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Thoughts on everything that matters right now in marketing, communications, and insights.

The truth needs you – Why persuasion is the most important skill we need for the future Posted on October 13, 2025 by Vanessa Chirayus

At the Esomar Congress in Prague this year, Colonel Mustard, Lucy Davison, took part in the ‘Skills pitch: Insights 2050’ – joined by Claire Rainey (Virgin Media O2), Hennieke Potman (Accell Group), and Paul Hudson (FlexMR). In case you missed it, read her speech below to find out why persuasion is the essential skill for market researchers and insights professionals in 2050.   “I’m here to persuade you why, in a post-truth world, persuasion is the most important skill we

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Brand awareness gets you seen. Mental availability gets you chosen. (As seen on Greenbook) Posted on September 11, 2025 by Vanessa Chirayus

Do your prospects know who you are, but forget you when it matters most? In the insights industry, awareness alone isn’t enough. What really counts is being remembered at the right time: when buying decisions are made. In part two of her Marketing Applied series on Greenbook’s Grow your insights business channel, Iosetta Santini unpacks the concept of mental availability: why pairing it with brand awareness is like the ketchup to your mustard, and how you can build it into

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Faster! Further! Better? Spreading Flora’s Insights in a real-world experiment using AI Posted on July 3, 2025 by Vanessa Chirayus

For the finale (well, it was after lunch) of two packed days at IIEX EU in Amsterdam, Colonel Mustard Lucy Davison brought together our expertise in insights communication with the hottest topic of the moment – AI. We teamed up with Hennieke Potman, Global Consumer and Market Insight Manager from Flora Food Group to share our research into a common question we hear when advocating for thoughtful, structured insights communication: “Why not just use AI?” In true research fashion, we

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Don’t just join the conversation. Say something that matters. Posted on May 28, 2025 by Vanessa Chirayus

Research conferences are full of buzz – but sometimes it’s more noise than clarity. Amidst the AI talk and similar shiny promises at Quirk’s London, it was easy to lose sight of what really makes this industry tick. That is why one session stood out for all the right reasons: Vodafone Business’ ‘Creating Authentic B2B Thought Leadership’. It was a timely reminder for strong thought leadership doesn’t just inform – it builds trust, proves value, and challenges decision-makers to look at

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Quirk’s through fresh eyes: tech booms, but people still win Posted on May 14, 2025 by Vanessa Chirayus

The insights industry in London was buzzing last week as Quirk’s London took over the city on the 7th and 8th of May – right after the bank holiday Monday. As the newest member of Team Mustard, I had the chance to dive headfirst into the event on the first day, surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the world of insights. Now that we’ve all had a moment to catch up on emails and come back down to

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Add to the network, not to the noise Posted on May 6, 2025 by Simon Dunn

Creating a gold standard of LinkedIn networking LinkedIn has transformed itself into a community building tool that is both, a blessing and curse. It has become a place where reputations are built, conversations begin, and new opportunities emerge. However, it is also a new language to be learnt and best enjoyed with a solid understanding of its full potentials. LinkedIn has over a billion users worldwide, but only 1% actively creating content… This offers a real opportunity for any company

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