Episodios

  • Thoughts on Customer Insights and Trend Analysis at Ricard Pernod

    Thoughts on Customer Insights and Trend Analysis at Ricard Pernod
    Nov 7 2025
    Can synthetic data truly replace the messy, uncomfortable truths that real humans reveal about your brand? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and Senior Manager of Brand Insights at Ricard Pernod, Kira Greenberg, about the critical balance between innovative research methodologies and traditional human-centered approaches. They explore why customer insights derived from actual human experiences remain irreplaceable, even as AI and synthetic data promise faster, cleaner answers to business questions. They discuss how the best innovations emerge from contradictions and tensions in consumer behavior rather than sanitized data. Greenberg explains that while quick research methods have their place, deeper qualitative approaches often prevent companies from needing to revisit the same questions repeatedly. The conversation reveals how insight professionals must sit in the messiness of human behavior and translate it for executives who face pressure to move at the speed of business. "Humans are messy," Greenberg explains. "But that's where the best [innovations] live. In contradictions, in tensions, in things that we're trying to solve for. Everything else is boring." The discussion also covers the pendulum swing of research trends, from qualitative at scale to AI-driven insights, and why steadiness matters more than chasing every shiny new methodology. Greenberg emphasizes that consumers deserve more credit than they typically receive, particularly when it comes to articulating what they absolutely don't want. The role of insights professionals, she argues, is to dig deeper with sufficient skepticism to identify gaps in consumer statements and act on those discoveries. Music written and performed by Leighton Cordell. Sponsors: Tired of outdated survey methods while AI transforms the industry? The 2025 Sample Landscape Report from EMI Research reveals which synthetic respondents match real humans, the risks of high-frequency survey takers, and how AI is revolutionizing data collection. Industry leaders trust our insights year after year. This isn't just another report - it's your competitive advantage. Click here to download your free copy today. Your research success depends on it. Tired of generic marketing firms that don't get market research? Say hello to Little Bird Marketing, the revenue generation company of choice for the market research industry. Our "peeps" understand market research inside and out. We know your buyers, craft meaningful messages that move them to buy, understand the competitive landscape and where you fit in the market. We get the industry - from qual/quant to emerging technologies. Why settle for getting the job done when you can soar with marketing that drives real revenue? Click here to get started.
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    23 m
  • How Great Market Researchers are Valuable B2B Business Consultants

    How Great Market Researchers are Valuable B2B Business Consultants
    Nov 7 2025
    Can research partnerships move beyond the vendor-client dynamic to become valid strategic extensions of your team? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest Paul Mastrianna, Vice President of Business Development at Socratic Technologies, about building research partnerships that prioritize client needs over product pitching. They explore how understanding a client's business objectives, capability gaps, and internal strengths transforms research from a transactional service into a strategic partnership that delivers long-term value. They discuss how successful research partnerships require moving beyond transactional vendor relationships to become valid extensions of client teams. Mastrianna emphasizes understanding what clients need help with versus what they can handle themselves, conducting capability audits that identify gaps rather than pushing unnecessary services. "I hate hearing 'these are [just] our vendors' from clients," Mastrianna explains. "I always look at it as a partnership. We're here to help each other grow and learn." This consultative approach builds trust and creates what Mastrianna calls "stretch before you run" moments, where taking time upfront to understand questionnaire logic, sampling strategies, and reporting needs prevents rushed mistakes while enabling faster turnaround when speed matters. The conversation reveals how institutional memory loss costs research teams real money and time. When team members leave, their knowledge often disappears into shared folders and scattered files. Mastrianna describes how centralized dashboards solve this problem by consolidating all concept testing results in a single, accessible location, enabling teams to compare performance across concepts, identify patterns, and onboard new team members without starting from scratch. This infrastructure transforms one-off research tactics into sustainable strategic programs that deliver compounding value over time. Music written and performed by Leighton Cordell. Sponsors: Tired of generic marketing firms that don't get market research? Say hello to Little Bird Marketing, the revenue generation company of choice for the market research industry. Our "peeps" understand market research inside and out. We know your buyers, craft meaningful messages that move them to buy, understand the competitive landscape and where you fit in the market. We get the industry - from qual/quant to emerging technologies. Why settle for getting the job done when you can soar with marketing that drives real revenue? Click here to get started. Ever feel like your company is sitting on a goldmine of opportunities, but they keep slipping away? Most companies already have their next big win hiding in their database. Little Bird Marketing's Revenue Sprint is a proven system that works backward from your revenue goals to create a focused plan for building a sales pipeline and predictable growth. No massive budget required—just strategic execution that delivers measurable results. Ready to turn missed opportunities into new wins? Click here and build a predictable pipeline for sustainable growth.
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    30 m
  • Marketing a Premium Brand in Economic Uncertainty

    Marketing a Premium Brand in Economic Uncertainty
    Oct 17 2025
    *This episode of Ponderings from the Perch is brought to you by Patient Sight, an agile primary research service providing timely medical insights of interest to your organization.* Can premium brands thrive when consumers tighten their budgets and economic uncertainty looms? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and Global Director of Premiumization Insights & Foresight at AB InBev Sebastian Schuliaquer about how premium brands navigate economic uncertainty and shifting consumer behaviors. They explore why established brands with proven quality maintain consumer loyalty during tough times, how cultural relevance shapes brand selection, and why smart consumption is replacing impulsive spending across demographics. They discuss how consumer insights evolve through consistent methodologies that honor historical data while embracing new technologies. Schuliaquer explains that premium brands succeed by offering security and proven value when consumers become more deliberate about their purchases. The conversation reveals how younger generations analyze every purchase decision, from focus groups revealing preference patterns to research panels tracking consumption shifts, making transparency and authenticity non-negotiable brand attributes. "Consumers are not just following the trend. They are analyzing. They want to do the smart thing. They want to maximize," Schuliaquer explains. "What is happening now is that producing your money, it's so hard that you're not going to waste it." The conversation also explores how emerging trends like GLP-1 medications are reshaping consumption patterns, pushing brands to focus on quality over quantity. Schuliaquer emphasizes that when consumers become more conscious about what they consume and how often they indulge, premium brands with clear cultural relevance and proven differentiation become the safe choice. The discussion highlights why brands must find cultural forces that connect rather than divide people, especially as values become increasingly compartmentalized across consumer segments. Music written and performed by Leighton Cordell. Sponsors: Ever feel like your company is sitting on a goldmine of opportunities, but they keep slipping away? Most companies already have their next big win hiding in their database. Little Bird Marketing's Revenue Sprint is a proven system that works backward from your revenue goals to create a focused plan for building a sales pipeline and predictable growth. No massive budget required—just strategic execution that delivers measurable results. Ready to turn missed opportunities into new wins? Click here and build a predictable pipeline for sustainable growth. Priscilla McKinney is not just a CEO; she is also a LinkedIn Influencer. The reality is that very few people are using LinkedIn efficiently or effectively, and if you’re not careful, social media can become a black hole. When you emerge, you find you wound up in a place you never intended to go and you’re wondering where all the time went. Time is precious, and trying to be everything to everyone means becoming nothing to no one. That's why she's developed a transformative 12-week course that goes beyond basic tips and tricks – teaching you how to build a strategic network and create stellar content that cuts through the LinkedIn noise. Click here to learn more, and sign up for a spot in her social influence course today!
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    34 m
  • Thoughts on Consumer Insights Leadership

    Thoughts on Consumer Insights Leadership
    Sep 26 2025
    *This episode of Ponderings from the Perch is brought to you by Patient Sight, an agile primary research service providing timely medical insights of interest to your organization.* The strongest client relationships are built by those who ask the best questions. On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and President of Burke Consulting, Tara Marotti, about the critical importance of asking strategic questions that challenge clients to think beyond their initial requests. They explore how Burke Consulting, the full-service insights and innovation firm, approaches custom research by first understanding what data clients already possess and whether stakeholders are aligned before designing new studies that generate meaningful market research insights. They discuss how successful client relationships develop through vulnerability and collaboration, where both parties admit when they don't know something and work together to find solutions that transform data into actionable customer insights. Marotti explains that Burke positions itself as the research partner clients turn to for complex, gnarly problems that don't have ready-made solutions, requiring custom approaches that meet clients exactly where they are in their decision-making process. "Nine times out of ten, whether it's an employee or client or anybody, people know what they need to do, but they need somebody to spar with to give them the confidence to say, okay, I think I know what I need to do," Marotti explains. "And sometimes that's about getting more information in the business, but sometimes it's just about accessing what you already know." The conversation reveals how Burke Consulting has maintained its irreplaceable position through decades of industry disruption by leaning into whatever direction their clients are headed, whether that involves DIY solutions or new AI tools. Marotti emphasizes that their role often involves helping clients navigate organizational culture challenges and ensuring stakeholder buy-in for research initiatives, recognizing that great data from research panels means nothing without proper organizational support for implementation. Sponsors: Ever feel like your company is sitting on a goldmine of opportunities, but they keep slipping away? Most companies already have their next big win hiding in their database. Little Bird Marketing's Revenue Sprint is a proven system that works backward from your revenue goals to create a focused plan for building a sales pipeline and predictable growth. No massive budget required—just strategic execution that delivers measurable results. Ready to turn missed opportunities into new wins? Click here and build a predictable pipeline for sustainable growth. Ever feel like your marketing plan is just... meh? You've got the pieces, but are they really working together? We often find that even when companies are doing the right things, they may not be doing them in the right order. The results are, well, no results. Curious how you can effectively evaluate your marketing efforts? Want clarity on your next best strategic move? Take our Marketing Assessment Quiz and in just minutes, discover exactly where you stand – and where you could be going. Click here and take the quiz today and don’t leave success to chance.
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    27 m
  • Important Customer Insights from Rare Disease Patients

    Important Customer Insights from Rare Disease Patients
    Sep 12 2025
    Can pharmaceutical companies truly understand their customers without hearing directly from the patients who use their products? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and PatientSight President, Dave Muggler, about the critical importance of patient-centered research in the healthcare industry. They explore how rare disease patients face complex diagnostic journeys averaging four to five years from initial symptoms to diagnosis, and how pharmaceutical companies are adapting their research approaches to capture these authentic patient experiences through agile methodologies. Patients today are more informed and collaborative with their healthcare providers than ever before, with many actively researching their conditions and advocating for specific treatments. PatientSight's subscription-based model allows pharmaceutical companies to quickly pivot their research strategies based on customer insights from initial findings, rather than following rigid project timelines that may miss crucial patient perspectives gained through specialized research panels. This shift reflects a fundamental change in the healthcare landscape where traditional power dynamics are evolving. "Patients are more informed than ever because not only do you have Google search now, you have AI tools to work with. Information is at people's fingertips, literally," Dave explains. "And the other thing is that patients no longer put their physician on a pedestal. I mean, not that they disrespect them, but they view the relationship with their physician as more of a collaboration." The conversation reveals how AI technology is transforming patient research through capabilities like AI-generated patient persona videos that combine survey data from multiple patients into compelling narratives for pharmaceutical teams. Muggler shares how these tools help companies develop deeper empathy for patient experiences while maintaining the ability to customize presentations for different audiences within their organizations, from senior leadership to sales teams. Sponsors: Tired of generic marketing firms that don't get market research? Say hello to Little Bird Marketing, the revenue generation company of choice for the market research industry. Our "peeps" understand market research inside and out. We know your buyers, craft meaningful messages that move them to buy, understand the competitive landscape and where you fit in the market. We get the industry - from qual/quant to emerging technologies. Why settle for getting the job done when you can soar with marketing that drives real revenue? Click here to get started. Ever feel like your company is sitting on a goldmine of opportunities, but they keep slipping away? Most companies already have their next big win hiding in their database. Little Bird Marketing's Revenue Sprint is a proven system that works backward from your revenue goals to create a focused plan for building a sales pipeline and predictable growth. No massive budget required—just strategic execution that delivers measurable results. Ready to turn missed opportunities into new wins? Click here and build a predictable pipeline for sustainable growth.
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    30 m
  • A Story of Unemployment to Dream Job in Customer Insights

    A Story of Unemployment to Dream Job in Customer Insights
    Sep 5 2025
    What happens when you walk into a company with no insights function, where everyone is conducting their own research? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and Head of Consumer Insights at StarKist, Raina Rusnak, about building an insights function from the ground up. They discuss how she transformed a fragmented research environment into a strategic advantage by focusing on customer insights and establishing proper survey design standards that serve multiple internal stakeholders. Rusnak got to work when she discovered teams were about to launch a 30-minute survey. A 30-minute survey! Instead, she applied her insights expertise and was able to help everyone shift gears, right size the survey and still get everyone the insights they needed. She got some quick wins by conducting low-budget DIY research to establish credibility quickly. Rusnak revealed how she worked hard to get market research insights efforts aligned with executive-level discussions by taking the initiative to understand business needs and deliver strategic recommendations. "I spent time being curious and asking people what their pain points were," Rusnak explains. "I would ask, ‘If I could wave a magic wand and give you an insight right now, what would that be?’" The discussion also covers Rusnak's experience during 18 months of unemployment right before she landed this job at StarKist, which led her to write "Sampling Life: 100 Ways to Find Joy in Unemployment." She shares how being time-rich during unemployment allowed her to engage her mind, body, and connections while staying present and maintaining resilience through the job search process. She uses this book to encourage others now in that place and promotes the great job of networking and connection available through the Insights Career Network. Sponsors: Tired of generic marketing firms that don't get market research? Say hello to Little Bird Marketing, the revenue generation company of choice for the market research industry. Our "peeps" understand market research inside and out. We know your buyers, craft meaningful messages that move them to buy, understand the competitive landscape and where you fit in the market. We get the industry - from qual/quant to emerging technologies. Why settle for getting the job done when you can soar with marketing that drives real revenue? Click here to get started. Ever feel like your company is sitting on a goldmine of opportunities, but they keep slipping away? Most companies already have their next big win hiding in their database. Little Bird Marketing's Revenue Sprint is a proven system that works backward from your revenue goals to create a focused plan for building a sales pipeline and predictable growth. No massive budget required—just strategic execution that delivers measurable results. Ready to turn missed opportunities into new wins? Click here and build a predictable pipeline for sustainable growth.
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    27 m
  • Website traffic dropping? Expert Advice for Content Marketing Strategy that Works with AI

    Website traffic dropping? Expert Advice for Content Marketing Strategy that Works with AI
    Aug 29 2025
    Are you seeing website traffic drops across your content? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney discusses the widespread website traffic declines affecting businesses across industries. She explains how Google algorithm updates and AI search integration have fundamentally changed how people consume content online, with AI-generated summaries now providing answers directly in search results, eliminating the need for clicks to source websites. She explains that businesses are experiencing traffic drops in two ways: many are seeing significant ranking declines for secondary keywords, while others maintain strong positions for primary terms but still lose 30-60% of their website traffic. McKinney breaks down how AI integration means people get information through bullet points, summaries, and step-by-step instructions right in search results. She acknowledges the challenge that AI faces in replicating unique, human-centered content, such as firsthand business experience, proprietary data, contrarian perspectives, and behind-the-scenes industry insights. "No amount of technical optimization beats genuine clarity and usefulness," McKinney explains. "If your content helps someone solve a real problem, understand a complex concept, or help them make a better decision in the moment, that value does not disappear because of algorithmic changes." McKinney offers practical strategies for working alongside AI changes, including tracking AI citations through tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush that show when Google's AI overviews reference your content as authoritative sources. She addresses the reality that AI has a hard time replicating unique, human-centered content like firsthand business experience, proprietary data, contrarian perspectives, and behind-the-scenes industry insights. She emphasizes creating content that provides value even when rankings decline or AI systems can summarize basic information, focusing on content marketing strategy that leverages what makes human expertise irreplaceable in an AI-dominated search landscape. Sponsors: Priscilla McKinney is not just a CEO; she is also a LinkedIn Influencer. The reality is that very few people are using LinkedIn efficiently or effectively, and if you’re not careful, social media can become a black hole. When you emerge, you find you wound up in a place you never intended to go and you’re wondering where all the time went. Time is precious, and trying to be everything to everyone means becoming nothing to no one. That's why she's developed a transformative 12-week course that goes beyond basic tips and tricks – teaching you how to build a strategic network and create stellar content that cuts through the LinkedIn noise. Click here to learn more, and sign up for a spot in her social influence course today! Ever feel like your company is sitting on a goldmine of opportunities, but they keep slipping away? Most companies already have their next big win hiding in their database. Little Bird Marketing's Revenue Sprint is a proven system that works backward from your revenue goals to create a focused plan for building a sales pipeline and predictable growth. No massive budget required—just strategic execution that delivers measurable results. Ready to turn missed opportunities into new wins? Click here and build a predictable pipeline for sustainable growth.
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    24 m
  • A Growth Strategy Framework for Effective Leadership

    A Growth Strategy Framework for Effective Leadership
    Aug 22 2025
    What happens when the biggest obstacles to innovation aren't technical, but human? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest, founder and president of Sylver Consulting, Brianna Sylver, about transforming turbulence into trust through emotional leadership. They explore how insights leaders can navigate the inevitable resistance, doubt, and complexity that emerge when driving meaningful change within organizations. Sylver is the author of "Leading Through Freefall: How Innovators Turn Turbulence into Trust," a practical guide for leaders navigating uncertainty, change, and team dynamics in high-stakes environments. They discuss how people experiencing change go through a grief curve that starts with resistance and moves through anger, depression, and bargaining before reaching acceptance. The more complex the challenge and the greater the potential impact, the more intense these emotional peaks and valleys become. Sylver explains that successful leaders must learn to recognize these emotions as signals rather than obstacles, using them as opportunities to lean in with more profound empathy and constructive dialogue rather than turning away or assigning blame. "It's our job to lead the emotional energy of ourselves," Sylver explains. "Our teams and our stakeholders." The conversation also addresses the crucial transition from delivering great insights to becoming a steward of implementation, emphasizing that engagement along the journey doesn't equal commitment to outcomes. Leaders must help stakeholders understand how new insights fit into existing roadmaps, support the translation of insights into actionable steps through a comprehensive growth strategy framework, and sometimes accept that their role involves planting seeds that may germinate on different timelines than initially anticipated. You can read a chapter of her book for free by clicking here. Sponsors: Priscilla McKinney here! I am very excited to tell you about my book: Collaboration is the New Competition: Why the Future of Work Rewards A Cross Pollinating Hive Mind and How Not to Get Left Behind The book's chapters are designed to be time-efficient, ensuring busy professionals can easily integrate these transformative ideas into their workflow. From discussing the state of affairs in business to providing fundamental strategies and seven practical anchors for staying on course, this book offers a fresh perspective and a competitive advantage in today's complex business landscape. Visit priscillamckinney.com for more information. Ever feel like your marketing plan is just... meh? You've got the pieces, but are they really working together? We often find that even when companies are doing the right things, they may not be doing them in the right order. The results are, well, no results. Curious how you can effectively evaluate your marketing efforts? Want clarity on your next best strategic move? Take our Marketing Assessment Quiz and in just minutes, discover exactly where you stand – and where you could be going. Click here and take the quiz today and don’t leave success to chance.
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    30 m