Welcome to Transforming Insight, the podcast for anyone who has the ambition to transform their Insight team and create an Insight-driven organisation. Your host is James Wycherley, chief executive of the Insight Management Academy, and the author of Transforming Insight: the 42 secrets of successful corporate Insight teams. In the Transforming Insight podcast, we not only explore all 42 secrets outlined in the Transforming Insight book, but we also talk to senior corporate Insight leaders, ...
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But the topic that’s resonated most for us personally and many of our members has been Insight team wellbeing and the ways we can all identify and help our colleagues to manage stress. Emma’s conversation with new IMA associate Lara Meyer, recorded and shared at the July Insight forums and now available for all members to watch on the IMA website, …
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Episode 53: Transforming Insight at Lloyd's Register
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In this episode, we dig into the transformative power of integrating various disciplines within data analytics to answer complex business questions. Drawing from Caroline's experiences at Prudential and Lloyd's, we discuss how combining data analytics, client research, marketing, and competitive intelligence can lead to more comprehensive and impac…
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Episode 52: Building commercial foundations
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If we want to transform our Insight team’s commercial impact, we need to build a commercial foundation for our work. What does that look like? What are the first steps? And how can we make it easier for ourselves by helping our colleagues adopt a commercial mindset? Please listen to find out more! Topics Discussed Core stats and a business blueprin…
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Episode 51: Optimising impact through commerciality
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Over the last 20 years, there has gradually been more focus on commercial thinking in Insight teams, and some organisations have made notable progress. But 400 Insight leaders have taken part in the IMA’s capability benchmarking in the last 5 years, and commerciality remains the best practice territory given the lowest scores. In today’s episode I …
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Episode 50: Transforming Insight at Nestle UK
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Topics Discussed A look back at Carolina’s past roles (2:30) Seminal moments in Carolina’s Insight career (11:50) Learning from transformations at PepsiCo (14:50) Being a driving force for transformation at Nestle UK (16:07) Building capabilities in the team to be bigger than the sum of the parts (25:37) Developing the plan for a transformation ini…
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Episode 49: Respecting the rhythms and rituals
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Today’s episode looks at the fourth pathway, process, and this one is a bit different because it starts not with the Insight team, but with the rest of the organisation. Whether we like it or not, senior decision-makers, like consumers, will have their own ways of making choices. In our companies, that might mean committees that meet each month or …
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Episode 48: Improving your Insight team's reputation
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In today’s episode, James and Lisa look at the reputation of our Insight teams, and how we need to manage it carefully to enhance our positioning. It’s a bit like our companies obsessing about customer experience so that individual interactions don’t undermine their corporate brand: we can say what we like about the purpose of our Insight teams, bu…
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We also see this as a time of team change, with lots of restructures, some redundancies, and a loss of people with years of experience. In response, the most successful Insight teams have doubled down on commercial thinking and influencing skills. Finally, we look at leaders’ roles in guiding their team members through change. Lisa provides a perso…
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Episode 46: Transforming Insight at Coca Cola Europacific Partners
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Topics Discussed Hazel’s journey to becoming Associate Director of Insights at Coca-Cola EP(1:38) Enabling colleagues to self-service their data needs (5:02) Three-pronged approach to drive a more Insight-led business (8:31) Hazel’s approach to team management and Insight leadership (21:06) Collaborating with agency partners for success (25:10) Wha…
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Episode 45: Increasing the awareness of Insight
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There’s no point developing detailed brand concepts if nobody has heard of our companies in the first place. And the same is true for our Insight teams. So in this week’s episode, I’m going to suggest that whilst we should certainly reflect on our Insight team brand, we should also recognise that we often simply need to promote awareness of Insight…
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Episode 44: Transforming Insight at Transport for London
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Topics Discussed Renate's journey to leading the Insight Team at TFL (1:50) Navigating the team through a re-org (4:21) Annual goals, priorities and team collaboration (10:04) What is Renate most proud of her team achieving? (14:15) Maintaining the heightened profile for the Insight team post-pandemic (17:05) Challenges and success of a leadership …
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Episode 43: Developing the Insight team brand
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According to the entrepreneur.com website: ‘Simply put, your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from that of your competitors. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.’ In our world of cor…
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An Insight team looks outwards to an organisation’s customers and markets and shines a light on issues of strategic importance. In stormy weather, it is there to pinpoint rocks upon which the organisation might founder, and competitor companies with which the company might collide. Many Insight teams pride themselves on their ability to understand …
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In this episode… How can our teams adopt Insight tools & systems to make the communication part of our roles easier and more effective? (2.31) How can we inspire all our researchers and analysts to become Insight influencers? (7.47) Taking control of our personal brand (13.02) The importance of mapping stakeholders and allies (15.16) The organisati…
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Episode 40: Transforming Insight at Deliveroo
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Topics Discussed Looking closer at Hayley’s switch to Deliveroo (2:00) Transforming Insight culture to look more toward consumer understanding (4:48) The importance of clear objectives (10:40) Has Hayley’s view on the role of Insight changed? (14:27) The opportunities and threats of AI to Insight teams (18:48) One piece of advice Hayley would give …
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To discuss that topic, James is joined by Debra Walmsley, one of the most inspirational corporate Insight leaders in the UK. Debra has led Insight teams at British Airways, British Gas, Saga, Halfords and now Virgin Atlantic. And she has recently joined the IMA as one of our part-time senior Insight advisers. She also has very impressive form on th…
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Episode 38: Adopting an Insight perspective
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In his celebrated book, Factfulness, Hans Rosling said that: ‘People constantly and intuitively refer to their worldview when thinking, guessing or learning. If your worldview is wrong, you will systematically make the wrong guesses.’ Rosling founded the Gadminder Foundation, with a mission is ‘to fight devastating ignorance with a fact-based world…
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What skills and attributes do the most successful Insight teams recruit for? Which do they find it most difficult to develop? And which would Lisa prioritise? Please listen to find out more! Topics Discussed Categorising Insight skills (2.28) Not accepting the status quo (5.43) The skills and attributes that Lisa would prioritise (9.03) Introducing…
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Topics Discussed The Insight leadership framework (1.50) Working on our Insight teams not in them (5.30) The Insight playbook (9.08) Introducing the 9Ps (11.21) This is episode 36 of the Transforming Insight podcast. If you have the ambition to transform your Insight team and the role it plays in your organisation, please tune in to future episodes…
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Clever analysts, incisive researchers, creative Insight managers... these people can bring joy to working in an Insight team and unlock a world of potential for organisations that want to use customer and market understanding to improve business performance. So, how can we develop an Insight people plan? Please listen to find out more! Topics Discu…
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Topics Discussed Learning from Quirk’s New York (1.40) From reactionary service providers (4.50) What is an Insight-driven organisation? (8.55) The IMA’s online library of best practice (11.15) The range of companies now transforming Insight (13.42) The implications of AI on Insight management (20.34) This is episode 34 of the Transforming Insight …
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Episode 33: Transforming Insight at Carlsberg
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Nick speaks about his time at Carlsberg and how he was able to successfully transform their Insight analytics function. We hear about how he worked to develop talent in the Insight team and the importance of adapting to the changing face of Insights talent. He also touches on the challenge of finding a common ground between different marketing phil…
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Topics Discussed The importance of implementation (0.45) Change management principles (3.25) Learning from a corporate strategy guru (7.15) The implications for Insight strategy (10.53) Highlights “If this is the first Insight strategy we have written, we may feel that the hard work is done when we have crafted our vision and come up with some prof…
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Topics Discussed Developing a mission statement with your team (2.27) The importance of conscious choices (4.40) Think creatively and think big (7.48) The perils of developing parallel strategies and plans (10.00) It’s all about choosing you will do and not do (12.15) Highlights “You could say that we all have an Insight strategy already – the ques…
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Episode 30: Defining your ambition for Insight
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I think it’s only possible to create a successful vision for your Insight function by examining both the potential ways that Insight could make a difference to your organisation’s performance and then your ambition for it to actually seize those opportunities. Please listen to find out more! Topics Discussed Why ambition is important (2.06) The IMA…
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Jane leads on Insight strategy and draws on her wide experience to explain why developing a strategy need not be daunting and can actually be a very validating experience. Please listen to find out more! Topics Discussed Imagine it’s your first day as an Insight leader (1.45) Imagine you’ve been fired (3.30) The first step to take (4.55) Chunking u…
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So that’s what we’re going to focus on at the July 2023 Insight forums and for several of our podcasts this season. Please listen to find out more! Topics Discussed A challenge for Insight leaders (2.38) Doing the right things as well as doing things right (4.34) The potential keeps growing, but so do the difficulties (6.25) Why do so few organisat…
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Topics Discussed Bringing Insight teams back together (2.30) Renewed interest in assessing Insight capability (5.04) Recruitment challenges (6.45) The Insight playbook and leaders’ achievements (10.25) Responding to requests and saying no, nicely (14.09) Developing big picture knowledge (16.24) Highlights “Leaders have to think differently about wh…
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So why are visuals so important? A few years ago, our colleague Julia Joskey carried out the IMA’s first best practice research on this topic, and she joins me in this 18-minute episode to share her learning. Please listen to find out more! Topics Discussed Why are visuals so important? (1.36) Thinking like an Insight designer (3.22) The designer a…
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Topics Discussed Learning from the Insight author (2.30) Writing headlines like an Insight journalist (4.28) Making time to edit (6.31) It’s not rocket science! (8.35) Lisa’s top tips (10.54) Highlights “On the one hand it is imperative that we develop our overall project story as we go through each Insight investigation, but the actual writing of …
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In this 16-minute episode, James looks at how progressive Insight teams can drive change by using the SCQAB structure. It’s great for framing projects at the start and shaping the story along the way. Please listen to find out more! Topics Discussed Adapting the Pyramid Principle (0.43) Situation, Complication, Question, Answer and Benefit (4.10) S…
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Episode 23: Insight communication programmes
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In this 17-minute episode, James looks at how successful Insight teams can drive change by developing Insight communication programmes. He is joined by the IMA’s Roy Hammond, who shares five top tips that any Insight team could adopt. Please listen to find out more! Topics Discussed Introducing the Insight CMO (1.59) Starting with the audience (2.4…
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Episode 22: Transforming Insight at Sainsbury's
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This breadth of experience strengthened her ability to look at things more holistically, rather than looking at Insight in an organisation through one lens. It gave her the ability to join it all up in a powerful way, to be an important voice in organisations. Throughout her career, Liz has cleverly used Insight and data analysis in a multitude of …
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Episode 21: Driving change through communication
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For the most successful Insight teams, that includes a proper communication programme; an ability to shape and share stories; and an awareness of visual communication techniques to really make an impact and leave an impression. So, throughout season 3 of our podcast, we hope to inspire Insight leaders to take communication far more seriously, and i…
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An understanding of behavioural biases is critical for anyone who runs market research projects; you’ll know that there’s always been a gap between what consumers claim is important, and what they actually do when you can observe their behaviour. But the IMA believes that our corporate Insight teams need to pay just as much attention to understandi…
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Several years ago, the IMA’s Julia Joskey looked at ways we could all harness the power of our introverts. More recently, at the November 2022 Insight forums, Lisa Dutton explored the broader but related topic of managing Insight people in a post-pandemic world. In this episode we draw from both pieces of research - please listen to find out more! …
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Episode 18: Transforming Insight at Card Factory
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Liz talks about the transformation she’s been on throughout her career and how she takes her learnings and “Blueprint” for what a successful Insight team looks like with her to each new role. Liz tells us about finding her dream role at Card Factory that challenges her, has a culture that aligns with her values, and gives her a work-life balance an…
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Episode 17: Improving stakeholder relationships
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So how do the most successful corporate Insight teams improve their relationships with stakeholders? Please listen to this week’s podcast to find out! Topics Discussed A more personal challenge for our colleagues (1.41) Learning from the Trusted Adviser book (5.47) Where do Insight professionals have natural strengths? (7.11) The need to take a few…
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In this episode, James is joined by Lisa Dutton, Senior Adviser at the IMA, and an expert on influencing skills. Lisa provides her top tips for choosing which stakeholders we should influence, understanding what it feels like to do their role, and the importance of understanding individuals’ communication preferences. Please listen to our podcast i…
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Episode 15: Driving change through influence
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An Insight team needs to solve problems and identify value opportunities for its company, but then it also needs to drive the corporate changes necessary to profit from those opportunities. So how do the most successful corporate Insight teams influence decision-makers? Please listen to our podcast if you have the ambition to transform your Insight…
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Episode 14: Transforming Insight at Carnival
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In this episode, Jan describes what it was like to lead an Insight team at an organisation that had to close its global operation during the pandemic, and how, despite the tragedy, he managed to seize the opportunity to make Insight ‘the lead huskey’. Please listen to our podcast if you have the ambition to transform your Insight team! Topics Discu…
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The smartest systems are no replacement for developing an acute understanding of Insight’s purpose and role in your company; acting as consultants to nail and map key business issues; approaching Insight investigations like forensic detectives, and farming insight to cultivate knowledge. Systems are a means to an end, and in this episode, we consid…
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In this episode, James is joined by Emma Jones, Senior Insight Manager at the IMA, and an expert on Insight farming. Emma provides her top tips for Insight teams who want to develop as knowledge farmers and create a knowledge-sharing culture. Please listen to our podcast if you have the ambition to transform your Insight team! Topics Discussed Comp…
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In this 16-minute episode, we’ll begin with Sowing the seeds – crystallizing and recording our findings. Topics Discussed The practical steps to take (2.25) Who should do the work? (5.41) The Insight manager skillset (6.52) Taking your time (9.23) The need for effective processes (10.58) Highlights “Insight farming appeals to many on a cultural lev…
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Episode 10: The evolution to Insight farming
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We need to move away from a world where we spend all our days hunting for new insights, because wise Insight teams know that Insight farming is more valuable to their organisations and more sustainable for the team itself. Topics Discussed Do senior people care about individual insights? (1.52) What sets the most effective teams apart? (3.58) Cutti…
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What happens next in an Insight project will depend on the question you have identified and the sources of information and data collection available to you. However, effective Insight teams tend to adopt a common mindset regardless of whether they are data analysts or market researchers. It’s the mindset of the detective. Topics Discussed The impor…
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Episode 8: Transforming Insight at Halfords
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The really important questions when you join any company are ‘How does this organisation make money?’, ‘What are its drivers of success?’ and ‘Who makes the key decisions?’ Debra has enjoyed a career spanning market research agencies and big brands, but she thinks she is happiest working in corporate Insight. She has worked for Safeway, Homebase, B…
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Episode 7: Nailing the real business issue
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Einstein said that if he had an hour to solve a problem, he would spend fifty-five minutes thinking about the underlying problem and five minutes thinking about the solution to it so in this episode we consider how Insight teams can act like consultants to nail the underlying business issue, and in a subsequent episode we’ll look at how we should i…
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Does the idea of making up the numbers fill you with horror? It shouldn’t… making up the numbers, in other words becoming comfortable with estimation techniques and focusing on accuracy rather than precision, is actually a critical skill for everyone in Insight. It supports agile decision-making, forces you to explain your assumptions, and facilita…
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To produce insights, we need to reframe our approach to Insight activity. We should move away from a focus on functional disciplines like market research, customer analytics and competitor intelligence, and instead, see each as input to the creation of a holistic story – a story about how consumers in our market become customers of our organisation…
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