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 put AI to the test in a real-world experiment: could it help us communicate insights faster, better, cheaper, or more effectively? The answer: not yet. While tools like ChatGPT, Piktochart, and Synthesia showed promise, we learned that human input is still essential – for structure, storytelling, data safety – and sanity.

Our brief was to create materials that went beyond Powerpoint reports which could be shared in Flora and which should make a measurable impact.

Here’s what we found out…

Lesson 1: The short-list only gets shorter

We began by exploring the landscape of generative AI tools, testing a wide range from LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot to tools like Claude and NotebookLM. We wanted to see if they could meet key criteria: data secure, low-cost, easy-to-use, time-saving, and genuinely useful. We also explored visual content generators like Custom GPTs, Vyond, Pictory, and our current favourite, Gamma, to see how they handled video and infographic production.

To ensure a fair comparison, we used the same input each time – a dense, 48-slide insights deck filled with data, charts, and infographics, on gender equality. We asked them to create videos, infographics and summaries – the materials for Flora to share.

The results? Very mixed. The tools varied widely in output, usefulness, and quality – and some offered more headaches than help.

Yes, generative AI can produce content based on your input – but that’s where the optimism ends. When we fed our insights deck into popular tools like ChatGPT, the results were underwhelming (and occasionally laughable).

Even custom GPTs designed specifically for infographic creation for example, could barely manage a bar chart. The outputs were incorrect, cluttered, or just plain bizarre – a classic case of hallucination.

And animated videos? Let’s just say the chaos on screen earned a solid laugh from the IIEX audience – but not for the right reasons.

Most of the tools we tried did not make it through the first round of testing.

Lesson 2: Trust still matters – read that data security clause!

Amongst the dozens of tools we tested, a few stood out for producing semi-decent outputs – notably Gamma, Piktochart, and Synthesia. These made our initial shortlist thanks to their ease of use and relatively polished results.

But when we looked closer at their data policies, things got murky. Scrutinising legal clauses and privacy terms quickly became a task in itself. And while many in the insights world love Gamma, its data protection terms are vague at best – offering no clear commitment that your input or output won’t be used to train their models. For this experiment, where we were working with confidential Flora research, that was a dealbreaker. Gamma had to go.

Lesson 3: It’ll take (your) time… A lot of it

AI tools love to promise the same things: faster, better, more efficient outcomes. And yes, in some cases, they delivered. For example, ChatGPT-4o (with its latest image generation update) helped us create custom visuals for our infographic. But other tools? Across the board, we found that the tools required a lot of human editing, creative judgement, and iteration – more than without using them.

Take Synthesia. It’s a platform that lets you create talking head videos using stock avatars – or even one in your own likeness, complete with your voice. Sounds futuristic, right? And on the surface, it is. The editing interface is user-friendly, and generating an avatar version of Hennieke was eerily realistic.

But things got manual, fast. We still had to write the storyboard, script the content, and manually adjust everything from tone of voice to timing and animation. After seven iterations and over five days of tweaking tone, timing, and visuals, we finally got a version we liked. Ironically, doing it the ‘old-fashioned’ way and filming Hennieke presenting, would have taken us just three. So, while Synthesia automated the avatar, the rest still relied heavily on human creative direction.

The same was true with Piktochart. It gave us a decent starting point for our infographic, based on a storyboard we fed in – but missed key insights, context, and tone. We had to fill in the gaps ourselves, then redesign fonts, colours, and layout elements to align with Flora’s brand. What began as a “smart” AI quickly became a clunky design tool. In the end, using good ol’ Adobe design platforms – with a real human at the helm – proved quicker and better for the job.

In total, the Flora and Mustard team spent over 60 hours producing all the content.

What does this mean for insights communications?

The bottom line? These tools not plug-and-play. AI can support the process – if you’re prepared to invest more time editing, refining, and steering output than you would without them.  Above all they don’t replace the creative thinking and sharp eye that only humans bring.

What is important to know is that when we shared the final materials and measured impact at Flora, the content captured attention and sparked engagement across the board – proving again the value of thinking beyond the PowerPoint report and creating insight communication campaigns that resonate.

Final lesson: AI is promising but people make it meaningful

Of course, AI isn’t the problem – it’s the expectation that it can do it all. The creativity, context, and quality control still need to come from people – AI just gives us a new set of crayons to colour with.

Experimenting with these tools reminded us just how valuable we are.

The post Faster! Further! Better? Spreading Flora’s Insights in a real-world experiment using AI appeared first on Keen as Mustard Marketing.

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 their business problems in new ways – especially crucial in a progressively tech-driven market.

More than a message

What began as an internal trends report soon evolved into an outward-facing campaign, designed to offer real value to customers – not just the sales team. By addressing genuine business pain points, they transformed insight into impact.

But they didn’t always get it spot on. During their 2018–2019 ‘Future, Ready?’ campaign, Vodafone found one question kept surfacing: Who is ready? What does it actually mean to be future-ready? Businesses will always have follow-up questions, and you campaign needs to be ready to answer them. So back they went to the drawing board.

The outcome was their ‘Fit for the Future’ campaign – built on a robust framework that helps businesses assess their own readiness for what’s next. With just a short online assessment, companies can now find out how ‘fit for the future’ they are – directly addressing customer questions and creating ongoing value.

Why did it resonate? The key factor that made this work was because it didn’t just speak to customers – it supported them. The most impactful thought-leadership isn’t just about broadcasting ideas; it’s about solving real problems, offering clarity, backing it up with research, and showing up as a true partner.

Guiding principles for robust thought-leadership

So, how do you actually get started? Luckily, the team at Vodafone Business offered up some practical principles and not just theory:

• Secure internal buy-in.

Before you even begin, get your colleagues on board.  Make sure the value of the campaign is clear and aligned with your business objectives. Without internal support, it won’t gain traction.

• Offer something of real value.

Your story needs to be original, credible, and genuinely useful – something your audience won’t easily find elsewhere.

• Prove you know your stuff.

Build your narrative on research. Even small-scale desk research can go a long way in establishing authority and direction.

• Collaborate for credibility

Partner with trusted institutions to boost credibility, deepen your research and amplify your reach (Vodafone worked with the London School of Economics!).

• Get the delivery right.

Even a strong message can fall flat without strong execution. Work with the press and recognised industry voices to validate and broadcast your campaign (they worked with The Economist).

And remember: it’s not about commercialisation… yet. This is about brand positioning, building trust, and being recognised as an expert in your space. You’re playing the long game.

Vodafone Business has the stats to back that up:

• 88% of decision-makers say their respect for a business increases after engaging with thought-leadership.
• 41% of C-Suite execs have invited a company to pitch after encountering their thought-leadership.
• 45% say it directly led to choosing to work with a business.

So, the next time someone inevitably asks, “How do we commercialise this?” – that’s your answer.

Thought-leadership isn’t about the quick win. It’s about creating the kind of long-term impact that shapes how decision-makers see you, long after the campaign is done.

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In a sea of AI talk and industry buzz, Vodafone Business reminded us what real cut-through looks like. They reminded us that true impact comes from insight, integrity, and a commitment to supporting clients, not just selling to them. A big thank you to Quirk’s London for curating a programme where meaningful ideas like these could shine. It was a timely reminder that while technology may shape our future, it’s the strength of our thinking – and our ability to communicate it well – that truly drives the industry forward.

The post Don’t just join the conversation. Say something that matters. appeared first on Keen as Mustard Marketing.

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 earth, I wanted to take a moment to reflect. As a marketer who’s new to both the Quirk’s experience (my very first conference!) and the insights industry more broadly, I came in with fresh eyes and ears, ready to soak it all in.

Going all out

That morning, I headed to Quirk’s London expecting the usual corporate conference humdrum – grey suits, quiet nods, maybe a few branded pens. But to my surprise, I was met with an energetic crowd ready to learn, mingle, and – most importantly – have fun. The atmosphere was lively, the conversations buzzing, and the swag? Next level.

Of course, there were the expected sweet treats and branded notebooks (and more pens), but some exhibitors truly raised the bar. Personal highlights included:

• Kantar’s cappuccino booth printing your face on the foam
• PureSpectrum’s full-on Build-a-Bear station
• Reckitt turning attendees into fantasy-style Top Trump cards
• And Cambri, who were giving away an Oura Ring (yes, really!)

If there’s one thing I learned, it’s this: conferences are far from boring – and to stand out, you’ve got to go all in. Yes, people are there to learn, network, and talk business – but they’re also people who want to be surprised, delighted, and engaged. The best brands know how to do both.

And while the prizes, swag, and unlimited coffee were definite highlights, what stayed with me most were the bigger themes being explored – so let’s get into the serious stuff.

AI: The coolest toy on the playground

As anyone who went can testify, it was impossible to miss the overwhelming buzz around AI and emerging tech – it’s clearly the most talked-about new toy on the playground, and every company wants a turn. A huge chunk of the presentations focused on it – some a little, most a lot.

There’s no doubt that AI is proving to be a powerful tool for researchers on both the client and supply side – offering efficiencies we couldn’t have imagined a few years ago. But after sitting through several talks, the presentations started to blur together – many sounding like a pitch with similar promises of faster turnarounds, higher accuracy, and leaner workflows.

That’s why Manny Rodriguez from Forsta made a point that cut through the noise: truth and accuracy are not the same thing. “Garbage in, garbage out,” he reminded the packed Room 5. The message was clear “The future is still human” – AI might be transforming research, but it’s still the people behind it who make the work matter.

This stuck with me throughout the event. As a marketer working in the market research space, it’s clear that the trust, transparency, and expertise you believe in – whether in a brand or a piece of work – doesn’t come from the tool itself, but from the people using it.

A Mustard favourite: thought-leadership

It’s no surprise that one of our favourite topics at Keen as Mustard is long-term brand building – and thought leadership is one of the most powerful ways for businesses to deliver on that. The team at Vodafone Business summed this up brilliantly during their presentation, ‘Creating Authentic B2B Thought Leadership’. They explained that great thought leadership builds trust, proves value, and nudges potential B2B buyers into action by challenging them to rethink their business problems – while also positioning you as an expert worth listening to.

For Vodafone Business, what started as an internal document tracking trends, quickly evolved into something much bigger. Once they realised it could offer genuine value to their customers – not just to internal sales team – they flipped it outward. The results? Transforming it into thought-leadership that is truly useful to businesses, built on a robust framework that assesses businesses for future-readiness. Businesses will always have follow-up questions, and your campaign needs to be ready to answer them.

So, what made it work?

The key is simple: great thought-leadership – backed by solid research – must offer real value and lasting credibility to keep your audience engaged. That means identifying pain points and offering meaningful, actionable solutions – directly addressing customer questions and creating ongoing value.

What really matters beyond the stage

As valuable as the sessions were, Quirk’s London wasn’t just about the talks and tech – it was about the people. For me, it was a chance to learn, laugh, and (yes) discover who’s surprisingly tall in real life – all part of a fascinating first step into this buzzing, brilliant insights community. From chatting between sessions and finally putting faces to familiar names, to sharing dinner and debriefing over drinks: it was a reminder that, at the end of the day, the insights industry is built on real human connections.

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At AURA Insight’s Generational Insights: Exploring the Changing Consumer Landscape, our very own Colonel Mustard Lucy Davison and NED Danny Russell took the stage to debate whether it’s time to retire generational cohort labelling. After an in-depth discussion with fiery evidence from both sides, the audience of clients voted: generational cohorts are bad for research.

As insights professionals, we must always re-evaluate the way we understand consumers. This debate was not about winning, but all about questioning, learning, and finding better ways to make sense of the world.

Catch up on why we, Keen as Mustard, wanted to challenge the status quo on generational cohorts in this blog.

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Why generational cohorts are bad research – and even worse marketing.

Not so long ago, segmentations and targeting were tragically simplistic – resulting in sweeping stereotypes applied to large groups of people, like those classic ads assuming all women strive to please their husbands with spotless homes and by looking beautiful.

But marketing and insights has changed – thank goodness. We now use sophisticated methods to understand people’s nuanced attitudes and behaviours, we try very hard to reach and include diverse audiences and to understand them. We all have DE&I policies and do our best to overcome biases, not to discriminate, generalise or stereotype.

However, the concept of generational cohorts takes the opposite approach. Taking one single variable (birth year) to make sweeping generalisations about people is akin to basing your marketing strategy on astrology (birth month). However, no marketing professional would propose targeting Leos and Capricorns; the concept is ridiculous. Yet we actively encourage clients to think in terms of generational cohorts.

Attributing shared values or traits to entire generations risks reinforcing simplistic narratives that obscure the diversity within large populations. Consider this: in the U.S. alone, there are 72 million millennials¹ – the equivalent of the 19^th largest country in the world. Generational cohorts aren’t just inaccurate – they are massively reductive, undermining the complexity of human behaviour and promoting biases.

We all have our own examples of individuals who do not fit these stereotypes – but the arbitrary cut off dates are ridiculous. According to the concept of generational cohorts someone born in 1964 has more in common with another ‘Boomer’ born in 1945 than a close colleague born in 1965.

But just don’t take our word for it.

The scepticism around generational cohorts led 150 social scientists to sign an open letter to Pew Research – written by Philip N. Cohen from University of Maryland – asking them to stop using these classifications.  They argued it imposes “qualities on diverse populations without basis, resulting in the current widespread problem of crude stereotyping”². In 2023, Forbes reported that Pew would shift its focus to comparative research into age groups over different time³ (e.g. examining 20-year-olds in 1980 vs 2000 vs 2020).

We are not suggesting that we should not do research into different age groups, but supporting the view that they are different, diverse and changing – not that a set of attributes and behaviours is cast in stone at birth. The logical conclusion of that idea is that researchers could just pack up and go home –we already know all we need to know about people because of the cohort they are born into.

It perpetuates ‘cohortism’.

‘Cohortism’, a term we coined in the debate, is the sibling of ageism. A 2024 study by The Adaptavist Group surveyed 4,000 knowledge workers across the U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia, and Germany. 40% said using cohorts is a slippery slope towards colleague exclusion, while 45% reported that it fosters harmful stereotypes⁴.

What worse: it’s untrue!

The largest study into age cohorts we could find, (by Valuegraphics) cited by Forbes and involving 750,000 people in 180 countries – showed that generational cohorts have no more in common with each other than any other single demographic factor, like race, education, and income⁵. Similarly, a study by BBH Labs, illustrated that generational cohorts have an average cohesion index of only +1.3. In contrast, other groupings – like ‘daily nut eaters’ and ‘Orangina drinkers’ – scored significantly higher, with cohesion indexes of +3.8 and +4.5, respectively.

It’s actively harmful

According to the Centre for Ageing Better (2020), one in three people in the UK reports experiencing age discrimination.   The Equality and Human Rights Commission states people of all ages say they experience it more than any other form of discrimination⁶.

So, as insights professionals, this prompts the question: Why are we supporting generational cohorts by producing endless studies into different groups and how they supposedly think and feel?

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1 https://www.bbh-labs.com/puncturing-the-paradox-group-cohesion-and-the-generational-myth

2 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSecsM1JavYMlNI-XlKDYngFKsEFBGFs_imv7R5KO8e15NYeCg/viewform

3 https://www.forbes.com/sites/sheilacallaham/2023/05/28/pew-research-center-new-stance-on-generational-labels-with-a-caveat/

4 https://www.pcma.org/its-time-to-ditch-tired-generational-stereotypes/

5 https://www.forbes.com/sites/sheilacallaham/2022/05/15/generational-labels-why-its-time-to-put-them-to-rest/

6 https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/22776/html/#:~:text=One%20in%20three%20people%20in,any%20other%20form%20of%20discrimination.

The post This House Believes Generational Cohorts are BAD for Research! appeared first on Keen as Mustard Marketing.

The team at Keen as Mustard was thrilled to lead the ‘Beyond Storytelling’ masterclass for the ESOMAR Academy in October. This is a 5-star rated, specialised training to guide insights professionals through the essentials of creating compelling communications. From irresistible story hooks to impactful design, attendees learnt how to bring a powerful and visceral understanding of the customer to their internal audience.

If you missed the training don’t panic – you can sign up to see the recording here: https://esomar.org/tr4in1ng5/beyond-storytelling

Not only did the course get a 5-star rating from attendees, but we have also been signing up clients to deliver bespoke training to address their specific communication challenges. To talk about how we can support you, contact Simon Dunn or click here: simon@mustardmarketing.com

What is ‘beyond storytelling’?

Researchers are brilliant at getting data and revealing insights but communicating them often remains a challenge. The past ten years of storytelling training has led to no greater impact for insights. All too often, powerful insights are left unused – wasting time, budget, and missing the chance to fuel strategic decisions.

If you are one of the insight professionals still emailing data-packed PowerPoint presentations we can help! Our research with Coca-Cola revealed that PowerPoint summaries fell flat with stakeholders, compared to videos, newsletters, and infographics. It’s clear things need to change if we want to bring the voice of the customer to the heart of organisations and create customer salience. This training is designed to equip researchers with communication tools that engage, resonate, and drive action.

Lesson 1: Focus the Message and Control the Narrative

We start by advising on your blueprint for a successful campaign – distilling the essential elements, acting as a reference point for strategy and creative at every step.

The training builds on what we need to know before you can do any communication – the audience, the objective for the communication and how we are going to measure success.

Next, we pinpoint what needs to be communicated – the context, insight or key finding, a single key message and a call to action. We share how to pinpoint the message from a host of data and how to ensure you stick to that core message.

Working through these key questions means you can focus your message, control the narrative, and guide your audience to engage meaningfully with your insights.

Lesson 2: From message to story

To go beyond storytelling, you need to master it first. In lesson two, we build from message to story, starting with making titles, headlines or email subject lines work for you, ensuring it is seen, heard, and remembered. Here, we learn how the insights industry can learn from journalists on how to captivate your audience from the start and use our own research to show the five best ways to write a headline.

Another key to planning your message is building a story arc. In the session, we cover identifying your character, setting, conflict, and resolution. In order to further connection and build resonance with your audience with your story, we show how to tap into emotions, using metaphors, and consistently reflecting your company’s unique voice.

Lesson 3: Bringing Your Insights to Life Visually

Design breathes life into your insights, it packages the story you wrote into captivating visuals. It does more than “make slides look pretty” – design plays a pivotal role in communicating findings effectively by making it easier for your audience to follow the material.

We share our foundational design principles to guide you on creating and assessing your communications and show how keeping your single key message and creative brief at the forefront of your mind is foundational in creating impactful designs that  align with your goals.

The three lessons from our ESOMAR Academy masterclass lay a powerful foundation for transforming insights beyond storytelling, into materials which captivate and drive outcomes. In a data-saturated market, strategic narratives that resonate with your audience are vital. Now is the time to make your insights communication impossible to forget.

Don’t forget, you can still view the training if you sign up here: https://esomar.org/tr4in1ng5/beyond-storytelling

If you would like us to tailor the training to your company and specific needs, we are booking into January 2025 now – please email us at simon@mustardmarketing.com.

The post Beyond Storytelling: Key Lessons for Powerful Insights Communication appeared first on Keen as Mustard Marketing.

Decades of experience helping companies grow, tells us that going to industry events is a vitally important way to build awareness and get leads in B2B. As the specialist marketing agency for insights, we get a lot of clients asking us why they should go and how best to make the most of them. We also hear people wondering if it is worth the investment. Here is our step-by-step guide on how to make the most out of events and ensure you return with your inbox stuffed with opportunities – even if you are not on the stage (more on that in another post!).

Before the event

Agree responsibility: each member of the team should know what is expected of them before, during and after the event. You might want a “team leader” to be responsible for keeping the team on track and delivering key learnings and contacts at the end.

Agree your objectives – you are aiming to get contacts, not meetings or immediate sales – though these would be nice, the aim is to meet people, connect and network to raise your awareness and get emails (sales come later). Your objective should be to get to meet and garner the details of as many new people as you can, so you can nurture them for your pipeline, and to build on existing relationships by discussing the event content (not your pitch).

Set individual KPIs so you each have a target of companies or people you will meet.

Block your diary for the time you will be at the event so no other meetings go in. It is a total waste of time and money to be on a call at an event. If you need to be on a call or in a meeting which cannot be missed, send someone else in your place.

Join the event app, look at the attendee list and identify people you really want to meet. You can reach out to them on the app in advance but do not do a generic spammy note (“we do xx, I’d like to talk to you about it”), instead, make it specific to the client and preferably related to the content at the event. “I see you are talking about xxx, this is a topic close to our hearts as we’ve just done a pilot for a new way to do xxx”…and have some great examples of how to make it work. “I’d love to meet to listen to your experience and see how it fits with ours” or something like that. I am always amazed at how many generic and inappropriate emails I get from suppliers just because I attended an event – Keen as Mustard is not a research company and we do not need sample. Do your research, researchers!

Research the agenda (see above) and put in your diary the sessions you will attend in advance – select the sessions by clients you most want to meet or feel you have the most in common with. Divide and conquer, so if there are two of you, do not both go to the same session if you can avoid it.

Flag your attendance on LinkedIn in advance, at least twice, and tag key people such as the event organizers. Say in your post what you are looking forward to (tag the clients presenting) and why.

Use the event meeting system to organize direct 1-2-1 meetings in advance.

During the event

Attend all the sessions you have flagged/arranged to go to (it’s easy to get sucked in and miss them, again, don’t waste your opportunity by having a call instead).

Make notes/take photos during the sessions – key learnings are important (plus anyone sharing their email on slides) – have your camera at the ready to take good photos.

Share key points/learnings on LinkedIn as much as you can during the event, use decent photos and tag the client speaker and the organizers.

Ask a question of the client speaker (you can state your name and company briefly first), e.g. ‘I’m Jane from This Company. I was really interested in what you said about xxx, how do you think AI will impact that?”

If you do not or cannot ask a question (sometimes they are only on the event app but this is worth doing anyway), then go up to the speaker after the session and introduce yourself but specifically talk about the content of their talk, don’t go straight in with your pitch. “Hi, I’m Jane from This Company. Loved your talk. In particular, the bit about xxx which really resonated with me because we find our clients really struggle with that…” or something. Bring in other clients/experience so she knows you know what you are talking about.

If the convo goes well, ask to exchange details. (Events often have a badge ‘Klik’ thing which works well). You can say you have some thought leadership on the topic she was talking about (or a case study), that you’d like to share.

With clients that are not speaking, you need to network and meet as many people as possible. Good ways to do this are in the queue for coffee/lunch/snacks – you can just ask them about the event, what do they think of the content, what have they seen that resonated with them, why? During breaks take the chance to join someone at a table/bench if there is a space and have the above convo with them. If you are sitting next to a new person in the audience, shake their hand when you sit down and introduce yourself. The chances are that a lot of them will be other agencies, but you will definitely meet potential clients this way, just by chance.

Take advantage of all the social networking opportunities – parties, receptions, events etc. In my experience as many business connections are made at these than at the event itself.

After the event

Have a debrief meeting to discuss how it went, evaluate progress on KPIs and share contacts to get them into your database. Share what you learnt with those who were not able to attend.

Follow up with all the contacts you made. This should be a one-on-one email recalling the conversation you had and sharing something – preferably a piece of content that might help continue the conversation. After that it’s over to your sales team to nurture…and I guess you are involved as much or as little as you need to be. (And, if you need help creating content for this, speak to Keen as Mustard!)

Draft some bullet points or write a post about the highlights of the event, which you share on your website and on LI – and tag the appropriate people including all the client sessions you mention or viewed. E.g. What’s the most surprising thing I’ve learnt? What is the session I found most inspiring? What topics were most discussed and why? Any new trends? Any new friends? What can you expect to change in the industry based on what you’ve learnt?

Remember, you are more likely to get on the stage next time (even if you are paying for your slot) if you have built a good relationship with the organisers…so make sure you work with them to ensure each and every event is a success.

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Notes from the audience of the Festival of Marketing

Picture this: a warmer than average October day, a room filled with marketers from all walks of life, each armed with a notebook, a pen, and a cup of coffee. It’s Festival of Marketing Day, and, as I’ve run out of pages, I’m ready to read out my notebook to who wants to listen.

Kill complexity

First out to talk to the troops is the fearless marketing maestro Mark Ritson. I’m not going to describe my anticipation and excitement for this session, but by the end I was vigorously (some might say too enthusiastically) clapping my hands.

What is changing in marketing? In a gripping talk about marketing duels and enlightenments, Ritson questioned the very bedrock of marketing strategies: “Much more often than not, segmentation is pointless”. You heard that right—80% to 90% of the time, segmentation misses the mark. He referred to Samuel Brealey’s article, “Anti-personalization: The best ad for one is the best ad for all,” emphasizing the need to simplify marketing strategies as what’s good for one person tends to be good for most people.

With the role of segmentation changing, is targeting also losing the battle? The double-edged sword of the digital era is micro-targeting. Did you know that the narrower your audience, the more engaging your copy must be? Yes, the targeting is more accurate, but is it effective, or necessary? Ritson talked about a return to mass marketing – not meaning targeting “everyone” but all potential buyers, albeit with a more sophisticated approach. So, after a wild swing towards complex targeting, it seems that mass marketing might be making a return. Tesco, for example, is already putting in place successful two-speed strategies –mass marketing through TV advertising, and more accurate targeting through digital channels.

The battle on positioning is one that we’re fighting daily at Keen as Mustard, and Ritson’s words hit home: “Positioning isn’t an end; it’s a way to get customers to associate your brand with your core attributes.” Say goodbye to those long, wordy statements. If you want it to work keep it short, sweet, and focused on what sets you apart from the competition. And here’s a wakeup call: “British consumers wouldn’t care if 94% of brands disappeared.” In other words, nobody cares about your brand as much as you do. So, kill the complexity and focus on cut-through.

Sharp videos

Cut-through and engagement are battles that Preethi Sundaram, Director of International Marketing at Vimeo, is fighting too. Did you know that 82% of internet traffic is video? Here’s the punchline: only 1% gets viewed to completion. At Keen as Mustard, we’re strong believers in the power of images but what is it that gets engagement? The advice from Vimeo is that “Ugly works”. Go straight to the problem and talk about that. Don’t be afraid of raising that difficult question. And in a time where screens are only getting smaller, and the available content is multiplying “Have a face at the beginning”, building that emotional human connection from the start can keep viewers till the very end. If you have already worked with us on video content this isn’t news to you, as we’ve certainly asked “do you have any consumer interviews? Any Voxpops?”. Voices, faces and human emotions are the unbeaten star of the show.

The Order of the Long-Term Brand Building

The Festival’s marketing warriors talked about one of the battles that is closest to our hearts: mental availability. As Anouschka Elliot, MD at Goldman Sachs says: “Mental availability is extremely important.” It’s key to brand success, especially in a B2B context. But – of course there’s a but – convincing the C-suite and stakeholders of its worth is not an easy win. It’s the ongoing marketers’ dilemma of how to demonstrate to a number-hungry board, that saliency is what the business needs for growth.

On the same panel, PwC and Jellyfish Global reiterated that mental availability shouldn’t be confused with awareness (more on this later), and that the marketing funnel is limiting. It’s good to have a simple structure to follow, but it should be adapted and evolved depending on the single organisation and its customers. Tom Roach, the Vice-President of Brand Strategy at Jellyfish International, reworked the standard marketing funnel saying goodbye to the classics—awareness, consideration, conversion—and marching towards the new —build, nudge, and connect. It’s a whole new emotional layer. An extra spice to your marketing for that extra kick.

Next up, The B2B Institute was also ready to fight the battle for mental availability. And just to clarify, with mental availability we mean increasing the probability that your brand comes to mind in different buying situations; “which is the most customer-centric marketing goal,” said Peter Weinberg Global Head of Development at the B2B Institute. “To win the market you need to win the minds” says Peter, the true ‘Knight of the Order of the Long-Term Brand Building’. And isn’t it true? Especially in a busy context like insights.

Something else we often repeat to our clients is that most buyers in B2B are future buyers (referring to the 95:5 rule by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science), and that’s why mental availability is so crucial for growth. However, there’s still an obsession with lead generation, mostly based on the illusion that because it’s measurable it works – and we see that all too clearly in the insights industry. This lead-only mindset is opening a space to feed the top of the funnel for those who are willing to put some eggs in the long-term basket, and work on “memory-generation” rather than lead-generation. “Prime the market with what we called pre-suasion rather than persuasion,” said Peter.

A single front

In other words, you can’t influence a buyer you’ve never reached. It’s a losing battle. The marketing “circle”, as The B2B Institute call it, should be much larger than the sales one – to allow for greater reach – but they should both strongly align. However, a study from the B2B Institute found that the average alignment between marketing and sales is only 16%, meaning that the two departments are talking to different buyers. There is a lot to be done in the B2B marketing space, but starting with understanding that mental availability will give you a strong – and essential – advantage over your lead-gen-obsessed competition is key. And we all know that “numbers” are king in our industry, so look for some signs that signal an increase in mental availability. Sales being one of them (more reach, more leads), but also hiring (high mental availability could bring 95% higher response to recruitment), and marketing (determine what is that increased the chances for your buyers to become leads).

Marketing is a discipline that is often not understood or misunderstood (even by marketers themselves) – hence why it can be demoralising, and it can feel like shouting at the wind. But what I’ve learnt from this event is that there is a lot of alignment amongst marketers as to what works in B2B generally that we can apply to insights. Worldwide experts, global company leaders, professors, creatives, and consultants, all maintain a compact theoretical and practical stronghold to win the old battles of building brands long-term, feeding the top of the funnel, aligning with sales, keeping it simple, and being customer centric. And, even if our only weapons are the double-edged swords of digital, the marketing funnel, and almost unmeasurable successes, we’re relentlessly, unanimously, pursuing our mission.

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I recently had the opportunity to be a part of the Market Research Benevolent Association’s webinar discussing the topic of mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, hosted by Jennifer Perry from the MRBA. The panel featured experts from the market research industry, such as James Pickles from James Pickles Coaching, Amanda Hammond from Opinium, Paul Vittles from The Jordan Legacy and Ben Tuttle from Hope Guardians, who shared their insights and experiences on how to create a mentally healthy workplace.

Breaking the stigma

For me, the most important lesson that came out of the webinar, was that mental health issues are more widespread in the workplace than people think. When you’re suffering with poor mental health, there’s a tendency to feel isolated and lonely, so you forget that many other people are facing similar issues. The webinar highlighted that regardless of gender, age or job title, mental health can affect everyone. It was enlightening to hear professionals in the market research industry speak openly about a topic that has previously been perceived as taboo. Webinars like this help break boundaries, which enable conversations to take place that wouldn’t have happened even five/ten years ago.

Another important part of the webinar I found empowering was learning about how industry professionals are helping people who are struggling with mental health issues. Ben Tuttle shared the mission of his company, which is to provide mental health support services to organisations and their employees. Ben emphasised the importance of creating a safe and comfortable environment for employees to talk about their mental health and delved into the value of therapy as an option. From experience, the normalisation of speaking about therapy, or even reaching out to a therapist takes enormous courage. It’s not something that’s easy for everyone but can also be the first step to healing and recovery – I know this from experience.

James Pickles’ story of his mental health struggles and recovery is a powerful reminder of the importance of mental health in the workplace. I was deeply moved by his bravery and honesty in sharing his experience, and it resonated with me as I could relate to the struggles he faced. His journey shows that mental health issues can happen to anyone, regardless of their job title or perceived level of success. It also illustrates that mental health is not a linear path and that it’s possible to recover and come out stronger on the other side.

Amanda Hammond also shared how organisations can educate employees on the signs and symptoms of mental health issues and encourage them to support and reach out to their colleagues. I completely agreed with Amanda’s observation that mental health can affect everyone in unique ways. This can make it quite difficult for employers to understand when someone may or may not be suffering, which underlines the importance of speaking honestly about how you’re feeling to find the correct solutions.

What studies say

Another important topic that was covered during the webinar was workplace accommodations for employees with mental health conditions. Paul Vittles  discussed the research that The Jordan Legacy did with MEL Research on suicide, which found that suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 45 in the UK. He emphasised how organisations can provide flexible working hours, remote work options, and accommodations for therapy or medication schedules to help mitigate the risk of suicide among their employees. It is important for employers to understand that mental health conditions are just as valid and deserving of accommodations as physical health conditions and that these accommodations can have a significant impact on the mental well-being and safety of their employees.

Moreover, the webinar underlined the importance of addressing the root causes of stress in the workplace such as unrealistic workloads, lack of clear communication, and lack of support. By addressing these underlying issues, employers can create a work environment that promotes mental well-being rather than contributing to mental health issues.

Overall, the MRBA’s webinar reinforced the fact that mental health and wellbeing in the workplace is a crucial topic that should not be ignored. By promoting open communication, empathy, understanding, and addressing root causes of stress, employers can create a work environment that not only benefits their employees, but also leads to increased productivity and job satisfaction.

Sources:

• To find out more about HopeGuardians, click here
• To find out more about James Pickles Coaching, click here
• To read more about The Jordan Legacy and MEL Research’s study on suicide and suicide prevention, click here
• To learn more about how to stay mental healthy at work, click here

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We at Mustard Towers were delighted that ESOMAR recently returned to action in the UK with its first in-person event in over three years. As a (somewhat) new recruit in the MRX and insights industry, I quickly realised that ESOMAR has an excellent reputation. In case you didn’t know, ESOMAR is the global community for people working in data, research and insight. I couldn’t wait to get stuck in and see what ESOMAR’s UK Summer Event had in store for me. I set my goals to meet as many new people as possible, learn what ESOMAR has to offer young people like me, and gain more understanding of what the future has in store for the world of data and insights.

MRX has changed a lot throughout these past three years (a whole global pandemic later), so there were many talking points people wanted to discuss and catch up on. The main theme of the event was ways of working, and what the impact has been on us.

Before we got stuck into that, Crispin Beale, Group President at Behaviourally and UK ESOMAR representative, began the evening by introducing interim CEO of ESOMAR Pravin Shekar. He then welcomed the new permanent CEO, Dr Parves Khan. It was great to witness the torch passing, as both Pravin and Parves outlined the importance of ESOMAR’s mission to bring the market research community together. Mainly by maintaining positivity, respect, and honesty in the industry on a global scale. Dr Khan’s credibility and enthusiasm as well as her advocacy for diversity and female empowerment in data and insights, make her an excellent choice for ESOMAR’s new CEO.

The main highlight of the evening included UK ESOMAR representative and Colonel Mustard, Lucy Davison. Lucy chaired a thought-provoking debate with some leading clients in the data and insights industry. The panellists included Shehnaz Hansraj, Head of Insights and Research at Viking Cruises, Alex Wheatley, Head of Data and Insight at the National Theatre UK (also an ESOMAR UK Rep), Danny Russell, Strategic Advisor at Danny Russell Consulting, and Komal Sahni, Head of Insight at L’Oreal.

The discussion started with a debate on how the pandemic has created big changes to working environments. When asked if anyone would return to full-time work in an office, it was interesting to see that not a single person raised their hand. The luxury of working at home is now the norm for many. However, as the conversation demonstrated, we can’t always gloss over its disadvantages, in particular to younger members of the team, which is why hybrid working is essential.

As Shehnaz Hansraj pointed out, there are challenges in creating visibility. Especially in a home environment when you can’t be on the ‘shop floor’. While many in insights have embraced working from home, the debate highlighted the need to maintain in-person networking, a positive work culture, and collaboration to create new ideas.

Undoubtedly, in the next few years, people will seek answers on whether working from home genuinely increases productivity. One thing’s for sure, communication will be key, as Alex Wheatley mentioned during the debate. Teams must have open conversations about what works for them if individuals want to work from home—having the freedom to define what works and what doesn’t will be vital in ensuring everyone’s on the right page and productivity isn’t compromised. And, as many of us would agree, to Danny Russell’s point, let’s stop inviting people to meetings when they aren’t needed – just because it’s online doesn’t make it any less of a waste of time.

Another important discussion point throughout the evening was how the MRX and insights sector could entice young professionals into the profession. Many audience members were keen to stress the value of integrating young people into the workforce for fresh perspectives and to encourage diversity. It was good to hear Pravin and Parves explain how ESOMAR works with local associations and universities, with the aim of helping emerging researchers and moulding them into professional jobs – not just in the research field but also in the wider data and analytics fields.

There were noticeable links between the discussions on working environments and attracting young people into the MRX and insights industry. Young professionals – speaking as one myself – are often in favour of the post-pandemic adjustment of working from home. However, they’re also becoming more vocal about what they need from their superiors. What’s encouraging is that the more experienced people in the room had their fingers on the pulse and were aware of this. It’s hopeful for young people who want a career in the industry, but the execution of how we attract them by upholding their values and desires is critical.

One thing’s for sure; I came away from my evening at the UK ESOMAR Summer Event feeling even more enthusiastic about the industry. There’s a passion and zest in MRX that is somewhat understated, and it helps that everyone is friendly. I look forward to the next ESOMAR event – bring on Congress 2022!

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Greenbook’s IIEX events explore the intersection of technology and insights. Is there a better place to host IIEX Europe than Amsterdam? It’s a trendy hotspot for many individuals and communities, and MRX is no different. So, you can imagine how excited I was as a (slight) newcomer to the industry to hop onto the Eurostar, arrive and take in the eternal beauty of centuries-old canals, before attending the two-day wonder of ‘one of the most cutting-edge consumer insights events in the world.’

The event attracts an eclectic mix of individuals, from research entrepreneurs, data scientists to insights and marketing professionals. Together we all took to the iconic Beurs van Berlage to bask in new ideas. The event did not disappoint. The new technologies and platforms I experienced there allowed me to see the world of insights in a new and dynamic way.

Day One

Day one saw Colonel Mustard, Lucy Davison, start the day early as she opened the proceedings with ResearchGeek’s Jake Pryszlak and Gen2 Advisors’ Gregg Archibald. As the rest of Team Mustard crept from the back of the main stage to the front for the beginning of the day’s sessions, it was clear that the audience was ready and intrigued by what was to come throughout the day.

Immediately, the sessions got off to a great start. Nyssa Packard, Senior Director of Insights and Head of User Research & Data Science at Skyscanner, taught us why we should ‘kill’ the Net Promoter Score once and for all. Giving misleading data, leading to the wrong decisions, and disgruntled researchers, it was interesting to explore the pitfalls of NPS. As a concept NPS has been around since 2003 – Nyssa reminded us that it’s crucial to make progress and move to using better alternative metrics.

This year’s IIEX Europe event was extra-special for Keen as Mustard as our very own Iosetta Santini presented for the first time. In what was a highlight of the event, Iosetta took us back to school with the ABC of PR, as part of Insights Marketing Day. Insights Marketing Day which is designed to give insight agencies and suppliers guidance on their marketing, was integreated as a parallel session within IIeX this time. Obviously, I’m biased, but I’ve never seen someone command the stage as successfully as Iosetta. She delved into the unwritten rules of PR and explored the crucial need for PR in the world of insights.

It would also be remiss not to mention that Mustard design director, Simon Dunn, also did a great job at Insights Marketing Day, sharing his expertise on how Insights and market research professionals can map keywords to create differentiation and target clients distinctively.

The integration of Insights Marketing Day also gave me the pleasure of watching some genuinely thought-provoking sessions by Patrick Olszowski, CEO at Outrageous Insight and Adam Gray, co-founder at DLAignite. It was good to understand just how crucial marketing is in the market research and insights industry, and what we could to alleviate the sector together.

Day Two

This year IIeX was all about generations, sustainability, and inclusivity – every other session covered one of these topics to the extent that at times presenters would shoehorn these elements into presentations. Bizarre in an insights and technological-themed event, it did seem that some presentations relied on these themes to draw people but did not deliver.

On the other hand, Word on the Curb’s Hayel Wartemberg and Isabelle Cotton delivered an insightful and thorough analysis of how building inclusive communities in market research is vital to provide cultural nuance from under-represented groups. It made me admire the work Word on the Curb does to capture cultural shifts in modern society – and most importantly, it felt authentic.

Another stand-out session, which genuinely got the heart of what IIEX is all about – the intersection of technology and research – was by Alex Johnson, Director at Jigsaw Research. Alex exhibited just how handy technology can be when capturing practical insights by sharing his learnings from creating Jigsaw’s Whycatcher platform. The platform has WhatsApp integrated into its service, enabling people across the world to use it. It was ineresting to learn about how simple yet effective these concepts can be and good to hear how Alex learnt from failures to deliver success in an agile and effective way.

IIEX Europe has been a stand-out, especially for me, as a newcomer to insights. We need these events for people to come together, network, and ultimately learn from each other. I’m not sure how the quality compared to previous years, but it was an excellent way for me to integrate and feel at one with the industry. Despite a few repetitive conversations on some topics, it really clarified where the industry stands at this time. There are so many great people to learn from. And what’s better is that so much can change in 12 months, we’ll all be back ready to see what the world of insights has to say in 2023.

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