Intellicast

Welcome back to Intellicast! On the final episode of 2025, Brian is joined once again by Gabby Blados to reflect on some of the biggest trends, news stories, and more that shaped market research this year. Kicking off the episode, Brian and Gabby walk through some of the major people-on-the-move news from across the industry. Leadership changes, promotions, and board elections signaled a period of transition for some in the industry. The conversation quickly turns to data quality, which Brian and Gabby agree became the single most important issue of 2025. While concerns around fraud and quality have existed for years, this was the year those conversations became unavoidable. The OP4G and Slice MR case stands out as the defining moment, not just because of its scale, but because it introduced real consequences. Legal action, charges, and accountability forced the entire industry to pay attention in a way it hadn’t before. As a result, data quality went from being a recurring conference topic to a priority

Welcome back to Intellicast! On today’s episode, Brian is joined by Lilah Raynor, CEO of Logica Research, to break down the newest edition of their Future of Money report. The report is one of the most consistent and revealing longitudinal studies on how Americans think about money, work, and the economy. This semi-annual study, which has been running since 2017, offers an in-depth look at the financial mindset of U.S. consumers, and this wave highlights some of the clearest shifts in sentiment to date. Kicking off the episode, Brian and Lilah discuss Americans' overall mood of the economy. According to the latest data, half of Americans believe the economy is worse than it was six months ago, and a third expect it to get worse over the next year. Even among those who describe themselves as financially stable, financial stress remains high, with many feeling stretched thin by rising costs, housing pressures, and inconsistent income trends. The conversation then shifts to how Americans are adjusting. Lilah

Welcome back to Intellicast! On today’s episode, Brian is joined by Matthew Alexander for a news-heavy, and slightly feisty, conversation covering mergers, data quality, respondent experience, and a brand-new recurring segment we didn’t know we needed: the “No Sh*t, Sherlock”* news section. The episode kicks off with a look at recent M&A activity, as Voxco’s owner, Terminus Capital Partners, acquires Discuss.io, merging the two brands under the Discuss name. Brian and Matthew talk about the ongoing wave of private equity–driven consolidation in the industry, and why so many deals now seem to be led by outside investors rather than research insiders. Next, they highlight Research Results’ new partnership with Verisoul, marking another big win for the fraud-detection newcomer. Henry LeGard and his team have gone from zero market research clients to over fifteen in less than a year, and both the guys agree it’s just the start of a larger industry shift toward fintech-grade data quality tools. The duo then div

Welcome back to Intellicast! On today’s episode, Brian is joined by Henry LeGard, CEO and founder of the fraud detection company Verisoul, for an in-depth discussion on the evolving state of data quality and fraud detection in market research. We kick off the podcast by having Henry share how Verisoul, a company built initially to stop banking and fintech fraud, has quickly become one of the most talked-about new players in market research. He details how the company came to be, and how they entered the market research industry in 2025 with zero clients and are now protecting nearly 100 million survey clicks per month across the industry. Henry explains how Verisoul’s advanced fraud detection platform has had such a rapid impact on the industry. He shares how the team applied financial-grade fraud-prevention techniques to survey data collection, enabling them to detect and block the most sophisticated forms of digital fraud, including device spoofing, cross-continental proxy traffic, and bot farms operating

Welcome back to Intellicast! On today’s episode, Brian is joined by Gabby Blados to cover one of the busiest news weeks the insights industry has had in a while, featuring a billion-dollar merger, a major leadership shake-up, and plenty of questions about what’s next. The episode kicks off with the biggest headline of the week: Qualtrics’ announcement that it plans to acquire Press Ganey Forsta for over $6 billion. Brian and Gabby dive into what this means for the market research world, especially as two of the most widely used survey programming platforms — Qualtrics and Decipher — will soon fall under one roof. Brian wonders if this level of consolidation could raise antitrust or competition concerns within the industry, while Gabby reflects on what this might mean for current Decipher users, including EMI. They also explore whether this deal might spark a new wave of innovation from smaller, niche platforms looking to position themselves as alternatives to the latest “industry Goliath.” Next, Brian and

Welcome back to Intellicast! On today’s episode, Brian is joined by market research’s favorite lobbyist, the Senior Vice President of Advocacy for the Insights Association, Howard Fienberg. He makes his return to Intellicast to discuss the latest developments in privacy legislation and more. Kicking off the episode, Brian and Howard discuss the current state of privacy legislation in the United States. Howard gives an update on his efforts to help the industry navigate new state privacy legislation in 2025, on where we stand on new state privacy legislation that may be coming down the pipe.   The conversation changes its focus to a potential federal version of privacy legislation. Howard discusses the various efforts that have taken place in the past and why he believes the current efforts are distinct. He is cautiously optimistic that we could see a serious proposal introduced in 2026. Brian and Howard then discuss the LiveRamp lawsuit and its current and future impact on the market research industry. Ho

Welcome back to Intellicast! Brian Peterson is freshly back from the 2025 Corporate Researchers Conference (CRC) in Chicago and is ready to break it all down. Joining him is his presenting partner at CRC and Vice President of The Link Group, Andrew Hunt. Andrew and Brian jump right in and discuss the overall trends from the conference, including: How AI is not the end-all, be-all, but how it is being incorporated into existing processes to make organizations faster, more efficient, and uncover hidden insights. Everyone wants to be faster    Data Quality – More brands are starting to take an interest and ask questions. The IA rebrand And more! The guys then discuss some of their favorite sessions from the conference. Andrew talks about the first keynote session, Dare to Connect, which was the talk of the conference. Brian mentioned the C Space and McDonald’s video that humanized the insights that were gathered. The guys then both touch on the session with Andrew’s colleague, Parks, who pres

Intellicast is back with a brand-new episode covering the latest news from around the market research industry. Join Brian Peterson and Aron Wilson as they break down the latest headlines, including: Decline in Forrester's Q2 revenue Azure Knowledge rebrand to Matrix Kantar and Cint expanding their partnership How iOS 26 will hurt mobile polling and representative sample A class-action privacy lawsuit against LiveRamp Brian and Aron also spend time announcing the conferences they will be attending this fall! Catch Brian, joined by The Link Group's Andrew Hunt, at Insights Association's Corporate Researchers Conference in Chicago this September 9-11th. Check out their session Built for Trust: Why Clients Should Demand a Layered Data Quality Strategy on Wednesday afternoon at 1:45 PM. At ESOMAR Trends Horizon in DC on Nov 5-6, Matthew Alexander and Aron Wilson will be presenting Smarter, Faster, Faker? The Real Results from Testing Synthetic Respondents, a deep dive into how well AI-gen

The research world is never short on headlines, and this week’s Intellicast is proof. Brian and Gabby return to break down the latest headlines from around the market research industry. Topping the list is a deep dive into the new whitepaper from Strat7, which compares synthetic data providers using real-world testing methods. The whitepaper finds that while synthetic data performs well on individual questions, it falls apart when you examine the full respondent experience — consistency, internal logic, and key drivers simply don’t align with real human behavior. Meanwhile, ESOMAR has updated its Code of Standards in partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce. The revised code introduces major new guidance on: Use of AI and synthetic data Consent and notification protocols Biometric and immersive data collection Inclusivity and the “duty of care” to vulnerable respondents Other major topics in the episode include: Kantar Worldpanel rebranding under Numerator Norstat’s acquisi

What do car dealership surveys, goldfish, and chatbots have in common? They all come up in this episode of Intellicast, where Brian and Mary sit down with Lorin Drake, a Consumer Insights Strategist at Publix, to discuss all things respondent experience. It is a refreshingly honest discussion about what’s broken in the world of survey design—and how to potentially fix it. The episode begins with Lorin delving into his background, explaining how he got into market research and ultimately ended up at Publix. Lorin then shares highlights from his IIeX presentation, “Surveys are Dead, Long Live Surveys.” This leads into a larger conversation about how improving the respondent experience can improve data quality. Lorin lays out a path forward, including short LOIs, gamified surveys, more engaging question types, and additional features – all of which contribute to a more human-centric approach to data collection. A few key takeaways: Survey fatigue is real: Response rates are falling, especially for surve

In this news-packed episode, Brian and Gabby break down the biggest happenings shaking up the market research space. Ipsos is expanding its European footprint with the proposed acquisition of the BVA Group, and AckWest continues its M&A spree, this time adding healthcare research firm Reckner to its growing roster. The industry is also seeing a wave of rebrands—Toluna is consolidating under one name, and Sympler now goes by “Okay, Humans” in a nod to human-focused research amid rising AI tension. Speaking of AI, the hosts dig into Pulsar’s launch of Narratives AI—a public opinion search engine with promise (and bot-related pitfalls). Meanwhile, Numerator introduces a Tariff Risk Index to monitor price volatility, and EMI’s new Sample Landscape report tests synthetic data against real respondents, explores AI prompting tools, and dives deep into high-frequency survey takers. It’s a can’t-miss conversation for anyone watching the balance between innovation and insight. Thanks for listening! Want to downloa

Were you in Washington, DC, last week for IIeX? If not, our latest episode of Intellect has you covered! Brian Peterson and Matthew Alexander were in the nation’s capital for this year’s event and sat down to recap all the trends and topics. Let’s dive into what the guys discussed: Data Quality Takes Center Stage One of the most talked-about issues this year was data quality, spurred on by the recent industry indictment. Sessions addressing fraud detection, transparent sampling practices, and respondent experience were standing room only. It’s clear that researchers are demanding more transparency and layered approaches to improving data quality, from better survey design, better tools, and even improved respondent experience. AI and Synthetic Data: More Practical Applications and Progress AI continued to dominate the conversation, but the tone has shifted. This year, discussions focused on practical applications of how AI can assist in the research process, with a variety of presenters showing h

In this episode of Intellicast, host Brian Peterson is joined by Mary Draper and Aron Wilson for a timely and candid discussion about the state of data quality in market research. The team unpacks the recent indictment involving OP4G and Slice MR, accused of orchestrating a $10 million fraud scheme using fabricated survey data. They explore how this scandal highlights long-standing challenges around fraud detection, insider manipulation, and the limitations of current quality safeguards. The conversation also recaps key insights from the recent Insights Association Ignite Data Quality Conference, including the growing push for sample transparency, the nuanced role of ISO certifications, and the critical need for a respondent-first approach to survey design. With perspectives from both supplier and full-service backgrounds, this episode explores how the industry can work together to raise the bar for quality, combat fraud, and ultimately rebuild trust. Whether you’re a panel provider, research buyer, or full-

Welcome back to Intellicast! Joining Brian Peterson on today’s episode to give a recap of Quirks Chicago are Gabby Blados and, for the first time, Abby Snyder. The three jump right in with Gabby, who had attended four different Quirks Events, and Abby, who attended her first Quirks Event, giving their overall impression of Quirks. Gabby felt this one was the best one she had attended. Next, Gabby and Abby discuss the overall trend and themes from Quirks. In addition to AI (which was a given), Gabby discusses the focus on data quality, from new tools to help ensure it to how we as researchers can do things differently to help improve quality. Abby then discussed a few of her key takeaways from the conference, including how she felt it was important to connect with colleagues she normally communicates with on a daily basis but never met face-to-face. Gabby talked about her favorite session, which featured Hills Science, which she and her family used for their pets growing up. In the wrap-up, Abby and Ga

Welcome back to Intellicast! Joining Brian Peterson on this jam-packed episode is Gabby Blados. They talk about conferences, data quality, as well as discuss some recent headlines from around the research world. Kicking off the episode, Brian and Gabby talk about the upcoming conferences, including SampleCon and Quirks Chicago. With Gabby attending Quirks, she gives Brian a preview of some of the topics, sessions, and activities she most looks forward to while in Chicago in early April. Next, Brian and Gabby turn their sights to the latest market research news, starting with the launch of the Global Data Quality Initiative updated Data Quality Pledge. Brian and Gabby discuss how they feel this is a step in the right direction to improve overall data quality. They are hesitant, though, since it is a pledge, and there is no one to hold people accountable to its standard other than self-regulation. They both agree that the pledge is probably a step toward some sort of regulation around data quality. In the

Welcome back to Intellicast! Brian Peterson is joined in today's episode by Matthew Alexander to discuss mergers, people on the move, and AI. Starting the episode, the guys talk about some recent mergers and acquisitions from around the industry. First, they touch on OpinonRoute's acquisition of Jibunu and how this can impact OpinionRoute going forward. They then touch ACKWEST's purchase of Precision Sample. Next, the guys discuss some moves people in the industry have made. They touch on new additions at Morning Consult and Symmetric Sample. They hit on WIRe's executive structure changes and Ryan Barry departing Zappi. In the last segment, the guys touch on a few news stories around AI, specifically synthetic data. First, they discuss the new solution from PureSpectrum, called Training Data, and how that can impact synthetic data and improve existing models. This led to a more philosophical discussion triggered by comments from a panel at the MRS AI conference. Matthew breaks it down to show how biases im

Welcome to season 8 of Intellicast! Matthew Alexander joins Brian Peterson on today's episode to talk about the latest market research news. Before the guys discuss the news, they quickly touch on some of the conferences coming up over the next month. This includes the QCRA Annual Conference in Philadelphia on February 11-14. If you are interested in attending, use promo code EMIVIP to get a discount on your registration! Starting the news discussion, Brian and Matthew talk about a couple of friends of EMI who recently switched their roles and what that may mean for the industry's outlook in 2025. Next, the guys discuss the news of Radius Global acquiring Illuminas. They wonder if this could be the start of a more significant year of mergers and acquisitions due to a better economic outlook. This leads to a conversation about the new US panel that Bilendi & Respondi launched following its acquisition of Netquest in December. Both Brian and Matthew liked that Bilendi was investing in a new US panel and s

Welcome back to Intellicast! We are putting the final touches on season seven. We want to thank all of you who tuned in this year; we really appreciate it. In this year’s Best Of episode, we are going to revisit a few of our favorite interviews from 2024. [0:54 Seconds] First up is Roddy Knowles, who made his return to the podcast after several years. He, Brian, and Matthew touched on his journey to dtect, as well as taking a deep dive into the larger fraud issue, including a few dirty secrets around data quality. [30:15] Next up, we revisit Karin Pepin’s first appearance on the podcast this season, where we had a deep conversation about data quality. Karin explains that there is no single approach to solving data quality, but a multi-layered approach is needed. [1:10:44] Finally, let’s look back at our conversation with Jeremy Zogby prior to the 2024 election. Jeremy talks with Brian and Jason about potential adjustments pollsters have made coming into the 2024 election. Jeremy also breaks down what poll

Welcome back to Intellicast! In today's episode, Brian and Matthew are joined by two special guests to get all the details around a news story that was talked about several weeks back – the new strategic partnership between Brandtrust and Protobrand. Joining Brian and Matthew to discuss how this partnership came about are Alex Millet, the new CEO of Brandtrust, and Pal Afzelius, the CEO of Protobrand. Since this was Pal's first appearance on the podcast, Brian asked him how he ended up in the market research industry. Pal tells us how he attended the Swedish School, met the co-founder of Protobrand, and hit it off; the rest is history. (You can hear Alex's origin story here: https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=CSN6936360131) After learning about Pal, the guys turned to the strategic partnership between Brandtrust and Protobrand. Alex starts it by discussing the background of the relationship between the two companies and what led to their discussions and, ultimately, partnering. He and Pal then talk about how

Welcome back to Intellicast! Gabby Blados returns to talk Thanksgiving and the latest news from around the market research industry with Brian Peterson. Kicking off the episode, Brian and Gabby talk about their favorite Thanksgiving dishes and traditions. They touch on everything from stuffing and Jello salad to the time each usually sits down for Thanksgiving dinner (or, in Gabby's case – Thanksgiving lunch). After the Thanksgiving talk, Gabby and Brian turned their attention to the latest market research news, starting with the news of a new Board of Directors for Dynata and what it could mean for the future focus of Dynata. This episode had two big topics: data quality and artificial intelligence. On the data quality front, Brian and Gabby discuss the new funding for the Data Quality Co-Op, the new strategic partnership between Sample Ninja and Veriff, and the new standard endorsed by the Insights Association for transferring survey data between platforms. They also discuss some of the data quality com