Should insights teams be seen as strategic revenue enablers?

Why Some Companies Fail Despite All the Resources — The Secret Few Understand After more than 20 years in Market Research, I’ve seen some companies with strong products, big budgets, and great teams… yet they failed! Why? Because they didn’t do real market research before taking action. Research isn’t a formality — it’s the roadmap that guides every smart move before spending a single dollar. I’m Ayman Nagah from Iconic Market Research. My advice to every company: before you start, understand the market - before you spend, ask the market through marketing research. Follow me to see how smart companies use research not just to understand the market  but to win it.

Are you struggling to show the impact of your customer research? Try this "close the loop" approach from Rebecca Costa de Oliveira, Strategic Research Manager at Happening: 👉 Initiate every research project with clear business outcomes in mind. 👉 At the start of a project, define leading and lagging indicators that can be tracked for impact. 👉 After each project, hold a postmortem meeting to document how insights were implemented. Following this framework means Becca can prove the value of research work by directly tying it to business objectives. 

Research teams are under more pressure than ever — not because there’s too little data, but because there’s too little access. 🚧 Bottlenecks slow decisions ⏱ Business units need answers in hours, not weeks 🧠And consumers? They’re changing daily In her latest blog, Kelley (Krumtinger) Nulton, VP, Sales at Suzy, explores why democratizing research access isn’t about losing rigor — it’s about gaining agility. When every team can tap directly into real-time consumer truth, insights leaders stop chasing requests and start shaping strategy. 💡 More access. Smarter decisions. Faster growth. Read the full piece 👇 https://suzy.news/hha

The speed of consumer change isn’t slowing down, and neither should the teams responsible for understanding it. In my latest blog, I explore why democratizing access to research doesn’t mean losing rigor - it means unlocking agility. When every team has direct access to real-time consumer truth, insights leaders are free to do what they do best: lead. Read the blog here: https://suzy.news/hha

Consumer behavior never stands still and neither should the teams trying to keep up. Democratizing research isn’t about losing rigor, it’s about gaining agility. When everyone has access to real-time consumer truth, insights leaders can focus on what they do best: leading. Loved this perspective from Kelley Nulton on balancing agility and rigor in modern research. 👉 Check it out: https://suzy.news/hha

Our State of Research Strategy Report is live, and the results show democratization is growing fast and research teams are getting smarter about how to scale. ✅ 87% of companies now have dedicated Researchers. 🙌 71% have people across the org who do research too. 💡 But only 6% sit on standalone Research teams. That tells me something exciting: research is embedded everywhere. It’s influencing how products get built, how teams make decisions, and how businesses stay connected to their customers. The opportunity now is to build the systems that make this growth sustainable—stronger operations, better measurement, and collaboration that moves faster without losing quality. There’s so much momentum in this space, and I’m proud our team at User Interviews gets to support the people driving it. 🔗 Check out the full report - https://lnkd.in/gQHWib-n

The Hidden Preparation Steps That Doubled Exit Valuations: What Our Latest Research Revealed About Sell-Side M&A Success The private equity landscape is witnessing a fundamental shift in how successful exits are orchestrated, with early preparation emerging as the critical differentiator between average and exceptional returns. Our latest research, analyzing 200+ European exits between 2020-2025, reveals three transformative dimensions that consistently led to premium valuations. Three Critical Dimensions Reshaping Exit Excellence: 1️⃣ Strategic Preparation & Timing - Exit preparation now starts 24 months pre-transaction - Data-driven approach yields 2.4x higher multiples - Systematic value creation initiatives delivering 15-20% operational improvements 2️⃣ Operational Excellence as Value Driver - Advanced analytics enabling real-time performance optimization - Digital transformation commanding premium valuations - ESG integration generating measurable value uplift of 1.8x 3️⃣ Buyer Engagement Evolution - Early identification of strategic buyers yields 2.2x better outcomes - Proactive management of information flow - Creative structuring solutions maximizing transaction certainty Market Impact Analysis: → Well-prepared exits achieving 3.4x average returns → Strategic buyers paying 47% premium for prepared assets → Secondary buyouts representing 18.2% of successful exits Critical Success Factors: • Clear value creation roadmap established 18-24 months pre-exit • Systematic approach to operational excellence • Proactive buyer engagement strategy • Robust data room and due diligence preparation Looking Ahead: The most successful exits in 2025 demonstrate: - Consistent operational improvement throughout holding period - Data-driven decision making - Strategic positioning for optimal buyer alignment - Clear line of sight to future value creation 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: Companies that prioritize early preparation and sustainable value creation consistently achieve premium valuations, even in challenging market conditions. For deeper insights on optimizing your exit strategy, contact Value Bridge Partners, where we specialize in maximizing value through strategic transformation and operational excellence. #privateequity #valuecreation #exitstrategy #transformation To explore how your organization can implement these strategies, visit: https://lnkd.in/ewzetm5E

Research maturity isn’t about the volume of research—it’s intention. In our new article with Nikki Anderson, we unpack what it takes to grow research maturity through a tale of two researchers: Jack and Diane. Both very skilled, but only one manages to drive change. Here are 5 ways to make research impossible to ignore: ↪️ Start with stakeholder risks and priorities  ↪️ Frame insights as business levers ↪️ Deliver quick signals during decision windows ↪️ Shared ownership with stakeholders ↪️ Align cadence with sprints and OKRs Read the complete article: https://lnkd.in/ecFf2fj4

📊 Thinking of entering a new market? Don’t guess — research. Before you expand, understand. New markets bring opportunity and risk — but with the right insights, you can make confident, strategic moves instead of costly mistakes. Swipe through to see why pre-research isn’t optional — it’s essential. #MarketExpansion #BusinessStrategy #GoToMarket #InternationalBusiness #GrowthStrategy #MarketResearch #SmartExpansion

How do you evaluate change in a system that’s constantly evolving? Evaluating systemic change is difficult for various reasons. Systems have lots of different elements, so change is not always obvious and happens at different times and at different speeds. In a blog we first shared in 2021, we explored how a maturity model can help make sense of systems change. It focuses on ten foundational conditions—like shared purpose, trusted relationships and aligned action—and offers a way to reflect on progress, even when impact is still emerging. Rather than measuring success, the model supports learning, helping partners understand how their system is evolving, where momentum is building, and where more attention is needed. As more organisations embrace place-based and cross-sector approaches, these ideas feel more relevant than ever. If you’re working in complexity, trying to shift systems rather than just services, this blog from our archive might be worth a read: https://lnkd.in/eS4HUeX #SystemsChange #ImpactEconomy