*This episode is brought to you by Dynata, the world's preeminent provider of market data services and first-party permission-based data.*
On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney continues her Conference Flyover of Quirks New York 2025. She conducts interviews with 12 industry leaders, giving you their thoughts on everything from agentic AI workflow automation and post-launch product optimization to fragile consumer sentiment and the critical importance of authentic, inclusive advertising. These conversations reveal how the industry is navigating unprecedented consumer volatility while building more efficient research processes that maintain human empathy and cultural authenticity.
Leaders from companies like Inca, Nailbiter, and Smith-Hanley Associates share how they're building solutions that automate tedious research tasks while preserving strategic thinking, using post-launch measurement to optimize products already on shelf, and helping brands navigate increasingly fragile consumer sentiment. (Wow, that presentation from Borderless Access was a good one!) AI-powered workflow tools are connecting disparate research platforms so professionals can focus on consultation rather than data management, while innovative measurement approaches are catching product failures before they become costly disasters. "When we think about how we're coming in, we're not trying to replace the workflow,” Raj Manocha from Gydence Group explains. “We're trying to make it more efficient or enhance it.”
The conversations also reveal how brands must adapt to consumers who have become increasingly empowered to punish companies for perceived missteps. Research leaders emphasize the need for hyper-personalized understanding of individual consumers rather than broad demographic targeting, while maintaining authentic representation in advertising that builds trust rather than appearing performative. These insights reflect an industry evolution toward more sophisticated consumer profiling and real-time sentiment monitoring, helping brands weather the storms of rapidly shifting public opinion while building genuine connections with their audiences.
If you want to connect with the professionals featured in this episode, their LinkedIn profiles are linked below. If you do decide to connect, let them know Little Bird Marketing sent you their way: Raj Manocha, Lindsey Bartlett, Kathy Cheng, David Dick, Kelsey Whitehead, Kira Greenberg, Mary Kelly, Nicole Mitchell, Maureen Evans, Nicole Ipsen, Jocelyn Simon, and Robert Pierson.
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