Thinking Ahead
This is a podcast about research, innovation, and discovery. Each episode will give you new insights into today’s consumer, and prepare you for tomorrow’s marketplace.
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The new faces of brand purpose: Smart strategies for high-stakes times
In what seems like an instant, the values and social actions of brands have become make-or-break with even mainstream consumers. ...
Leveraging trends to stay ahead of tomorrow’s consumers
The volatility of the past two years has raised the stakes for brands of every kind. How can marketers, brand managers and ...
Climbing the Consumer Insights Ladder
In this episode, we sit down with GfK’s very own Noah Babbott-Bryan, Megan Szabo and Kiley Rentko to talk about their experiences as ...
The Next Opportunity in The Next Generation: Data Insights
The 2022 GfK NextGen Hackathon Competition brought together undergraduate teams ...
American Women: How They Feel & What They Do
American women across the generations often have very different attitudes and values. The pandemic and a variety of other factors have ...
Diversity & Inclusion in Research
For thousands of companies around the world, diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) has moved front and center as a business ...
How manufacturers should leverage GSA's newly enhanced platform
There are big changes coming to the GSA (General Services Administration) Advantage marketplace, and manufacturers need to pay close ...
How to address supply chain issues this holiday season
Almost every US shopper knows that holiday gifts are harder to come by this year. GfK’s Tatjana Wismeth tells how lockdowns in China and ...
Becoming a brand your consumers trust: The DTC Model
Major brands, including Apple, Mercedes, Amazon, and BMW, all use the direct-to-consumer (DTC) model to go straight to their customers ...
Constellations Brands and BeenThereDoneThat talk direct-to-consumer strategies
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) products wrote the playbook for developing and leveraging these closer relationships – bypassing traditional ...
The closing gap between the virtual world and reality
On average, people spend 100 days online in a year. With constant connectivity in the palm of our hands and the roll-out of 5G and VR ...
The ROI of actionable insights
A panel of global experts discusses dynamic new approaches to data and intelligent automation, and how they empower your business ...
How to increase your eCommerce traffic (a checklist)
In the past few years, eCommerce listings have become the main window for shoppers, making digital product content a crucial part of the ...
A look at the top Latin America economies and their consumers
Latin America is often overlooked compared to other regions when it comes to global media coverage. Still, the reality is that ...
Ideologies, brands & Americans: How polarization is shaking up the consumer landscape
Defining and aligning with their ideological “tribes” is a growing priority for Americans – and this polarization is driving more and ...
How can brands embrace sustainability in meaningful and believable ways?
4 in 10 Americans said the pandemic has made them more likely to take an active part in environmental causes. Question is, where do ...
Deliver a fresh, compelling shopper experience in 2021
The challenges of the past year have inspired new and innovative ways for brands ...
A conversation with TerraCycle on sustainability
Are brands really taking on the challenge of sustainability? Could it even be a profit center? In this candid interview, TerraCycle CEO ...
How premium brands are leading economic recovery
In a post-pandemic world rocked by disruption, premium brands have proven that they can help a business not only recover from economic ...
Building connections beyond pride month
This episode is an audio version of MRI-Simmons' recent panel discussion on a company's responsibility for inclusivity in their business ...
The Asian Powerhouses: Their consumers and values
Asia has been the engine of global economic growth for decades. As the world continues to get smaller thanks to technology, their ...
The secret to mobile advertising
In the U.S., mobile media now exceeds one-third of all media spending. A 2021 GfK study shows that, among common digital ...
The next generation of data scientists
NextGen Hackathon Competition gives undergraduates a chance to develop product and marketing plans using real-world data. In this ...
Are we “back”? An update on consumers and COVID-19
As COVID-19 restrictions loosen, over half of Americans say that they will be cautious going back to everyday life, but what does ...
What it means to have a 'healthy' brand
In today's times, brands are expected to be more than a logo. Consumers expect them to take action- to show their authentic worth. ...
Trends to watch: The value of sustainability
The Economist's recent International Sustainability Summit covered environmental issues -and solutions- from brands, consumers, ...
A successful product's journey from idea to launch
80% of new products fail, yet innovation is critical to a brand's future. How do you mitigate risk and measure its success? In ...
How data can drive smarter decisions
Data on consumer buying habits may be common these days – but too often it sits in silos. Brands and retailers may see only their ...
How to optimize eCommerce and boost sales
The average person's attention span is around 8 seconds. How do you make sure consumers stop scrolling long enough to buy your ...
What you need to know about B2B influencer marketing
When someone says "influencer marketing," your brain goes straight to consumer products. However, B2B influencer marketing reasons ...
Using consumer trends for strategic insights
Distinguishing deeper trends versus what is "trending" reveals the forces that drive consumer purchase demands and insight. In ...
Trends to watch: Health & wellness
As the new year begins, the global pandemic has put a new spin on the health and wellness craze we always see. In this episode, Trends ...
Rewriting the Influencer Playbook
Join us for a smart, up-to-the-minute discussion of Influencers in the pandemic era – their changing roles, the emergence of a new ...
Emerging shopping trends: What to watch
From click-and-collect to cross-channel buying, eCommerce shopping has hit new levels while traditional methods have evolved. In this ...
The future of work and a digital lifestyle
The digital lifestyle has made leaps and bounds this year. In this episode, subject-matter experts Jola Burnett and Stacy Bereck ...
The future of sustainability: What brands & marketers need to know
From a presentation to your headphones. In this episode of Thinking ...
Going back to school in the time of COVID-19
In another milestone of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools are in the midst of 'opening' their doors. In this episode, Frank Guagenti ...
The changes and challenges of advertising
No matter who you are, you can’t escape ads. As a business, how can your ad speak louder and become more memorable than the rest? ...
The Rise of eSports and its Fans
Esports describes the world of competitive, organized video gaming. But who is its audience? And why should brands and marketers ...
Finding purpose in crisis: Brands, COVID-19, and social responsibility
In today’s world of deadly viruses and impassioned social protests – none of which will be subsiding anytime soon – brands cannot afford ...
Bringing new precision to programmatic targeting
At a time when consumer behavior – and data – is wildly unpredictable, agencies and brands need to bring extra diligence to the ...
Understand the forces shaping the future of shopping
We know COVID-19 crisis has transformed shopping – but many of those effects may be short term. To plan for tomorrow’s shopping ...
Creating Success Through In-Market Testing
In the midst of today’s disruptions, FMCG brands, marketers, and retailers need to Think Ahead. In this episode, we sit down with ...
Rewriting the Influencer Playbook
Join us for a smart, up-to-the-minute discussion of Influencers in the pandemic era – their changing roles, the emergence of a new ...
How Trends Drive Decisions: Leveraging the Strategic Value of Consumer Trend Insights
While “trending” may have become a buzzword on social media, distinguishing the deeper trends and forces that drive consumer ...
Changes in lifestyles & behaviors following COVID-19
Consumers, brands, and retailers are finding themselves in uncharted territory during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, Luis ...
Is Sustainability still important in uncertain times? | Podcast
This year, Earth Day is celebrating its 50th anniversary. In this episode, GfK Consumer Life’s Tim Kenyon breaks down how far ...
How American consumers are handling the COVID-19 outbreak
COVID-19 is changing current and future consumer behaviors. In this episode, Karen Ramspacher from MRI-Simmons sits down with us ...
Today's Cannabis Consumers: Understanding their needs, concerns, and purchases
As cannabis increasingly enters the mainstream, many are embracing the possibilities -- while others continue to push back. In ...
Coronavirus: Tracking its impact on brands & consumers
The world is a different place in 2020. COVID-19, or Coronavirus, has consumers staying home and is taking a toll on the economy. ...
The "dark" side of marketing
It's unknown and untrackable... or is it? 90% of ads are targeted to only select consumers and impossible to measure, until now. ...
Why are we still talking about Millennials?
You've heard it before and you’ll hear it again. Millennials have been a hot topic for years now, but why? In this episode, we ...
How brands can win consumers' hearts in the new marketplace
The past year has changed consumer experience is changing brand relationships in every category. In this episode, we give you an audio ...
The future of cookies: The impact on online marketing and consumers
In January 2020, Google announced that it would phase out third-party cookies by the year 2022. One year away from the official ...
"Driving" consumer expectations in 2021
Air travel has hit record lows due to COVID-19, but did the pandemic bring back the ...
The world according to Biden and Trump supporters
They are calling it one of the most historic and important elections the country has ever had. In this episode, MRI-Simmons’ Kelly ...
A timeline of COVID and its impact on consumers and brands
As we head towards the end of the year, COVID remains the biggest buzzword of 2020. In past episodes, we’ve discussed specific ...
The future of the smart home today
Here's an obvious statement- technology surrounds our lives. From security systems and lighting to refrigerators and window ...
How does Gen Z feel about COVID-19 and the future?
As the youngest generation in the workforce, Generation Z is facing unprecedented challenges as young professionals. In this ...
Activism, anxiety, and the new consumer marketplace
With devastated economies and the calls for social justice around the world, how to brands move forward? In this episode, we give ...
Life Under Crisis: How consumers feel about COVID-19 and protests
Months after lockdowns began, the pandemic landscape continues to evolve. In this episode, we check in with Sarena Gerard, who ...
The Art of Digital Ad Targeting
In this episode, we sit down for a panel discussion with GfK's Natasha Stevens, MRI-Simmons' Josh Pisano, and Dstillery's Chris ...
Understanding CBD Consumers
CBD – which offers stress and pain relief without a THC “high” – is upending dozens of product categories, from cosmetics to pet ...
Future of Retail: The Impact of Technology
The mixture of skyrocketing shopper expectations and exploding technologies is fueling a new era of innovation and transformation ...