by Crispin Beale, CEO, Insight250
The much-anticipated Insight250 Perspectives: State of the Industry 2024 Survey unveils critical viewpoints, opportunities, and challenges defining the ever-evolving landscape of market research. This study, powered by the viewpoints and perspectives of over 150 insight industry professionals, highlights the significant trends, challenges, and future directions expected to impact and shape the market research sector in the coming years.
Claire Rainey, Head of Insight for Virgin Media, summed up the complex and evolving state of insights, saying, “Leading an Insight team has changed dramatically, and I did not see it coming, it has crept up on me. So, I wish I had had a crystal ball.
“Insight has moved from core research methodology skills to a focus on activation. I wish that we could train people equally on these two elements as being a great researcher alone is no longer enough. In my experience, people are excellent practitioners, but the barrier now is activation within a company. We need to become research activists. There needs to be a realization that this should encompass around 50 percent of the role and time. We need to continually be embedding, challenging, and infiltrating all the departments to make change happen.”
Recently, I sat down with a variety of research professionals asking for their ‘one wish’ to elevate the insights industry and enhance the impact of market research. Their thoughts are featured in a recent Insights Association article.
These diverse viewpoints were incredibly insightful regarding where the industry should be headed, so much so that we decided to launch Insight250 Perspectives, a periodic series of surveys on the state of the industry. This inaugural State of the Industry Survey was sent to select experts from around the world asking for their opinions and experiences on a spectrum of topics, from technology trends to personnel perspectives impacting the present landscape and future position of insights.
As the industry prepares for an accelerating future, AI and machine learning emerge as the predominant forces set to redefine market research, with an overwhelming level of respondents citing these technologies as pivotal trends over the coming years. The report’s findings provide a roadmap for organizations aiming to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive environment through advancement and innovation. Here is an overview of many of the key findings.
AI innovation leads all trends
“As insights people, we all know that every trend is accompanied by a counter-trend. As machines and AI take over the world, the counter-trend will be the opposite – an analog view: real human connection. The deep insight that comes from really understanding a person (not just a consumer) and the hidden motivations and drivers they don’t even know about themselves. Approaches and methodologies that help us peel back the layers and get deep under the skin of individuals will help bring richness and uncover insights that the machines with their terabytes of data will never be able to get to.”
- Tony Costella, Director, Global CMI, Heineken International
AI and machine learning are identified as the most transformative trends, with 89% of professionals recognizing their increasing impact on the industry. These technologies, while still evolving, are set to revolutionize how insights are gathered, analyzed, and applied in real-time. About a third (37%) of organizations have already integrated a level of AI into their operations, with another 15% planning to commence incorporation of AI within their research over the next three months. This swift adoption underscores the critical role of AI in enhancing market research capabilities and how ignoring it is simply not an option.
At this stage, the industry is highly receptive to this innovation, with 62% of respondents expressing strong openness to adopting these new technologies. This willingness to evolve is essential to leveraging the latest advancements and maintaining a competitive edge while enhancing the profile of insights within their organizations.
Solution challenges continue to grow
“Quite simply, collaboration. No one company has all the resources or all the answers to solve every question or challenge that a client may have... but collectively, we do.”
- Finn Raben, Founder, Amplifi, Ireland
While a quarter (26%) of respondents believe their current tools are highly effective in diagnosing consumer behavior, a significant portion (44%) finds their research solutions only somewhat effective, indicating major room for enhancement with the current state of tool capabilities.
Among the biggest hurdles in delivering deep insights lie limited human skill sets (54%) and insufficient data integration (38%). These challenges highlight the growing need for more talented resource management and robust data integration solutions.
Despite technological advancements, many organizations (37%) still rely on manual processes and ad-hoc reporting, resulting in cumbersome and ungoverned research management processes. There is a clear opportunity for broader adoption of integrated and automated insight management systems to integrate and analyze data to uncover and distribute insights across the organization.
Democratization and real-time opportunities continue to emerge
"In terms of significant trends influencing Market Research, big data and predictive analytics stand out, offering unparalleled opportunities for forecasting outcomes using vast amounts of data. Other noteworthy trends include the use of genuinely representative and inclusive samples and methodologies, the rise of mobile research facilitating increased participation and sharing of more user-generated content, also voice of the consumer research providing real-time across all touchpoints. Additionally, there is a growing trend towards bringing research operations in-house or reducing the number of agency partners to achieve seamless data integration across different activities."
- Justine Clements, Consumer Insights Manager, Samsung Australia
To accelerate smarter decision-making, companies are increasingly investing in user-friendly dashboards (51%) and advanced distribution tools to regularly update stakeholders with actionable insights (49%). Significant opportunities appear to be related to the rapid visualization and dissemination of research to understand and motivate consumers more immediately.
Looking forward, the industry also expects a significant shift towards real-time insights (51%) and more personalized consumer insights (33%), driven by the growing capabilities of AI and data analytics. Speed and personalization are each expected to be critical drivers of efficacy for the industry.
Teams and budgets remain flat, but specialization is needed
"I wish I had initially understood the challenges that siloed datasets pose across an enterprise. This complexity impacts not just researchers and analysts, but also marketers, product managers, engineers, and innovators. The difficulties extend beyond merely harmonizing different data sources; they include challenges in analyzing and extracting insights, transforming these insights into compelling stories, and efficiently distributing them across the enterprise to enable quick, effective decision-making.”
- Mark Langsfeld, CEO, mTab
Most organizations plan to maintain their current team sizes (53%) and budgets (62%) over the next 12 months, with a notable segment (32%) planning to moderately expand their teams to meet growing demands.
The top research personnel skills in demand include data visualization and storytelling (55%), AI and machine learning expertise (46%), and advanced data analytics (35%), reflecting the industry's focus on leveraging data for strategic insights.
The Insight250 report underscores the transformative impact of AI and technology on the market research industry. As we accelerate toward the future, organizations that understand these trends and embrace the related solutions will be best positioned to deliver deeper, more actionable insights that drive strategic decisions and business growth. Ultimately, this report serves as a vital resource for market research professionals seeking to navigate the complexities of the modern landscape and capitalize on emerging opportunities in insights.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Crispin Beale - Chief Executive, Insight250, Senior Strategic Advisor, mTab; Group President, Behaviorally

Crispin Beale is a marketing, data, and customer experience expert. Crispin spent over a decade on the Executive Management Board of Chime Communications as CEO of leading brands such as Opinion Leader, Brand Democracy, Facts International, and Watermelon. Before this, Crispin held senior marketing and insight roles at BT, Royal Mail Group, and Dixons. Crispin originally qualified as a chartered accountant and moved into management consultancy with Coopers & Lybrand (PwC). Crispin has been a Fellow, Board Director (and Chairman) of the MRS for nearly 20 years and UK ESOMAR Representative for over 10 years. Crispin is currently a Senior Strategic Advisor at mTab as well as Group President at Behaviorally.