Tom Smith

We have a crack team taking our thinking to the Croisette, get in touch if you're looking to grow your brand. Our innovation experts Dr Nicki Morley and Anita Watkins will be out there and very keen to talk growth and Blueprint For Brand Growth. Let me know if you're out there and I can put you in touch. #innovation #growth #cannes

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Here at Watch Me Think’s “You are not your consumer” event… Alistair Vince kicking the day off. Some really fascinating and insightful sessions in the offing. How do we make sure we are not putting our own views and preconceptions and personal biases on to the work we do for our clients and brands? As Alistair says “it’s critical!”. Am excited to know more… Also good to see some familiar faces: Danny Russell James Pickles #marketresearch #marketingresearch #insights #mrx

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I was excited at the prospect of Quirk's Media London Insights event, and it certainly didn't disappoint! The energy, enthusiasm and positivity at the event was palpable - the insights industry is full of creative, intelligent, engaging and thoroughly friendly professionals (no, we are not all spreadsheet freaks / clipboard warriors / .ppt addicts 😉). So, it was a real privilege to spend time chatting with friends, old and new, as well as listening to a diverse range of talks and visiting stands to learn about new tools and approaches from agencies that I can welcome into my network of partners. Key highlights? 🎯 lots of focus on the importance of building empathy with our consumers/shoppers/customers... moving beyond static reporting of research results to accessing and using real consumer/shopper stories and experiences to add authenticity and power to insights 😑 despite this drive towards closing the empathy gap... Katie Angier telling us that as more and more people "of a certain age" use Botox, it becomes increasingly difficult to build empathy with each other as the stuff doesn't merely iron out wrinkles, it also inhibits our muscles to the point that micro-expressions are no longer possible (so we can't read each other's reactions / feelings so well)... who'd have thunk it?! 🖥 the inevitable march of AI solutions from predictive to generative and how these will, over time, completely change how we create, manage and deliver insight projects. Slightly concerning that there is an emerging belief that AI analytical power (especially of qualitative data) will close the gap between qual and quant research to the point that there will no longer be a distinction, and that human researchers can easily and credibly be replaced by AI bots: qual at scale is where we are headed in this belief system. This is not a viewpoint I adhere to, preferring instead to see a future where "traditional" (for want of a better word) qual. and quant. can co-exist with the (very good) scalable unstructured research tools that are now emerging 😤 Phil Barden telling us that he hates consumers! That was a shock - I've never heard him say that before... but was soon reassured that his comment was tongue in cheek, referencing the fact that consumers don't read strategy papers, so creating more work for the rest of us in creating brain friendly touchpoints that will successfully deliver what we want to convey 🙃 the sight of my good friend Katherine Rhodes rushing for her bag in search of a tissue when I burst in to tears as I told her of the recent departure of our beloved dog, Millie (the fluster and the rush... and her kindness helped stem the tears and bring back a smile 🙂) 🍹 Paul Thomas delivering a fascinating talk on connecting authentically with bartenders and, via his delivery style, winning the prize for "the most audience laughs of the day" Can't wait 'till next year now...

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Impact is our output. We talk about modern marketing being able to deliver two types of impact - cultural and commercial. How do we move beyond the brand purpose debate and into a more grown up and nuanced conversation about the different types of impact we all create as marketers every day? Come and join us to find out.

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It is National Learning Week and our latest Ipsos UK research reveals a mixed bag for UK office workers. Some headlines: ❌ Access isn't equal - men and graduates are more more likely than women or non-graduates to feel they have sufficient opportunities to learn. 💻 The UK is unprepared for AI - 49% have not had the opportunity to learn about using AI at work, and there are disparities by income, education, age, and gender. ⌛ Time is precious - being busy is the biggest barrier to taking up opportunities at work. What does this mean for employers? 👍Commit to building a learning culture that offers equitable access to development opportunities, particularly AI training, for all employees, especially women. 👍Invest in on-the-job learning, coaching, and mentoring. 👍Create dedicated time for development. #LearningAtWorkWeek #AI #LearningAndDevelopment #CareerDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement

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Only 3 days left to contribute to our short survey which will drive positive change in the UK marketing industry 🌍 Complete it before it's too late: https://lnkd.in/ezFTKKkz The 10-minute survey is for all marketers, not just those with sustainability expertise. Get involved to shape the future of sustainable marketing in the UK. This deep dive research will form a report of data and case studies which will help build a deeper understanding of sustainable marketing trends, practices and progress in the UK. #Marketing #SustainableMarketing #SM2030 #Sustainability

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The launch of our Blueprint for Brand Growth last week was the exciting culmination of much hard work, data crunching and thinking over the last year from a wide range of Kantar's experts. My colleague Dom Boyd talks in this article for Marketing Beat about the key principles and you can download your very own copy of the Blueprint here; https://lnkd.in/eb2wZzE6 #brands #marketing #growth https://lnkd.in/eprUz6iK

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This is worrying on so many levels. Gamifying loyalty programmes to encourage consumers to spend more, during a cost of living crisis. Barely covering up your own cash flow and profitability agenda in the very thin shroud of ‘great value for our customers’. Unregulated in the way that say the gaming industry is regulated. The argument that it is a choice rather than a mandate doesn’t hold water - activity like this is cynically based on consumer psychology and known to adversely affect those least able to make the right decisions Multiple supermarkets copying each other’s approach so as not to miss out. Activity like this gives marketers a bad name. Don’t be that marketer.

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Day two at #QuirksLondon is about to start. If you're making your way over and want to learn how we're fixing brand tracking, then drop by booth AZ5 or send me a DM. Lots of great conversations from day one following our panel discussion on the challenges brand marketers face and how as an industry we can better overcome them. Didn't get a chance to attend - reach out and we can share the content. #FixBrandTracking #BrandTracking

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