At Quirk’s NYC, held July 23-24 at the Javits Center, the future of insights was on full display. From synthetic data to emotionally intelligent storytelling, sessions revealed how brands and researchers are evolving their toolkits to meet rising demands for speed, rigor, and relevance. Here are the key takeaways from the two-day event that should be on every insight leader’s radar.
AI + Synthetic Data Are Reshaping Research Fundamentals
AI is no longer a “nice-to-have” add-on. It is becoming part of the core research workflow. Conversational surveys and automated qualitative moderation are streamlining front-end design and making qual analysis more scalable, helping teams move faster without losing depth.
Synthetic data was another big focus. One CPG brand shared how they are combining real human responses with AI-generated samples, cutting costs while maintaining confidence in quality. While it may feel counterintuitive, the approach is proving valuable for early-stage testing when budgets and timelines are tight.
Speed-to-Insight Is a Competitive Advantage
Markets are shifting fast, and research needs to keep up. One theme that came through repeatedly is that speed does not mean cutting corners. It means removing friction.
For example, one team shared a 30-day “insight playbook” built on focused sprints that preserve rigor while reducing lag time. AI is also helping automate tasks like data cleaning and initial screening, allowing teams to focus on what actually drives decisions.
At Behaviorally, we support this approach by helping teams move with confidence, using AI-enhanced tools grounded in behavioral evidence to guide concept screening and early-stage choices.
AI Is Driving Real Innovation, Not Just Efficiency
AI is no longer just a support tool for research operations. It is increasingly becoming a catalyst for upstream innovation. Sessions highlighted how teams are using AI to navigate the earliest, often most ambiguous phases of product development where the need to explore broadly often clashes with limited time and resources.
By incorporating AI into ideation, concept screening, and early testing, teams are uncovering promising ideas sooner, reducing reliance on lengthy trial and error cycles, and building confidence around which concepts to move forward. This shift enables brands to make smarter decisions earlier with greater speed and precision.
More importantly, automation is helping resolve a long-standing innovation dilemma. Traditionally, teams have had to choose between exploring widely or focusing narrowly to stay on budget. With AI, they can do both. The result is a more agile and responsive innovation process that supports both creativity and commercial viability.
Consumers Are Changing and Brands Must Catch Up
Consumer attitudes and behaviors are evolving rapidly in response to economic pressures, social values, and health trends. Brands today must do more than capture attention. They must earn trust by clearly communicating authenticity, purpose, and value through every touchpoint, especially packaging and messaging.
To stay relevant, brands need to anticipate and respond to these nuanced changes with tailored strategies that reflect evolving lifestyles and values. Success will come to those who connect meaningfully with consumers by aligning product experience and communication with authentic purpose-driven narratives.
Behavioral Drivers Often Outrun Rational Responses
One of the most important lessons from the event was the realization that consumers’ stated preferences often do not align with their actual behavior. Many decisions stem from subconscious emotions and impulses, highlighting the limits of traditional research that relies on self-reported data. To get a clearer picture, researchers must incorporate methods that observe real behavior and tap into intuitive drivers.
By applying behavioral science alongside advanced analytics, brands can uncover the deeper motivations behind consumer choices. These insights are more predictive of real-world actions and help shape products and experiences that truly resonate. Understanding these hidden drivers is essential for creating strategies that connect in authentic, meaningful ways.
Making Insights Accessible and Impactful
Insights are only effective when they are accessible and easy to use. A key takeaway was the need to centralize research findings so teams can quickly find and apply them. When insights are scattered across emails or shared drives, they often go unused or get duplicated. A single, searchable repository improves collaboration, reduces inefficiencies, and ensures knowledge is shared organization wide.
How insights are communicated also matters. Data alone rarely drives action. The most effective insights are presented as clear, relatable stories that highlight key themes. Simplifying complex findings into memorable narratives and visuals makes them easier to understand and apply. This focus on accessibility and storytelling helps turn research into a tool for strategic impact.
Final Thoughts: The Role of Insights Is Expanding
The event underscored how quickly the role of insights teams is evolving. They are now expected to deliver faster, deeper, and more actionable research that directly supports strategic decision-making. Meeting these expectations requires adopting new technologies like artificial intelligence to boost efficiency and expand research capabilities. It also involves embracing a behavioral mindset that focuses on real consumer actions and emotions, rather than relying solely on stated opinions.
Equally important is how insights are communicated and shared across the organization. To drive meaningful impact, insights must be clear, accessible, and embedded into decision-making processes. The challenge is to build systems that translate these advancements into consistent, scalable growth. By doing so, insights professionals can help shape innovation, strengthen consumer connections, and create lasting business value.
Want to learn how AI and behavioral insights can accelerate your innovation and deliver faster, more impactful results? Get in touch with us today!
THE AUTHOR
Sean McHugh is a market research expert with over 15 years of experience specializing in shopper behavior and strategic activation. At Behaviorally, he leads research across multiple verticals, partnering with brands to uncover insights and the shopper motivations that drive category and brand growth. With expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, Sean helps brands understand their customers, map their decision-making process, and develop strategies that enhance shopper engagement and deliver measurable impact.
