Welcome to twir — the weekly show delivering AI-powered summaries of market research news and insights. Each week, we scan and ingest media from top blogs, podcasts, articles, and reports, distilling the key trends shaping the industry. Best of all, twir episodes learn and get smarter over time, building a POV on an archive of past news and trends.
Episode Summary: AI, Innovation, and Market Research Trends (April 4- April 10, 2025)
AI and Tech Innovations in Market Research
- Qualtrics Embraces AI & Synthetic Data: At its X4 conference, Qualtrics unveiled new AI-driven capabilities. It introduced Experience Agents – AI-powered autonomous agents that proactively engage customers and employees – and launched Qualtrics Edge, an insights platform blending AI with synthetic data and market intelligence. Edge even offers “fully human, fully synthetic, or hybrid” research panels to speed up exploratory research alongside traditional studies. These advances aim to streamline experience management with real-time AI intervention and broaden research reach with synthetic respondents.
- Rival Technologies’ AI ‘Agent’ for Qualitative Data: Rival Technologies announced a Multi-Agent AI Framework to enhance each stage of the research process with specialized AI agents. The first module is an Unstructured Data Agent, built to help research teams make sense of qualitative feedback at scale. Features include automated Thoughtfulness Scoring of open-ends, AI-generated probing questions to deepen responses, one-click AI summaries of large text datasets, and even “Insight Reels” that turn video feedback into shareable highlight clips. Rival’s CEO Andrew Reid says clients can opt in to these agents as needed – giving researchers “superpowers” while keeping human expertise at the core.
- AI Audio Ad Testing from Audion: Paris-based audio tech firm Audion launched an AI-driven ad pre-testing tool called Sense to predict and improve the impact of audio ads. Sense combines multiple KPIs into a single “global impact score” for any audio spot and provides in-depth metrics on listener receptivity and emotional response. Trained on a proprietary dataset of 3,000+ digital audio campaigns, the AI flags how an ad’s content and tone might land with audiences. Audion’s CMO Geoffrey Fossier calls it the “first time artificial intelligence, creativity, and outcome-driven thinking have been combined” to help brands craft more effective audio campaigns.
- Numerator Doubles Panel & Debuts ‘Promo Dampening’: Kantar’s consumer data arm Numerator has nearly doubled the size of its U.S. “Total Commerce” shopper panel to 200,000 households while adding a new analytic feature called “In-market Promo Dampening.” This proprietary method minimizes the impact of promotional spikes to give a more accurate read of natural consumer buying behavior. By blending promotional data with purchase data, the system filters out anomaly swings caused by short-term deals – a persistent issue in longitudinal panels – to stabilize trend insights. Numerator’s Chief Data Officer Patrick Rice emphasized transparency in panel methodologies, saying these enhancements give manufacturers and retailers greater confidence in the data for critical decisions.
B2B Market Research Developments
- Warning on AI-Faked B2B Studies: A Quirk’s Media article sounded the alarm on the rise of AI-fabricated B2B research. Authors Raeann Bilow and Sean Campbell explain that modern AI can generate fake interview participants, simulate responses, and produce “polished reports that appear authentic but contain no real data.” They caution that research buyers must be vigilant for warning signs (e.g. refusal to share raw data, unnaturally perfect deliverables) to avoid making decisions based on fraudulent insights. The piece urges stricter due diligence as generative AI makes it easier to concoct deepfake data in B2B research projects.
- B2B Buyers Turn to AI (Forrester Study): New research on B2B buying behavior revealed an environment of stalled deals and a growing reliance on AI. According to Forrester, an astonishing 86% of B2B purchase processes stall before completion, and 81% of buyers are dissatisfied with their chosen provider. In response, B2B buyers are increasingly augmenting their process with AI – 95% plan to use generative AI to assist in purchase decisions in the next year. These findings underscore mounting frustrations in complex B2B sales cycles and suggest that AI tools (for vendor research, product comparisons, etc.) will play a major role in how businesses make purchasing decisions.
- 40-Year B2B Firm Reinvents Itself: Celebrating its 40th anniversary, American Directions Research Group (ADRG) rolled out a new brand identity and website to reflect its evolution in the insights industry. Over four decades, this Washington, D.C.-based firm has transformed from paper-and-pencil surveys to “cutting-edge, AI-enhanced” research processes that redefine the modern research landscape. The rebrand not only marks a milestone but highlights a broader trend of longstanding B2B research providers modernizing – integrating online panels, automation, and advanced analytics – to meet contemporary data quality and speed standards.
Partnerships, Mergers, and Acquisitions
- WPP Acquires InfoSum for AI-Powered Data: Ad giant WPP is acquiring UK-based InfoSum, a data collaboration platform, to strengthen its audience targeting and analytics offerings. InfoSum’s privacy-first “data clean room” technology allows companies to match and analyze datasets without sharing personal data. Post-acquisition, InfoSum will join GroupM (WPP’s media arm) and integrate into WPP Open, the holding company’s AI-enabled marketing platform. WPP says this will create a “new generation of AI-enhanced marketing solutions,” letting clients tap into vast cross-platform consumer data (from partners like Netflix, ITV, major retailers, etc.) and even train custom AI models on combined datasets in a secure way. InfoSum CEO Lauren Wetzel will remain in charge and also assume a GroupM solutions role as WPP looks to accelerate its data-driven marketing capabilities with the buy.
- NIQ (NielsenIQ) Buys Gastrograph AI: NIQ agreed to acquire Gastrograph AI, a New York startup that uses machine learning to model human sensory perceptions of flavor, aroma, and texture. Gastrograph’s platform, powered by an extensive database of taste preferences, can predict how different consumer segments will react to new food and beverage products. NIQ – which had partnered with Gastrograph on its BASES innovation tools – said the acquisition will infuse AI into its product development insights. Gastrograph’s unique sensory data will be integrated to help CPG clients ideate and test new flavors much faster and more cheaply. Ramon Melgarejo, NIQ’s President of Strategic Analytics, noted that combining Gastrograph’s capabilities with NIQ’s data will “empower [CPG] brands in getting to market faster, with better products.”
- Humach Acquires Markets EQ (Voice Analytics): In a CX tech play, Texas-based Humach – which specializes in blending human and AI agents for customer service – acquired Markets EQ, an Albany, NY firm known for AI-powered voice analytics. Markets EQ’s platform uses NLP to analyze not only what is said on calls but how it’s said – measuring voice features like pitch, tempo, and emotional tone to gauge sentiment. It has been used in finance (e.g. hedge funds mining earnings calls for insights) and academia. Humach will operate Markets EQ as a wholly-owned subsidiary and integrate its voice-analysis tech into Humach’s AI-driven contact center solutions. Markets EQ co-founder Sean Austin will become Chief AI Officer at Humach, and CEO Tim Houlne said adding this advanced voice sentiment technology will “leap-frog” Humach’s capabilities in the $250B market for “agentic AI” (autonomous agent) solutions.
- Cross-Media Measurement Alliances: In industry partnership news, the UK’s cross-media audience measurement initiative Origin (led by ISBA) selected three independent audit firms to vet its methodologies. Origin appointed Pure X Media, ABC, and Milton Data to conduct methodological audits of its system for measuring de-duplicated ad reach across TV, streaming, digital, and other media. This collaboration brings added transparency to Origin’s development phase – the auditors will examine everything from panel recruitment to data integration processes – ensuring that once Origin’s cross-media metrics roll out industry-wide, advertisers and media owners can trust the rigor behind the numbers.
Industry Leadership & Organizational Changes
- Hearts & Science Lands HK Leader: Omnicom’s data-driven media agency Hearts & Science opened a new Hong Kong office, appointing Doris Kuok as Managing Partner to lead it. Kuok previously helped establish Hearts & Science’s presence in the market while at Omnicom Media Group, where she won key APAC accounts like Warner Bros. Discovery and A.S. Watson for the agency. In her new role, she will build Hearts & Science’s local team and oversee strategy, operations and client relations in Hong Kong. The move is part of the agency’s rapid APAC expansion (it named its first APAC CEO earlier this year) and underscores Hearts & Science’s ambitious growth across Asia-Pacific.
- Ekimetrics Appoints New Chairman: Ekimetrics, a Paris-based analytics and AI consultancy, announced Eric Labaye as the new Chairman of its Supervisory Board. Labaye is a prominent French business leader (former McKinsey director and current president of École Polytechnique). He will work alongside Ekimetrics’ founder Jean-Baptiste Bouzige to steer the company’s next phase of growth. The firm has set bold expansion targets – aiming to triple its workforce and revenue by 2028 – and Labaye’s guidance is expected to help scale Ekimetrics’ global footprint and enterprise client business.
- CEO Transition at Burke, Inc.: Cincinnati-based research and insights firm Burke, Inc. announced that President & CEO Diane Surette will retire after 29 years with the company, effective late 2025. The board has named Tara Marotti (currently Burke’s COO) as the next CEO. Surette praised Marotti as an “inspiring leader” who excels at strategic planning and has earned the trust of both clients and staff. This planned succession at the 90-year-old firm comes as Burke continues evolving its services in data analytics and consulting. Marotti will be tasked with driving Burke’s growth while maintaining the company’s legacy of research rigor.
- Relish Founder Steps Back as RED C Merger Deepens: In London, sister insight agencies RED C Research and Relish moved into a joint office in Holborn to support their continued expansion as a group. Alongside the co-location, Relish’s founder Monique Drummond announced she is stepping away from the business to pursue new personal projects. Both agencies are part of Ireland’s Business Post Group (RED C was acquired in 2021, Relish in 2023) and will continue to operate separately but collaboratively. Relish MD Simon Thompson now reports to RED C CEO Richard Colwell as the combined UK team of 35 targets £10M in revenue. RED C’s UK Managing Director Richard Barton said the investment in a central London hub is a crucial step in scaling the group’s UK footprint after a strong year of growth.
- New Hires at Lumen and Catalyse: Two fast-growing research companies bolstered their leadership ranks. In London, ad attention analytics firm Lumen Research hired Matt Bennathan – a former Zeotap executive – as Chief Commercial Officer to lead revenue growth. And in Europe, data collection specialist Catalyse Research appointed Irena Hempel as Global Head of Sales. Hempel, who previously led business development at respondi, rejoins several former colleagues now at Catalyse – a move that strengthens Catalyse’s international client network in fieldwork and sampling.
Expert Insights & Thought Leadership
- Global Leaders on AI’s Impact: A new Insights Association article by Crispin Beale compiled views from research industry CEOs on how AI is springboarding the insights process. For example, Ipsos CEO Ben Page highlighted the breakthrough of synthetic data in accelerating innovation work, saying the ability to simulate consumer data with AI is “truly groundbreaking” for rapid product testing. Caroline Frankum, who leads Kantar’s profiles division, noted AI’s power to dramatically boost the speed and scale of insights generation in areas like consumer profiling. Across the board, these leaders see AI freeing researchers from tedious tasks – from instant social media analysis to auto-summarizing open-ends – allowing more focus on strategy and storytelling. The consensus: AI is no longer hype; it’s actively elevating research efficiency and capabilities.
- GreenBook Podcast on AI Trends & Ethics: On GreenBook’s weekly podcast “The Exchange,” hosts Lenny Murphy and Karen Lynch explored cutting-edge topics at the nexus of AI and market research. One highlight was Fair Response, a startup using AI to detect and reduce fraudulent or inattentive survey respondents, thereby improving online sample quality. They also discussed how NVIDIA’s investments in synthetic data generation could revolutionize the way researchers augment datasets for analysis. Notably, the hosts cited a recent study indicating AI-human hybrid research teams can outperform traditional approaches, marrying AI’s speed and pattern-recognition with human creativity and judgment. The episode underscored that while AI brings powerful new tools (and productivity boosts for researchers), it also raises fresh questions about data ethics, quality control, and the evolving role of the researcher.
- Applying Ethics Code to Research AI: The Insights Association issued guidance to help insights professionals ethically navigate AI tools in research. The IA’s Standards Committee warns of heightened risks to participant confidentiality when using AI, noting that algorithms could potentially re-identify respondents from anonymized data if not properly managed. To uphold the industry’s Code of Standards, researchers are urged to be fully transparent about any AI or automation used in studies – explicitly disclosing when AI is employed and for what purpose. The guidance emphasizes avoiding “black box” models in research: practitioners should explain the basics of any AI techniques to clients and stakeholders (for example, whether a model is generating synthetic data or analyzing existing patterns). By aligning AI use with core principles like privacy, accuracy, and consent, the industry can harness innovation without compromising ethics or data quality.