Where the insights industry actually stands in 2026
126 senior researchers, on the record, on what's really changing: where AI is earning trust, what's putting confidence in research at risk, and what deserves more attention than it's getting.
Five questions the industry has been dancing around
Each topic is answered by senior practitioners, in numbers from 100 survey responses and in their own words from 26 video responses.
What matters most over the next 12 months, and what's overhyped?
Where senior researchers are actually putting their energy, and which of this year's loudest topics they think can be tuned out.
Where AI is earning trust, and where it isn't
Which tasks teams hand to AI today, which they'd trust it to run without review, and where the industry is still keeping a human in the loop.
What's forcing teams to throw research away?
How often data quality is derailing studies right now, and what's driving the concern, from fraudulent respondents to something new.
Where stated intent falls apart on contact with reality
How many teams are finding the gap between what people say and what they actually do, and how many aren't set up to check.
Are insights teams reaching the C‑suite, and can they prove it?
How often research is cited in senior decisions, how consistently teams measure their own impact, and where those two things don't match up.
Watch the findings unpacked
Andy Barraclough, Erica Dinger, and Ed Keller walked through what surprised us in the data and what it means for research teams heading into 2027. Catch the full conversation on demand.
Recorded September 30, 2026
Speakers
126 senior researchers from brand-side and supplier-side teams across the US, UK, and beyond. Most are director-level or above, and most have more than a decade in the industry. Produced in partnership with the Market Research Institute International (MRII).
Get the full picture
See the numbers, the quotes, and the open questions the industry needs to answer next. Add your details and the download is yours.
Prefer to listen? Watch the webinar recording