passion for qualitative insights, argues that the shift towards digital and social media marketing, driven by the need for measurable ROI, has led to a decline in long-term brand-building initiatives.

Here are five key takeaways from the episode:

The marketing landscape has shifted dramatically: The rise of digital and social media has led to a significant decline in traditional advertising spending, with a corresponding increase in short-term, performance-driven marketing tactics.

Short-termism can hinder long-term brand building: The pressure to demonstrate immediate ROI can lead marketers to prioritize short-term gains over long-term brand building, potentially sacrificing brand equity and customer relationships.

Brands need a clear purpose and values: To navigate the changing marketing landscape, brands must define their core values and purpose, ensuring that all marketing activities align with these foundational elements.

Qualitative insights remain crucial: Despite the popularity of quantitative data, qualitative research provides valuable insights into consumer motivations, emotions, and brand relationships, which are essential for effective brand building.

Balance is key: Marketers must strike a balance between short-term performance goals and long-term brand building, utilizing a mix of quantitative and qualitative research to inform their strategies.

Don't forget to check out other episodes of "Now that's Significant" on YouTube and all major podcast platforms!

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Infotools Harmoni is a fit-for-purpose market research analysis, visualization, and reporting platform that gives the world’s leading brands the tools they need to better understand their consumers, customers, organization, and market.

www.infotools.com

Established in 1990, we work with some of the world’s top brands around the world, including Coca-Cola, Orange, Samsung, and Mondelēz.

Our powerful cloud-based platform, Harmoni, is purpose-built for market research. From data processing to investigation, dashboards to collaboration, Harmoni is a true "data-to-decision-making" solution for in-house corporate insights teams and agencies.

While we don't facilitate market research surveys, provide sample, or collect data, we make it easy for market researchers to find and share compelling insights that go over-and-above what stakeholders want, inspiring them to act decisively.

One of the most powerful features of Harmoni is Discover, a time-tested, time-saving, and investigative approach to data analysis. Using automated analyses to reveal patterns and trends, Discover minimizes potential research bias by removing the need for requesting and manually analyzing scores of cumbersome crosstabs – often seeing what you can’t.

Discover helps you easily find what differentiates groups that matter to you, uncover what makes them unique, and deliver data points that are interesting, relevant, and statistically significant, plus see things others can’t. Add to all this an impending GenAI feature, and you have an extremely powerful, future-proofed tool.

In this episode of "Now That's Significant, a market research podcast," host Michael Howard sits down with Adam Hansen, principal and VP of behavioral innovation at Ideas to Go, to discuss the intersection of behavioral science and innovation.

Adam, co-author of the book "Outsmart Your Instincts: How the Behavioral Innovation Approach Drives Your Company Forward," shares his insights on how cognitive biases can hinder innovation and offers strategies for mitigating their impact.

Here are five key takeaways from the episode:

Cognitive biases can undermine innovation: Biases like negativity bias, confirmation bias, and status quo bias can stifle creativity and prevent teams from exploring new ideas.

Awareness is the first step to mitigation: Recognizing and understanding these biases is crucial for making conscious decisions that promote innovation.

Curiosity and experimentation are essential: Embracing a mindset of curiosity and a willingness to experiment can help overcome the limitations of cognitive biases.

The Johari window helps map knowledge and awareness: This tool can be used to identify knowledge gaps and guide teams towards a shared understanding of the problem space.

Behavioral innovation provides a framework for success: By understanding and addressing cognitive biases, teams can create a more effective and innovative environment.

Tune in to this episode to learn more about the power of behavioral innovation and how it can help you overcome cognitive biases to drive innovation. Don't forget to check out other episodes of "Now That's Significant" on all major podcast platforms!

***

Infotools Harmoni is a fit-for-purpose market research analysis, visualization, and reporting platform that gives the world’s leading brands the tools they need to better understand their consumers, customers, organization, and market.

www.infotools.com

Established in 1990, we work with some of the world’s top brands around the world, including Coca-Cola, Orange, Samsung, and Mondelēz.

Our powerful cloud-based platform, Harmoni, is purpose-built for market research. From data processing to investigation, dashboards to collaboration, Harmoni is a true "data-to-decision-making" solution for in-house corporate insights teams and agencies.

While we don't facilitate market research surveys, provide sample, or collect data, we make it easy for market researchers to find and share compelling insights that go over-and-above what stakeholders want, inspiring them to act decisively.

One of the most powerful features of Harmoni is Discover, a time-tested, time-saving, and investigative approach to data analysis. Using automated analyses to reveal patterns and trends, Discover minimizes potential research bias by removing the need for requesting and manually analyzing scores of cumbersome crosstabs – often seeing what you can’t.

Discover helps you easily find what differentiates groups that matter to you, uncover what makes them unique, and deliver data points that are interesting, relevant, and statistically significant, plus see things others can’t. Add to all this an impending GenAI feature, and you have an extremely powerful, future-proofed tool.