We’re in the middle of a seismic shift in the insights world. Technologies like AI and real-time analytics are defining what’s possible. Every day, new tools and platforms emerge that allow us to reach unprecedented levels of precision and scale in our research. Exciting times where possibilities seem endless!

Yet, alongside these exciting developments comes mounting pressure: economic uncertainty, evolving consumer behaviors and fierce competition demand to do more with less at a faster pace. The result? Insights teams must now show up as operational and strategic.

Here’s the kicker: amid the race for more data, analytics and automation, insights organisations risk losing the human element of insight, grounded in context, meaning and institutional memory. When this happens, decision-making becomes reactive rather than strategic, missing critical opportunities for innovation.

But there’s good news: through our global work with leading brands, we’ve pinpointed three pivotal shifts that are transforming the role of the insights professional from data and insights gatherer into proactive driver of change In this blog, we’ll show how to harness each of these shifts and offer guidance on how to adapt and thrive in this new landscape.

Shift 1: From DIY to Do-It-Together

Do-it-yourself (DIY) research models and user-friendly DIY platforms have empowered anyone in an organisation to collect data quickly, cost efficiently and independently. More recently, AI has enabled those same individuals to write polished, convincing reports without the need to analyse the underlying data or insights.

But as budget pressures mount and decision timelines shrink, the ease of DIY research can create new risks. When non-experts work alone, insights can lack context, duplicate existing knowledge, or worse, lead to misguided strategies.

The first major shift is a move away from siloed, do-it-yourself research models toward more collaborative, integrated approaches. As time and budget pressures mount, organisations are increasingly looking to leverage existing data assets before commissioning new research. This is not about cutting corners, it’s about working smarter.

This shift reflects a broader cultural change: insights professionals are no longer just report writers, they’re strategic partners. By jointly reviewing what is already known – both from a quantitative and qualitative perspective – teams can identify knowledge gaps more effectively and generate hypotheses that guide more targeted, efficient primary research. It’s no longer enough to simply hand off a report. Insights professionals must work hand-in-hand with stakeholders to co-create understanding and drive action.

Your New Playbook:

• Audit existing data sources before kicking off new research, using AI tools for faster synthesis
• Organise cross-functional insight workshops to identify knowledge gaps and align priorities
• Build shared dashboards that blend AI-powered summaries with expert interpretations

Shift 2: From Big Data to Thick Data

Big data has transformed our ability to track and quantify behavior at an unprecedented scale. With powerful analytics, organisations can see what’s happening in real time, detect emerging patterns, and measure performance with precision. This scale has been essential for optimising marketing, pricing and operations.

Yet as organisations grow more data-rich, they risk becoming insight-poor. Big data alone can reveal what consumers do, but not why they do it. This blind spot can lead to strategies that chase trends without understanding motivations or missing signals of cultural shifts altogether.

Enter thick data.

Thick data combines the scale of big data with the richness of human-centered insight. Thanks to AI-enabled qual-at-scale tools, organisations can now gather thousands of qualitative inputs – selfie videos, chat transcripts, open-ended responses – and process them quickly to reveal emotions, tensions, and cultural contexts at scale.

When thick data is layered with contextual market trends and cultural intelligence, it provides a multidimensional view of the landscape. It tells us not just what is happening, but why it’s happening, how it’s evolving, and what it might mean for the future. This is the foundation of strategic insight – the kind that drives innovation and informs long-term planning.

Your New Playbook:

• Map cultural and market trends alongside behaviourral data to build richer context
• Use AI-powered text, image and video analysis to scale qualitative insights
• Develop insight reports that connect numbers to human stories, helping stakeholders act on what really matters

Shift 3: From Speed to Insight to Speed to Action

The third and perhaps most critical shift is a redefinition of what it means to be “fast.” For years, the focus has been on accelerating the time it takes to generate insights. But in today’s hyper-competitive, always-on environment, generating insights quickly isn’t enough. Organisations often find themselves stuck with mountains of reports but little clarity on what to do next. The real competitive advantage lies in the evolutions to speed to action.

This means moving beyond analysis to activation. It’s about synthesising insights across multiple data sources and translating them into clear, commercially relevant strategies. It’s about helping organisations not just understand their environment, but respond to it – quickly, confidently and effectively.

For insights professionals, this requires a new set of skills. It’s not just about being a great researcher or analyst. It’s about being a strategic consultant – someone who can connect the dots, tell a compelling story, and recommend a course of action with clarity and conviction.

Your New Playbook:

• Design insight reports with recommended actions tied directly to business priorities
• Build alignment sessions with stakeholders to prioritise and commit to next steps
• Train teams on storytelling to turn insights into compelling, actionable narratives

The Rise of the Strategic Insight Consultant

These shifts raise an important question: can traditional analytics and insights functions evolve fast enough to meet the demands of today’s organisations? The answer lies not in more tools or faster reports alone, but in reimagining the role of the insights professional.

In the near future, the ability to curate and maintain organisational knowledge may become table stakes. The true differentiator will be the rise of the Strategic Insight Consultant: professionals who go beyond finding insights to activating on them. These professionals will be valued not just for their technical expertise, but for their ability to:

• Connect the dots across complex data ecosystems
• Tell compelling, actionable stories that resonate with decision-makers
• Influence, inspire and guide organisations toward bold, confident actions

The best insights professionals of tomorrow will be those who don’t just answer questions, but those who spark progress, shape strategy, and have the courage to recommend what to do next.