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The Greenbook IIEX NA 2025 conference in Washington, D.C. brought together some of the brightest minds in market research, strategy, and innovation.
While I wasn’t able to attend every session at IIEX NA 2025, several compelling themes consistently emerged—offering a glimpse into where the insights industry is heading and how brands can stay ahead. Here’s what stood out.
1. From Brainstorms to Breakthroughs: The New Rules of Co-Creation
Session: “Human-Centered Thinking in Action: The Power of Co-Creation” – Elizabeth Clinard, Capital One
Innovation isn’t about having the right people in the room—it’s about activating them. Elizabeth Clinard emphasized the importance of rich inputs, hands-on activities, and structured creativity. Co-creation thrives when there’s a clear separation between divergent (big ideas) and convergent (focused evaluation) thinking. Oh—and don’t underestimate the power of fun. Get off campus, bring props, and always use a skilled facilitator. Great ideas are rarely born in a vacuum; they’re co-created through dynamic, human-centered design.
2. Data Quality Demands a Dual Approach
Session: “Rethinking Trust: Rethinking Recruitment and Data Validation in Market Research” – The Logit Group, P&G, DM2
In a brutally honest discussion, panelists tackled a growing concern: the trustworthiness of our data. The consensus? Solving the data quality crisis requires playing both offense and defense. That means rethinking recruitment methods (like using Random Digital Recruitment over traditional panels) while also leveling up real-time validation tools. But tools alone won’t save us. If the industry continues to chase cheap completes, we’ll keep sacrificing quality. The call to action: Stop accepting sub-$1 CPIs. Start prioritizing rigor and real insight.
3. AI is Fueling the Future of Research
Session: “The Future of Market Research: Leveraging AI” – Ali Henriques, Qualtrics
AI has officially gone from emerging to essential. Researchers using AI are not only speeding up their workflows—they’re gaining influence and earning larger budgets. With benefits like faster time-to-insight, reduced manual labor, and higher-quality outputs, AI is enabling teams to scale their impact without scaling their headcount. Tools like synthetic data and intelligent agents are starting to bridge privacy gaps, anticipate trends, and even respond to evolving consumer behaviors in real time. The future isn’t just tech-enabled—it’s AI-driven.
4. Strategic Storytelling: Don't Just Tell It - Invite Them In
Session: “Storytelling That Sells: A Strategic Blueprint for Marketers” – Tasneem Nomanbhai, AI Strategist
Marketing is evolving, but the foundation remains the same: stories connect. Tasneem Nomanbhai offered a strategic blueprint for modern marketers, rooted in classic storytelling arcs—hero, challenge, journey, transformation. The twist? Personalization is essential. You can’t tell the same story to every audience. Whether they’re in the awareness, consideration, or decision stage, your content must meet people where they are. The queen of marketing isn’t just content—it’s engagement. People don’t want to just hear a story, they want to feel like they’re part of it.
5. Sales and Marketing: Finally Playing on the Same Team
Session: “Achieving Long-Lasting Synergy Between Marketing and Sales” – Norbert Sari, Rodeo 13
Only 5% of your target audience is actively buying at any given time. The other 95%? They need to trust you before they’ll ever choose you. Norbert Sari’s framework for marketing-sales alignment focused on building audiences, using feedback to guide content strategy, and setting shared, accountable goals. The end game: reduce customer acquisition costs and shorten sales cycles—not just hit vanity metrics. True synergy is built on consistency, collaboration, and mutual accountability.
6. Tech That Actually Helps Researchers Win
Session: “Unlocking Speed and Substance: How Technology is Enabling Consumer Insights” – Tim Lawton, Co-CEO of SightX
SightX’s Tim Lawton showed off a different kind of research tech—one designed to simplify the complex and accelerate decision-making. With automation, flexibility, and user-friendly design, the SightX platform gives research and marketing teams the power to move fast without sacrificing substance. Whether it’s uncovering deeper insights or strengthening customer relationships, the message was clear: with the right tools, researchers don’t just keep up—they lead.
Final Thoughts
IIEX NA 2025 confirmed what many in the industry have felt for a while: market research is in the middle of a transformation. We’re co-creating ideas, demanding better data, scaling with AI, telling smarter stories, aligning across functions, and using tech to drive meaningful change. The question isn’t whether the industry is evolving—it’s whether your organization is evolving with it.
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