This year’s TMRE conference in Las Vegas was all about transformation — not just technological, but human. Across every session — from fast-food giants to financial services leaders — one theme kept surfacing: insights are only as powerful as the people who bring them to life.
As AI reshapes how we collect and process information, the industry is doubling down on what can’t be automated: empathy, curiosity, creativity, and connection. Here’s what stood out to us at TMRE 2025, and what it means for the next era of insights.
Insights start and succeed with curiosity and communication
In one of the week’s standout panels, Bridget Nelson (MassMutual), Jordan Cusner (Inspire Brands), and Jason Goya Tiffer (High Beam Global) discussed how insights can drive business strategy.
Their stories were a masterclass in empathy-driven leadership. Whether it was overcoming resistance to launching hot sandwiches at Jimmy John’s or helping a pharmaceutical brand drive growth, the message was clear: the best playbook for insight leaders is to act as consultants, not just researchers.
The group agreed that curiosity and communication are their superpowers. They ask why before discussing how, tailor narratives for different leaders, and document the tangible footprint of insights on business outcomes.
Mental availability is the new awareness
Dawn Holliday from Taco Bell gave a fascinating look at how the brand is reimagining what it means to stay relevant in a shifting category. Their team used mental availability research to map “category entry points” — those moments of craving or convenience that trigger purchase decisions.
Taco Bell’s findings were both affirming and humbling. The brand owns “late-night” and “quick fix” in consumers’ minds, but hasn’t claimed space in categories where it also excels: vegetarian options, chicken, and fast-casual dining occasions.
Dawn’s team is using these insights to sharpen the brand’s distinctiveness, leaning into Taco Bell’s core strengths— innovation and customization—while building new associations over time.
Thought partnership is the next-level skill for insight leaders
When Delicia Cooney, Senior Director of Consumer Insights at Newell Brands, took the stage, she didn’t talk about dashboards or methodologies — she talked about relationships. The kind that turns information into influence.
Delicia’s core belief landed hard: data isn’t power until it moves people. She emphasized how insight leaders must operate as true thought partners — curious, confident, and willing to meet stakeholders on equal footing. Her formula for impact? Advise. Collaborate. Ignite.
- Advise by bringing business context, not just answers, like connecting macro trends (like GLP-1 adoption) to brand realities.
- Collaborate by co-creating from the start, anticipating reactions, and turning analysis into shared discovery.
- Ignite by stretching thinking — surfacing blind spots, connecting dots across teams, and injecting energy into next steps.
She urged everyone to know their own “thinking style,” whether that’s seeing the big picture or diving into details—and to flex when needed. Partnerships work best not because people think alike, but because they think together.
The Next Era of Insights Is Human-Led, System-Enabled
The keynote panel — featuring Pamela Forbus (Mondelez International), Stacy Tholking (Procter & Gamble), and Christina Habib (Unilever) — set the tone for where our industry is headed.
Their message was clear: this is still a human business, powered by smarter systems. The group agreed that hiring for mindset over skillset is the future — curiosity, openness, and learning agility now matter more than static expertise. Skills can be taught; discernment must be practiced.
They painted a picture of an insights function that’s breaking silos, connecting IT, supply chain, finance, and marketing to make organizations truly borderless. As Christina Habib put it, “We don’t have to own every solution... but we do need to steer them.
Agentic AI and automation were seen not as threats, but as enablers that free up time for deeper thinking, faster iteration, and the kind of creative problem-solving that defines the best work in insights. The next era won’t be about defending our function’s relevance; it’ll be about proving it through clarity, collaboration, and human-led impact.
Conversations are still the most powerful tool for human insight
AI dominated the conversation at TMRE, but several sessions reminded us that authentic insights still start with real human connections. That point came through clearly in our session with Amazon.
Valerie Clift (Amazon) joined Leigh Admirand and Sean Campbell of Reach3 Insights to discuss the value of conversational research and B2B insight communities. In the session, they shared results from a Reach3 study that revealed what Amazon shoppers expect from fulfillment.
Using an AI-accelerated conversational approach on the Rival platform, Reach3 blended quantitative, qualitative, and video feedback to uncover deeper insights. Implicit techniques, like emotional elicitation, helped reveal what truly matters to shoppers.
As social commerce surges—projected by EMARKETER to exceed $100 billion in 2025—expectations around delivery are evolving. Reach3’s study found that shipping speed is high-impact for shoppers, and 65% said accuracy and reliability matter most when making purchases. Interestingly, the 35–44 age group is most likely to abandon a cart due to slow delivery. Among all participants, 78% have paid extra for faster shipping.
One practical takeaway: focus on communicating arrival dates, not timeframes. As one speaker put it, “Don’t make the shopper do the math.”
Ultimately, transparent delivery practices build trust and show customers they’re valued. And as preferences keep shifting, brands should stay close to their key consumers—through tools like insight communities—to stay ahead of change.
Looking ahead: Insight at the speed of humanity
TMRE 2025 made one thing unmistakably clear: the future of insights is about creating more impact.
Across sessions, leaders called for empathy over ego, collaboration over control, and meaning alongside measurement. AI is expanding what’s possible, but the heart of insights remains beautifully human.
At Rival, that’s why we're investing in people, partnerships, and technologies that make understanding more natural and action more immediate. The industry is evolving fast, but the work still starts where it always has: with the need to understand humanity.
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