On this episode, David Wellisch, Co-Founder and CEO of Collage Group, talks to Sima Vasa about cultural intelligence as a measurable driver of brand relevance, growth and purchase intent. David shares his path from AOL and private equity to founding Collage Group. He explains how understanding consumer values, linking insight to activation and leveraging proprietary data and AI helps brands drive meaningful business outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Introduction.
03:15 Identifying demographic shifts creates massive entrepreneurial opportunities.
06:43 Marketers must link cultural insights to shareholder value.
09:44 Targeting consumer values is more effective than demographics.
13:31 AI makes proprietary data sets massively more discoverable.
17:03 Understanding the why allows for better business strategy.
20:54 Successful companies solve problems rather than just selling.

Resources Mentioned:

Collage Group | Website

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#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech

Host Sima Vasa welcomes Carol Sue Haney, Head of Research and Data Science, Engineering at Qualtrics, to discuss the transformative role of AI and data science in the market research industry.

Carol Sue explains Qualtrics’ early bet on generative AI and the development of proprietary LLMs, moving into agentic work and synthetic sampling, which she predicts will rival non-probability human sampling for quick-turn research. She emphasizes the challenges CMOs face with data overload and the fundamental importance of using regression analysis to link customer experience (CX) data, including the surprising weight of marketing messages, to crucial business outcomes like renewal and revenue growth.

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Introduction.
03:12 Data research careers spanned decades before computers existed.
06:35 Early generative AI investment provides significant competitive advantages.
09:20 Synthetic research boosts accuracy using rich, proven seed data.
13:02 AI models instantly incorporate new information for continuous improvement.
17:09 Regression remains essential for identifying true business drivers.
20:42 Curated data and guided AI make regression faster and reliable.
24:18 Financial independence through careers empowers women in critical ways.
25:42 Mentorship and knowledge sharing strengthen the entire research industry.

Resources Mentioned:

Qualtrics | Website

#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech

Host Sima Vasa talks to Casper Henningsen, CEO and Co-Founder of GetWhy, about reimagining insights through technology, empathy and human connection. Casper shares his unconventional journey from professional sports to entrepreneurship, highlighting how patience, curiosity and deep understanding of human behavior have shaped his company’s mission to make insights more actionable and creative for modern businesses.

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Introduction.01:52 Transitioning from sports to business brings valuable discipline and focus.
04:10 Strong insights drive creativity, profitability and better decision-making.
06:55 Patience and curiosity are essential for meaningful business growth.
10:55 Modern marketing requires dynamic, always-on decision-making models.
13:33 Human empathy remains central to driving innovation and connection.
15:47 Real conversations create richer datasets for strategic decision-making.
19:30 Effective storytelling and packaging determine insights adoption.
21:18 The future of insights lies in consumable, engaging content formats.
24:08 Shifting from projects to capabilities creates long-term impact.
26:52 Visionary leadership and collaboration drive successful transformation.

Resources Mentioned:

GetWhy | Website

Thanks for listening to the “Data Gurus” podcast, brought to you by Infinity Squared. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help get the word out about the show, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss another insightful conversation.

#Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech