MRX Lab

When asked about the insight that surprised her most throughout her career, today's guest didn't answer with an unexpected fact about consumers - but instead an observation about how stakeholder response to insight is influenced significantly by its delivery. That's the jumping off point for a wide-ranging discussion with Rosemary Hadden, Head of Customer and Market Insight at City & Guilds.

In this episode, new MRX Lab host Paul Hudson explores what it takes to become an insight leader with Rose - including the importance of building a strong team, having a strategic outlook, and speaking the language of stakeholders. That's how we achieve cut through and get customer focus to permeate decision making.

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Presented by: Paul Hudson, CEO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Rosemary Hadden, Customer and Market Insight Manager at City & Guilds

Creating a culture of customer centricity needs more than great insight. It requires the wisdom to know not just what the data is telling you, but what customers are really saying. But building this type of organisational empathy is no easy task - especially in an age where technology and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly commonplace.

In this wide-ranging discussion with Shanice Mitchell, we discuss the human truths that will always apply to market research. The need to build empathy. The importance of good communication. Why customers yearn to feel listened to. And, most of all, why curiosity always wins out.

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Presented by: Mike Connor, SDR @ FlexMR

Featuring: Shanice Mitchell, Marketing Insight Manager at APMG International

How do successful brands ensure that customer research, insight and data is integrated into operational decision-making? That's the question that Kira Newton from British Gas helps us to answer - as she explains the role of the CX Club, strong internal branding, always-on insight and developing tools that respond to the needs of each business unit.

Over the course of this 20 minute episode, we discuss how British Gas make use of a wide variety of methods, including regular meetings, guest speakers, and an engaged community of customers to bring data to life and ensure it forms the basis for robust decision making.

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Presented by: Mike Connor, SDR @ FlexMR

Featuring: Kira Newton, Head of Customer Experience Research and Insight @ British Gas

It's no secret that the financial services industry is one of the most heavily regulated consumer sectors in the UK. But can regulation, or voluntary commitments, become an advantage? In this fascinating MRX Lab episode, we speak to Patrick Alcantara, Director of Compliance and Insight at Lending Standards Board about how consumer duty (and voluntary governance) represents an opportunity for forward-thinking brands.

But that's not all. Over the course of 20 minutes, we cover a wide range of topics - including routes into the industry, the skills that set researchers up for success and how customer closeness defines successful insight.

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Presented by: Mike Connor, SDR @ FlexMR

Featuring: Patrick Alcantara, Director of Compliance and Insight @ Lending Standards Board

How does the research sector empower female leaders? How do we address the gender pay gap? How do we account for the additional challenges that women face in their day to day roles? In this thought provoking episode of the MRX Lab, we speak with AURA Award Winner Mayra Munguia about her experience, practical advice and path navigating a complex issue.

Throughout the episode we touch on the role of motherhood and childcare, the difference that employers and managers can make through attitude or policy, plus what it takes to deliver award-winning research. All stemming from a place of genuine care, understanding and empathy.

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Presented by: Mike Connor, SDR @ FlexMR

Featuring: Mayra Munguia, Insight Manager @ BT

In the first episode of Season 6, we're thrilled to be joined by Andy Morrison, Market Research Specialist at HSB and ADHD UK Ambassador. Since a diagnosis in 2023, Andy has worked tirelessly as an advocate for individuals with neurodigence in the workplace and to raise awareness for ADHD. In this episode, he discusses his journey pre- and post-diagnosis, plus shares valuable advice on how to manage ADHD in the workplace.

From taking a test-and-learn approach to management strategies, to being open and honest in communication with colleagues - Andy's advice highlights how researchers and employers can make the workplace an effective and productive environment for all.

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Presented by: Mike Connor, SDR @ FlexMR

Featuring: Andy Morrison, Market Reseaerch Specialist @ HSB

This episode is a little different, and a little bittersweet. After nearly sixty epiosdes and five seasons, MRX Lab host Chris Martin is passing the baton. In the season finale, we introduce Mike Connor - who will take over the podcast from season six onwards. We find out more about Mike and his journey into the research sector, in addition to his vision for the podcast and what to expect next.

As this chapter closes for the MRX Lab, Chris reflects on the show's history and how it has evolved. He also shares his thoughts on the opportunities and challenges facing the research sector, informed by half a decade of interviews.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Mike Connor, SDR @ FlexMR

Where exactly does the overlap between research, marketing, past, present and future lie? In this epiosde, Hannah Pira from the Memu Open Research Campus, joins us to discuss her journey from marketing entrepreneur to researcher - what she's learnt along the way, and how to foster more open collaboration.

In a wide-ranging discussion, we explore the fundamental role of marketing in management and alternative ways strategic communications can contribute to a more sustainable society. We also highlight similarities between entrepreneurs, researchers and marketers, plus the innovative approach to knowledge creation that Memu Open Campus is built on.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Hannah Pira, Researcher @ Memu Open Research Campus

In the world of healthcare data management, there's few problems more challenging to overcome than the connection of multiple systems, formats and providers. Compounding this is a strict data privacy environment, and the need for information to be readily available at the point of care. So, in this episode of the MRX Lab, we take a deep-dive into how the healthcare data environment has become so fractured, and the latest innovations in interoperability that are seeking to build a more accessible future.

From promising to give consumers more direct control over personal health data, to streamlining communications between (and within) care settings - a new standard known as FHIR aims to solve these challenges, acting as an integration engine for legacy and future systems alike. To get to grips with how it all works, and what insight pros can learn from it - we speak to Keith Schoonover, VP of Client Strategy at research agency KJT Group, and Laury Liu, Market Intelligence Manager at the software vendor Intersystems.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Keith Schoonover, VP of Client Strategy @ KJT Group

Featuring: Laury Liu, Market Intelligence Manager @ Intersystems

AI is pushing the boundaries of market research. From augmenting or modelling quantitative studies with synthetic data to simplifying fieldwork and conducting complex qualitative analysis - nearly every aspect of the industry has been touched by the technological revolution. But how are clientside research teams adapting to this shift? We speak to Billy Budd from Coventry Building Society to find out.

In this jam-packed episode, we discuss the various ways that clientside researchers are evaluating the plethora of AI tools on the market, what teams look for and how such tools are transforming work. We deep dive into examples from Billy's own experience, plus consider the impact on the wider business and direct stakeholders alike.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Billy Budd, Customer Insight Specialist @ Coventry Building Society

The insight industry is awash with methods and techniques for data collection and analysis. But as an organisational function, we still pay too little attention to the marketing and communication of the work that we do. Although many endeavour to become better storytellers, it's apparent that much value is still locked behind debriefs and powerpoint decks.

So how do we unlock that value? In this MRX Lab episode, we speak with Emily James, Content Manager at FlexMR, about how to communicate and market data within an organisation. How to turn the techniques we use to understand and influence consumers to internal audiences, creating engaging narratives and deliverables that are memorable and long-lasting.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Emily James, Content Manager @ FlexMR

In this episode of the MRX Lab, we speak with Iain Stanfield - Insight Lead at Specsavers on the challenges that client-side research teams face and practical ways to overcome them. In particular, we hone in on the disconnect that can arise between stakeholder needs, expectations and insight priorities. We explore the need for teams to sense and respond to business changes, plus how to develop capacity for foresight.

In addition, we discuss the parallels between insight and marketing - how the two interrelated professions can learn from each other and what it means to adopt a two speed approach. Check out the full episode to hear more.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Iain Stanfield, Insight Lead @ Specsavers

Does the insight industry need a rebrand? Do researchers need to be more confident in our role as drivers of brand growth? These are some of the thorny questions we dive into throughout this discussion with Paul Griffiths of Client Advocates, drawing on his 10+ years years of experience advising both senior client-side leaders and agencies alike.

We also explore the wide variety of commercial challenges facing the industry today: from diminishing budgets to inflated expectations, new competition and shifting priorities. Check out the full 30 minutes for all of this and more.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Paul Griffiths, Founder @ Client Advocates

The market research landscape is a challenging one to navigate - drawing professionals from social sciences, business management and academic disciplines. What that creates is an environment in which future leaders need to hone both practical research, and a complex set of interdisciplinary, skills to succeed.

In this episode, we speak to Harriet Williams, Insight Manager at FlexMR who was shortlisted for the prestigious GRIT Future List and named as Significant Insights 30 Under 30 honoree in 2024. We discuss her path to market research, advice for new researchers and the challenges that the industry has yet to overcome.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Harriet Williams, Insight Manager @ FlexMR

As marketers, brand managers and insight professionals seek better ways to create emotional connections with audiences, video has long stood as an attractive, creative medium that commands attention. In this episode, we speak to Harry McGill, Co-Founder and Creative Director at McGill Productions, about what makes film and video such a powerful storytelling tool – and how the best in the business harness it.

We discuss what it takes to create an emotional, compelling and memorable story on screen, and what can be learnt from the process. We highlight the importance of audience understanding and the role of empathy building, as well as connecting narratives to tangible results. Listen now to find out more.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Harry McGill, Co-Founder & Creative Director @ McGill Productions

Despite recent advances in data collection, analysis and communication – asking questions is still the lifeblood of the insight industry. So why, then, is the quality of this vital component of our craft so often overlooked? In this episode of the MRX Lab, we speak to FlexMR CEO Paul Hudson about the challenges associated with determining and raising survey standards, plus how a renewed focus on participant experiences might provide the answer.

We explore the role of benchmarking, industry collaboration and co-design of standards in addressing this critical issue. Additionally, we examine the barriers to implementation, and seek to answer why such initiatives are difficult to implement – despite the drivers of a positive participant experience being widely known.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Paul Hudson, CEO @ FlexMR

How do you turn insight from a routine, mundane process into a driver of transformative change and competitive advantage for your business? With over 15 years experience developing teams and functions for leading UK brands - including British Airways, Halfords, and Saga - Debra Walmsley explains how in our opening episode of Season 5.

We discuss the skills, roles and competencies that research teams should look to develop, as well as the importance of internal sponsors and the steps to build a strong business case. We also investigate the changing landscape of client-side research and how to deliver value in a post-covid, hybrid world.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Debra Walmsley, Customer Insight Consultant

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.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Phil Sutcliffe, Managing Partner at Nexxt Intelligence inca

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.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Nicola Stevens, Head of Insight at Close Brothers Motor Finance and Close Brothers Premium Finance

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.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Danny Russell, Non-Exec Director & Strategic Advisor

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.

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Presented by: Chris Martin, CMO @ FlexMR

Featuring: Lucy Davison, Founder and CEO @ Keen as Mustard Marketing

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The past few years have thrown unprecedented challenges at the global economy: A pandemic. War in Europe. Supply chain breakdowns. Rapidly rising inflation and murmurs of recession. It can be tempting to ask, during such trying times, what place does marketing have amid such dire circumstances?

That’s the exact question we aim to answer in this MRX Lab episode. We investigate three ways marketers and research professionals should conduct themselves, and three tempting responses to avoid. In particular, we look at the role of spending, memorable brand assets, communication and insight.

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How do you approach a research topic as divisive and polarising as vaccine hesitancy? In this episode, we speak to Dr Jack Gorman – Co-Founder of Critica, a non-profit organisation which does precisely that. We delve into the technique of motivational interviewing and how it’s helping to deliver better online interventions against misinformation.

Across the 10 minutes, we explore the need for humility in science, how the internet is changing the information landscape and how finding space for shared understanding can lead to more positive outcomes.

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As the Founder of Insight Platforms, Mike Stevens has a long history of creating high-quality, practical content for research and insight professionals. From detailed market maps to e-learning courses, buyers guides, themed summits and more – we discuss the story of Insight Platforms and the process behind creating valuable, practical resources for the industry.

Throughout the episode, we touch on the importance of staying in touch with your audience, aligning to in-the-moment needs and understanding the prevailing conditions of the market. We also look to the future and ask what’s next for the growing research directory.

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A rising demand for data and new technologies have both pushed qualitative research to new heights. But in the pursuit of speed and scale, have we lost some of what makes qual valuable? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Matthew Farmer, Senior Research Associate at FlexMR, to discuss the challenges of scaling qual, and emerging thinking around thick data.

As a burgeoning media channel, much of our understanding of podcast listeners relies simply on volumetric listening figures. But Acast is changing that dynamic. The company is building a robust library of insight into listeners, their preferences, habits and more.

In this episode, we’re joined by Tommy Walters of Acast. Over 10 minutes, we explore what it takes to understand podcast audiences in detail, and put insights at the centre of collaborations with a variety of stakeholders – from advertisers to podcasters, listeners to media partners. Tommy even shares key data points on podcast audiences from Acast’s latest report.

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Today’s customers are connected, influential as individuals and have access to a global stage upon which to act. In this world, the dynamic between brand and buyer provides great leverage to customers, but also great opportunity to insight teams.

To democratise data is to provide access, control and input over the research process to the end-users of data. There’s a huge range of benefits that this can provide, from better communication to more streamlined project management. But to create a true culture of insight is challenging. In this episode, we discuss the steps to success.

After an introduction to the reasons why a company might consider democratising research, we explore the steps researchers need to take in order to make it happen in a productive, positive way. From carefully defining project engagement processes to placing the right value on research expertise, and the importance of consistent communication – tune in to find out more.

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In this episode of the MRX Lab from FlexMR, we’re joined by Greg Morris, Senior Brand Research Manager at F1. Over the course of ten minutes, we evaluate the role of insight activation in market research – what it is, why it’s important and the impact that it can have.

Greg shares his advice for engaging stakeholders throughout a research project, overcoming time constraints and turning insight into action. We also explore why insight is so important to F1 and the role that the research team play in helping stakeholders to achieve their goals.

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As the volume of available data sources increases and business decision making becomes ever-more distributed, how do you capture stakeholder attention and ensure insight has a seat at the table? That’s the question we explore whilst investigating new, emerging and creative reporting techniques.

Joining us on the journey is Maria Twigge, Research Director at FlexMR. Over the course of the ten minute episode, we’ll touch on the importance of creativity and innovation in presenting market research results, the skills insight professionals need to take advantage of new ideas and what the future of insight reporting might look like.

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In an ever-expanding sea of options, it can be difficult to find the right mix of market research data collection methods. In this episode, we dive into the decision-making process and investigate how you can audit your research skills and investments in relation to the needs of your company.

We discuss a set of four key questions that you should ask in order to develop the right balance. This process starts at the macro level, asking what its important for each department to know and ends under the microscope of identifying gaps in existing passive data. Listen now to find out more.

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What does it mean to humanise data? This episode dives into the meaning of this often-misunderstood option in the insight professional’s toolkit. We investigate the alternate definitions before working through an example of the ways in which buyer personas can be brought to life.

We also touch on the dangers of humanising data and pinpoint the common challenges that both marketers and researchers frequently encounter. The episode closes with an exploration of where and when to apply the practice, and how to overcome the most difficult challenges.

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In this episode of the MRX Lab from FlexMR, we’re joined by Dan Siddle, Senior Consumer and Brand Insights Manager for Western Europe at the Molson Coors Beverage Company. Across the ten minutes, we discuss how research and insight teams can dig deeper into business questions, understand what stakeholders need to know and prioritise projects in a fast-paced environment.

Dan shares his advice for managing both proactive and reactive research, criteria for evaluating insight priorities and processes for streamlining relationships with key business units. We also touch on balancing high and low impact work, as well as how to navigate the uncertainty around major exploratory projects.

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In this episode of the MRX Lab from FlexMR, we look at the roles of customer, user and human experience research. What makes each of these domains different and where do they share similarities? We look back at the origins of UX and CX to investigate how they have evolved over time and what might be in store next.

This episode also serves as a deep dive into the emerging field of human experience research. While still new, there are a number of definitions that agree on one thing. HX involves understanding and designing for human emotion – it seeks to answer questions about people, not interactions or things. But will this be enough to differentiate the practice in the crowded research dictionary? Only time will tell.

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In this episode of the MRX Lab from FlexMR, we interview Charlotte Evans on how to effectively connect with long-term market research participants. An expert in engagement, Charlotte highlights why this is such an important topic for insight professionals to understand, in addition providing an overview of simple strategies that can be employed.

We discuss the differences between participant engagement based on project factors, such as length or methodology – in addition to the tactics that remain the same across all types. Finally, Charlotte discusses the skills that insight professionals should aim to curate in order to grow their capacity to better connect with participants.

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In this episode of the MRX Lab from FlexMR, we speak with Sally Nicholls on how to approach the design stage of the research process. Drawing on years of industry experience, Sally highlights a number of the common challenges that insight professionals often face, and practical ways to overcome them.

In particular, we discuss the role of robust debate - finding the common ground between insight professionals and stakeholders. Additionally, Sally draws attention to the real world  considerations that must be factored into effective research design and cautions against an over-reliance on the research question alone.

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In the second episode of the MRX Lab, we investigate what it takes to make research happen. Joined by Gareth Bowden and Sally Nicholls from FlexMR, the episode explores the common challenges and pitfalls that can hold up a project before it even gets off the ground – from business-wide input to budgetary decisions and sudden, unexpected developments.

We also discuss the ways in which insight professionals can avoid and mitigate the impact of these challenges – speeding up the research process and driving improvements in efficiency. Gareth highlights the importance of a reliable network, while Sally underlines the need for flexibility and adaptability to change.

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The MRX Lab podcast is back for a brand new season in 2021. In our first episode, we chat insights empowerment with FlexMR CEO, Paul Hudson. A 15+ year industry veteran, Paul explains how the modern pressures placed on research professionals are creating a strong need to find new ways of working.

We discuss the role of efficiency, reach and influence as key drivers of change and investigate creative tactics for overcoming common challenges. Paul highlights the role of video in research as a stand out method of activation, and identifies how empowerment moves data out of insights departments to underpin a customer-centric culture.

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In this episode of the MRX Lab podcast from FlexMR, we look at the opposing forces of globalization and localization. What do these trends mean for the market research industry and how do they affect the work that we do? After a brief introduction, we examine the challenges that a connected world poses and identify ways local knowledge can be used to build a competitive edge.

In the second half of the episode, we outline simple ways in which market research teams under pressure to deliver more for less can influence both global decisions and act as the voice for territorial differences at the same time.

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