The ICG

How to analyse tens of thousands of open ends and get quant insights from raw data fast!
2024-10-23 13:00 - 13:30 (Europe/London)
Join Ange Taylor, AddMaple (and also ICG member) who will show you how to save hours in analysis and how to spot relationships in your data that go beyond guess work, allowing you more strategic time to craft your insight stories!
ICG members Dan Young and Barbara Du Perron already use AddMaple – why don’t you join them?
More specifically, Ange will cover:

Text analysis using AI with themes quantified that you can segment and test for significance across the dataset
How to get a quick read of survey data without data wrangling (empty cells, multi-select – all the apply questions, etc)
How to pivot, cross tab and filter to go deeper with ease.

AddMaple
AddMaple is a quant and qual data analysis tool that uses a sophisticated stats engine to turn raw data into table and graph summaries with AI for analyzing open ends into themes, segments, sentiment, intent and more.
Ange Taylor

Ange has worked across industries, from fintech to GDS until she took the leap to build the data tool she always wanted! She’ll be speaking at IIEX AI about how AddMaple brought together 12 state-of-the-art sentiment models so you can compare their output on the same text, in one go. She lives in Slovenia with her family, and can be found hiking the Julian Alps regularly! Joking. She’s building an early stage bootstrapped startup and can simply be found, founding 🙂
Website: https://addmaple.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angemaple
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@addmaple
https://theicg.co.uk/member/angeaddmaple-com/
Register for this session here

Taking it apart, putting it back together: A brief introduction to semiotics and cultural research
2024-10-31 11:00 - 12:00
This webinar has been generously sponsored by Indeemo

The webinar will introduce and expand on semiotic analysis and cultural research techniques, and how they’re used in commercial research contexts – drawing on Canopy’s recent look at some of the changing cultural meanings of ownership in UK and US markets to illustrate what these methods look like in practice.
Why should you attend?
You’ll gain a clear introductory grounding in what semiotic analysis and cultural research look like in practice, why they’re valuable for clients… and how you can incorporate them into your own research projects.
Natalie Edwards

Nat Edwards is the co-founder and Managing Director of semiotics and cultural research consultancy Canopy Insight, where she works with clients to develop culturally meaningful and commercially viable product designs, innovations, market strategies and communications. She has a PhD in media, politics and cultural studies, and an enduring interest in the construction and evolution of meaning in cultures. She is also an ICG member.
LINKED – https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-edwards-106a8337/
WEBSITE – https://canopyinsight.com/
Register for this webinar here

Yasna.ai: Let AI Handle the Routine, So You Can Focus on Growth
2024-11-06 13:00 - 13:30 | https://zoom.us/j/91823795409
Freelance researchers, consultants, and small agencies are often limited in scaling their businesses due to the capacity of their workforces.
AI tools like Yasna.ai open up new opportunities for solo researchers and small teams by automating the research interviewing process without compromising on quality.
In the upcoming Lunch & Learn session, you’ll discover how to use an AI conversational agent to handle more projects, expand into new markets, and win clients — all without exceeding your working hours.
Yasna.ai
Yasna.ai is a platform for conversational research through automated interviewing. The AI moderator engages in one-on-one text chats with real respondents and then transforms the transcripts into meaningful summaries.
Tanya Berlina Client Success Director at Yasna.ai

With more than 15 years in qualitative research, both offline and online, Tanya has conducted hundreds (or thousands, who counts?) of IDIs, FGs, and communities. She has carried out ethnographies and multicultural studies with much enthusiasm and is an early adopter of AI technology in market research.
Website: https://yasna.ai/solution/for-research
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yasna-ai/
Email: ask@yasna.ai
Register for this session here
Yasna – AI-powered Conversational Agent – The ICG

What about Cannabis? A deep dive into feelings and opinions of consumers from Netherlands, Spain and Thailand. A comparison of three very distinct cannabis markets
2024-11-19 16:00 - 16:45
This Knowledge Share has been generously sponsored by Research Clever, a Field and tab agency helping with consumer and B2B target audiences in 130 markets. Our values focus on respondent quality, agile communication, one point of contact on each project, project management expertise and commitment to our proposals backed by our guarantees.

In the past decade cannabis has emerged from being considered a narcotic into the mainstream with applications from skin cream to food & beverages, vaping products and even medical cannabis for pets. Its growth has been exponential, and the global legal cannabis market is projected to reach from US$58[1] to US$82 billion[2] in the next 3 to 4 years. This exponential growth brings with it opportunities for market researchers and strategists, with consultancies specifically focused on cannabis and many major brands exploring new market opportunities.
This study is a truly intercultural exploration of the cultural differences between three countries: Netherlands, Spain and Thailand, with deep dives on how consumers get informed about cannabis rules and regulations, and their knowledge, feelings and opinions about cannabis. The differing phases of cannabis adoption in the three markets, with very distinct policies, rules and regulations, offers three different perspectives on the current state of consumer attitudes towards cannabis and its regulation.
The study consists of store observations, interviews and a short quantitative validation for all three markets. Also, in addition to the focus on the three countries, desk research will cover the global market as well the opportunities being created for market research professionals across the globe.
[1] BDSA, June 2024 https://bdsa.com/press-release/bdsa-forecasts-global-legal-cannabis-sales-to-hit-58-billion-in-2028/
2 Markets and Markets February 2024 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/cannabis-market-201768301.html,
++++++++++++
About the research team:

Henrique Savelsberg (https://theicg.co.uk/member/henrique-savelsberg/) is Dutch native with close to 25 years experience in developing/managing international market research studies, recently also more UX research studies. Henrique moderates mainly in Dutch and English language, provides qualitative and strategic market research across the globe with particular focus on Europe and (SE) Asia. Henrique offers B2B and B2C research with sector experience specifically in air travel/tourism, F&B/Foodservice, FMCG, technology, financial services and Industrial/B2B strategic market research. His local Thai research partner conducted the Thai interviews for this study.

Originally from the US, Brian Loeb (https://theicg.co.uk/member/brian-loeb/) has lived in Spain for nearly 25 years and is bilingual in Spanish and English. He has over 25 years of experience in Strategy, Marketing and Market Research, and conducts both qualitative and quantitative market and UX research on a freelance basis across the English and Spanish-speaking worlds, with a particular focus on CPG (FMCG), Tech and Telco, and Financial Services.

Log in here to join the session (no need to pre register)

Introducing Benori: An easy and cost-effective way of accessing targeted data and insights to enable strategic decisions
2024-11-20 13:00 - 13:30
We will present Benori’s bespoke research solutions, capabilities (desk research, primary research and data modelling) and examples of how we support our clients in their projects. Particularly, we’d like to talk about how we work with advisory firms and independent consultants, providing them targeted data and insights to enable strategic decisions. We will also cover our flexible engagement models tailored to different client needs.
Why you should attend?
The session will showcase how Benori can act as an on-demand extension of your team, offering both the expertise and additional capacity you need in a flexible, cost-effective manner.
Benori’s services span a broad spectrum, including desk research, quantitative research, developing data assets (e.g. compiling and tracking poduct or pricing data) and building data visualizations (such as Power BI dashboards, infographics) across multiple industries.
They’ve already collaborated with several ICG members on various strategic projects, including market sizing, competitor benchmarking, and customer segmentation. This session will be a great opportunity to explore how their capabilities can complement and enhance your own work.
Benori has grown to a team of 125+ research professionals, having successfully delivered 700+ projects to 150+ clients spread globally. We’ve also worked with several ICG members (Liz Montgomery, Teresa Hadfield, Henrique Savelsberg, Heather Macleod, Riaz Marzban to name a few) on a range of different projects.
Speakers
Ashish Gupta (Founder and CEO)

Ashish is a visionary in the field of global knowledge services, he is credited with coining the term “Knowledge Process Outsourcing.” In his previous role, he co-founded Evalueserve and served as COO and Global Business Unit Head of Financial Services. In addition, Ashish is the Founder and Trustee of Ashoka University and Plaksha University.
Suchi Gupta (Director, UK)

Suchi brings over 15 years of expertise in strategy, business research, and analytics. She is known for her strength in building client relationships and solving complex challenges. Throughout her career, she has led global cross-functional teams, consistently delivering tailored solutions across diverse industries.
About Benori
Benori, is a bespoke research and analytics firm that provides actionable and cost-effective insights to clients across different industries. We have a global footprint with respect to client base and research coverage with multilingual capabilities. We work extensively with consulting firms – large ones as well as boutique firms and independent consultants.
We have a well-rounded research methodology comprising:

Desk research including public sources and paid databases

Primary research including qualitative interviews, FGDs and B2B surveys

Data Modelling covering market sizing models and financial analysis

Key areas where we can support:

Market Assessment including market size, growth forecast, emerging and disruptive trends

Competitive Landscape to benchmark companies on their size, offerings, financial and operational performance, geographic coverage and other parameters

Data Management and Design Solutions including data visualisation, dashboard development and design creatives

Sustainability-related Initiatives involving decarbonisation strategies, waste management and circular business models

Product Tracking including monitoring new product launches by competitors, claims analysis, trends analysis and regulatory tracking

Register for this Lunch&Learn here

Benori – Bespoke Research Solutions

Rethinking Sustainable Packaging in FMCG

Default Mode Network – the brain’s house of habit – what every researcher ought to know
2024-11-28 11:00 - 12:00
This webinar has been generously sponsored by Norstat

Whilst we’ve all been having our head turned by the latest in AI, we should be paying attention to neuroscience too.
Kath Rhodes from Qual Street will take you through her understanding of the ‘DMN’ and make the case that knowing about the DMN is foundational qualitative insight. You’ll learn what the DMN is, and how it’s important to our qualitative understanding of ‘what’s going on’.
Bonus offer – it’s pretty useful to know/ recognise the DMN in ‘real life’ too…
Kath Rhodes

Kath describes herself as a qualitative enthusiast and runs Qual Street. She loves to dip her toe into the latest learnings on neuroscience, psychology and social science – using them to evolve and improve qualitative methods and approaches.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/qualstreet/
www.qual-street.co.uk
Register for this webinar here

Innovations & Trends in Research Tech for 2025
2024-12-03 16:00 - 16:45
This Knowledge Share has been generously sponsored by Yasna.

ICG member Mike Stevens , Insight Platforms, will take us through an overview of the big themes, emerging trends and new technologies for research, analytics and insights.
No need to pre-register: Login is https://zoom.us/j/96355976193

AddMaple: Live Coding and Interactive Training Session
2024-12-04 13:00 - 13:30
Want to learn how to use an AI co-pilot to tag themes in bulk, refine responses, and capture nuance?

Curious about how AI can streamline your analysis of open-ended (or even closed) responses for specific research questions? Join Ange for a free, hands-on training session where everything is set up for you. Working with real-world data, on your own laptop, you’ll work with an AI co-pilot to tag responses for themes, sub-themes, sentiment, or other questions your clients would like you to look out for. Ange will show you how to guide the AI if you want to ask specific questions.

AddMaple
AddMaple is a quant and qual data analysis tool that uses a sophisticated stats engine to turn raw data into table and graph summaries with AI for analyzing open ends into themes, segments, sentiment, intent and more.
Ange Taylor

Ange has worked across industries, from fintech to GDS until she took the leap to build the data tool she always wanted! She’ll be speaking at IIEX AI about how AddMaple brought together 12 state-of-the-art sentiment models so you can compare their output on the same text, in one go. She lives in Slovenia with her family, and can be found hiking the Julian Alps regularly! Joking. She’s building an early stage bootstrapped startup and can simply be found, founding 🙂
Join Ange for another session on the 4th of December (1-1.30pm) where we’ll tackle live coding together in an interactive session and perhaps even interactive reports if we get time!
Register for this event here (deadline for registration is Friday 29 Nov)
More about AddMaple, and the discounts Ange is offering ICG members, is here
Website: https://addmaple.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angemaple
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@addmaple
https://theicg.co.uk/member/angeaddmaple-com/

ICG Christmas Party 2024
2024-12-06 12:00 - 16:30 | The Castle 33-34 Cowcross Street EC1M 6DB, The Castle, London, EC1M 6DB, United Kingdom
Looking forward to celebrating with you all. ICG members and non-members all welcome!
Hurry! Limited numbers.
The details:

Friday 6 Dec, 12 – 4.30pm
Private upstairs room of The Castle, 34-5 Cowcross St, Farringdon EC1M 6DB
Festive buffet and drinks
£42+VAT+Eventbrite fee

Special thanks to our sponsors:
Co-Sponsor: Face Facts

This event has been generously sponsored by Face Facts who are a multi award winning independent qualitative and quantitative fieldwork agency. They were winners of the Recruitment Excellence Award and finalists in the Best Data Collection (Online) category at this year’s MRS Operations Awards. They pride themselves on offering an experienced, trusted service with quality at their core – their RAS accreditation, MRS Fair data and ISO27001 certifications are testimony to this. Clients partner with them for their extensive experience, the value they add and their flexible approach so you can trust them to support your research projects, no matter how big or small.
Co-Sponsor: QuestionPro

QuestionPro offer a fully integrated experience management platform that includes surveys, research & insights, audience, communities, CX and EX software.
First Drinks Sponsor: Teneo Translations

Buy your tickets here

Knowledge Share: Why is France different?
2025-01-07 16:00 - 16:45
This Knowledge Share has been generously sponsored by Norstat

Join ICG member Katherine Passerieu who’ll take us through some background information on the French market and the French consumer, therefore outlining some key considerations when conducting qualitative market research in France.
She’ll talk about cultural sensitivities, methodological considerations, analysis and interpretation, recruitment, timings, regulatory compliance.
Katherine Passerieu

A French National, Katherine had lived and worked in the UK for over 30 years.
Before setting up Passerieu Consulting in 2011, Katherine worked as a Director in international advertising and market research companies, e.g.:
– forward thinking, a boutique strategy consultancy
– GfK NOP – Director of Brand Strategy
– Censydiam UK – Managing Director
– CRAM International – Free lance Research Director for the French market
– TNS (now WPP) Director of Qualitative and International Research
– Landor & Associates – European Research Director
– Ted Bates France – Director of Research & Planning
Katherine has used an array of methodologies online and offline for projects in all industry sectors.
Her background is Sociology and Psychology.
She’s a member of the MRS, ESOMAR, ICG, IoD and BACP
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-passerieu-9054426/

Login in here for this session (no need to pre register)

B2B Insights, Simplified: LinkedIn-Verified Sampling for Small Businesses
2025-01-08 13:00 - 13:30
Discover how small businesses in insights can access affordable, expert network-quality B2B sample using Emporia’s LinkedIn-verified, programmatic platform.
This Lunch&Learn will explain why manual methods fall short and how a more automated approach ensures credibility, efficiency, and impactful research results. Learn how to leverage Emporia’s award-winning mrxCore platform for reliable data collection, reducing costs without compromising on quality.
A bit about Emporia
Emporia is a leading B2B research platform that delivers LinkedIn-verified respondents through a programmatic, scalable solution. The company’s approach reduces manual effort and improves data quality, allowing businesses to focus on insights that matter. By offering affordable, verified B2B sample, Emporia helps research agencies and independent consultants streamline their research with confidence.
Michael Hess

Michael Hess is the CEO and co-founder of Emporia Research. Prior to starting the company in 2020, Michael managed teams within global marketing at Marriott International and led large-scale database consolidation projects at Fortune 500 companies as an information systems consultant at Baker Tilly. Drawing from years of experience in both corporate and entrepreneurial settings, Michael brings a wealth of knowledge in leveraging innovative technology to improve data quality and research efficiency. Now leading Emporia, Michael is dedicated to helping businesses access high-quality, affordable insights to drive smarter business decisions.
www.emporiaresearch.com
Register for this session here

Insights Ignite: Cultivating a Growth Mindset
2025-01-09 11:00 - 12:00
This webinar has been generously sponsored by Norstat

Join ICG member Lara Meyer in this webinar designed to kick-start your new year.

In this session, we’ll dive into the power of a “Growth Mindset” and why it’s a game-changer for both work and life! Lara will reveal simple, actionable ways to nurture your growth mindset while uncovering those sneaky traps that can pull you back into a fixed mindset (without you even realising!). Get ready for inspiring case studies and real-world examples that will spark fresh ideas and show you exactly how to apply this mindset shift to supercharge your success.
Why you should attend:
If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a loop of ‘I can’t’ or ‘I’m just not good at this,’ then it’s time to break free! Join this session to discover how you can transform obstacles into opportunities for learning and growth. It’s not magic – it’s science!
Lara Meyer
Lara is a researcher turned coach for leaders in the insights industry, helping them and their teams find the sweet spot between high performance and happiness. She offers 1:1 and team coaching, training and motivational talks to support positive wellbeing.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lara-biddiscombe-meyer/
Register for this session here

The Segmentation Playbook: From Analysis to Execution
2025-01-16 11:00 - 12:30
This training session has been generously sponsored by E-Tabs

A successful segmentation should be at the top of every Insights team’s list of priorities. But the landscape is littered with expensive, unloved & forgotten segmentation studies. How can you avoid this?
Paul Carney of ClearCut Insights will share his experience from over 25 years of analysing and implementing segmentations, including:

What makes a good segmentation?
How to work with segmentation data
Pros & cons of different segmentation approaches
Demystifying some of the terminology – Personas, Demand Spaces, Audiences, Needstates etc.
Top tips for successfully landing a segmentation with clients

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carneypaul/
Register for this training session here

How to "level up" with larger agencies by using data quality
2025-01-22 13:00 - 13:30
This Lunch & Learn will outline the development of online research over the past 20 years, including how respondents are increasingly seen as a “commodity”. The advent of “faster and cheaper” has led to exchanges where respondents may go through numerous pre-screeners/ routers to qualify for a survey. Even if they qualify, they then get paid a minimum amount for their time in a questionnaire which still doesn’t always consider their experience. This poor respondent experience has led to inattentive answers and therefore poor-quality data.
HOWEVER, there is a chance for a micro business to “level up” with some larger agencies by highlighting the importance of data quality, even having a checklist within their proposal.
Norstat will share their checklist in this session.
Andrew O’Connell, UK Managing Director, UK

Andrew has spent nearly 20 years working in online research, including 6 years as the UK Managing Director of Dynata. He has seen how it has evolved in that time with some developments which have worked well and some which haven’t. Prior to this he has worked client side in research roles.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-o-connell-36167433/
Register for this here

Award for Independent Consultants 2024: Finalists Share Their Submissions
2025-01-30 11:00 - 12:00
This webinar has been generously sponsored by Norstat

Come and hear from our 4 Award Finalists from last year about their submissions. Hear more about how they approached their work, the hurdles they overcame, what worked well and less well, and why they chose to enter the Award.
A great opportunity to learn from other consultants and ask them questions. Also an opportunity to find out more about the Award for 2025.
Our Finalists

AWARD WINNER: Futuresight: Rob Waddington:
Exploring experiences of communications services amongst consumers, citizens and microbusinesses in the UK.

Futuresight documented the experiences of these audiences in 3 ethnographic short films – from inner city estates to the wilds of the Shetland isles. The films helped the Communications Consumer Panel (CCP) connect the individuals and communities they represent more directly with industry, civil society and government, resulting in the CCP having to do less to initiate policy change.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-waddington-2348b04/

Citrine Research: Kate Turner and Julie Irwin:
Breakthrough Research Rapidly Enhances Customer Experience

Citrine Research undertook powerful, in-depth research that went viral across Legal & General. The results were actioned at unprecedented speed delivering an immediate positive impact on customer outcomes, as well as boosting the profile of the internal Legal & General insight team.
Kate Turner (CMRS) | LinkedIn Julie Irwin (FMRS) | LinkedIn

The Word Is Out: Dan Parker-Smith:
Customer Closeness Videos

Dan started working with Futures Housing Group (FHG) on a four-month customer closeness project, bringing to life existing segments of customers living in FHG properties. The project evolved into a near 20 month deep dive into peoples’ lives delivering our insight using a selection of short-films. The outcome was transformative for FHG, as the films got the emotion of living in social housing across, leading to positive change for their customers.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danparkersmith/
Wren Insight: Hannah Beech and Jude Terry:
The power of closeness-led insight to build influence in businesses

Wren use interactive experiences, events and customer story films to create big shifts in customer EQ, giving Insight teams wider reach and greater influence to create change. Their projects help clients give insights a louder voice, and have lead to greater investment in seasonal marketing and retail transformation at the John Lewis Partnership and changes to working culture at Penguin Random House.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-beech-9bb60752/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jude-terry-b68b6914/

Register for this webinar here

The ICG Northern Party - Say Goodbye To The January Blues
2025-01-31 16:30 - 22:00 | The Brewery Tap, Leeds LS15DL
Start 2025 as you mean to go on and join other ICG members at this party.
Tickets are free, just buy your drinks at the time.
Thanks to Explners for generously sponsoring the food.
Register your free place today
For more info, contact Dan Parker-Smith.

How to use LinkedIn Sales Navigator as a tool to get more contacts and sales leads
2025-02-04 16:00 - 16:45
Finding the right contacts and people to talk to in client businesses is a tough job. But you need to do it, if you are to engage with them about how you can help them, and win them as clients.
In this Knowledge Share webinar, Paul Griffiths and Richard Barron share tips and tricks for using LinkedIn Sales Navigator – the contact and lead-finding tool that sits as an “add-on” to LinkedIn. Understand why LSN is such a useful tool for finding the right people, in the right companies, that you want to want to talk to. See how you can use LSN as a way of identifying and then starting to engage and build relationships with the people you want to target. Ask questions about how to use the tool and to search for your ideal contacts.
Paul and Richard both use LSN in their respective businesses. They are both convinced that it is a highly effective tool in finding new contacts and sales leads. And they think it could help you too!
Paul Griffiths

I help owners of Market Research and Insight Agencies to grow revenues by implementing proven growth strategies.
For more than 20 years I’ve helped grow research and insight agencies. In that time, I’ve sold research projects, managed clients and spoken to many Heads of Insight. I understand the challenge of growing a research business while also being a practitioner within it.
I know what great client growth strategies look like and how to implement them in a way that is both effective and efficient. I’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, and how to engage with your clients and market to win work. I can help you grow your research business more effectively and more quickly.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulneilgriffiths/
Richard Barron

Passionate about uncovering hidden `truths’ driving human behaviour enabling organisations to make better decisions, products and services that meet real needs.
With over 30 years of professional experience, my core competencies lie in marketing communications, and strategic planning, all of which I bring to my current role at Aspect MR. My mission is to provide insightful market analysis that empowers businesses to make informed decisions. I am dedicated to fostering a culture that values data-driven strategies and innovative solutions, ensuring that our team’s diverse perspectives lead to superior market understanding.
At Aspect Market Research, I’ve been pioneering methods that enhance our understanding of consumer behavior and market trends. This has involved integrating my skills in strategy and marketing communications to lead our organization in delivering actionable insights. My tenure at Saatchi & Saatchi as a Global Planning Consultant, managing accounts like Toyota and Abbott Pharmaceuticals, has been instrumental in honing these abilities, allowing us to excel in multi-country projects and global product launches.
(1) Richard Barron | LinkedIn

No need to pre-register – login is https://zoom.us/j/96355976193

Useful information to run successful projects in Germany
2025-02-12 13:00 - 13:30
We welcome quotapoint for this Lunch&Learn, a half-hour lunchtime slot where members can informally hear about how organisations can help them in their work.

About quotapoint
quotapoint is a Germany based recruitment and data collection provider, with in-house recruitment from own panel, top-notch viewing facilities in Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne, a dedicated PM team for digital qual, excellent project management, as well as moderation- and translation-services.
quotapoint have been supporting their clients with professional market research services for more than 25 years for;

Qualitative & Quantitative
F2F & Digital
Facility & In-home

As a boutique style company, quotapoint provides first class service for competitive rates and value for money. Every project and every client counts. Project success and client satisfaction is quotapoint’s priority.

Specifically, what will you gain from attending this session?
In this Lunch and Learn, you will get useful information to run successful projects in Germany.
International projects can become challenging if you do not have reliable research partners. In this Lunch and Learn they will show you what is important when selecting a local research partner, what is specific if you conduct research projects in Germany and what the main drivers are for project success.
Our Presenter: Stephan Schmid

This Lunch and Learn will be led by Stephan Schmid, Director and Member of Management Board of quotapoint.
Stephan has more than 20 years of industry experience in the areas of client and business development, sales and marketing as well as national and international project management – online & offline, qualitative & quantitative. After holding positions as Managing Director at Schmiedl Marktforschung / Schlesinger Group Germany (now Sago), and as Unit Director at Schöttmer Research HUB, he joined quotapoint in January 2024 as Director and Member of the Management Board.
Special deal for ICG members
We are happy offering all ICG members a discount of 10%* on the first project commissioned with us (*except incentives).
Further links
– Website: www.quotapoint.de
– Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/quotapoint-gmbh-teststudio-ffm/

Register for this session here

What are explainer videos and how can we use them to help activate insights?
2025-02-13 11:00 - 12:00
This webinar has been generously sponsored by Norstat

For researchers, it’s tempting to think that the project finishes with the debrief. But for our clients, the debrief is only the beginning. The hard work comes with getting the insights understood by the business and used to influence decision making. As a result, clients are looking for new and exciting ways to activate their insights – often asking agency or independent partners for help.
There’s a growing realisation that video is part of the solution – quallies will recognise how the energy increases in the room when clients see some group or vox pop footage of real consumers. But to date, that has been pretty much it for video content as part of the debrief – separate clips of qual research participants or, at best, a reel combining multiple respondents.
Outside of the market research sector, things are different. Explainer videos are everywhere – especially in journalism and marketing. For example, the Netflix series ‘Explained’ by Vox, or the short-form videos created by news outlets such as the BBC and The Guardian to help us understand complex news stories around politics, science and more.
In this webinar, the Explners team will explore the rise of the explainer video through some of our favourite examples, deconstruct what makes explainers so powerful, and share some case studies of how the market research sector can adopt the explainer video to help clients activate the research projects that they (and we) have put so much hard work and investment into.
After attending this webinar you will:

Understand the different types of explainers and how they differ from other video content
Be able to spot the types of projects that would benefit from this type of video output
Know what to propose when a client or a brief says “we are interested in innovative ways of activating the output of this project.

Judith Rose (formerly Staig):

Judith has worked in research for more than 25 years, initially agency side. For the last ten years she’s been a content consultant and insights storyteller, writing copy and long-form content to help researchers bring insights to life and get them to land effectively with stakeholders. In 2023 she co-founded EXPLNERS a business that helps brands, agencies and businesses activate insights using explainer videos.
Mark Whalley:

Mark is a food & drink strategist, specialising in long-term category vision and innovation. A former Head of Food & Drink at GlobalData Consumer, and Insight Controller at Greencore, he understands how things work on both the agency- and client-side. Mark also excels in insight delivery and impact. A huge believer in the value of storytelling, he runs presentation skills workshops and is a co-founder of EXPLNERS.
Dan Parker-Smith:

Dan is a specialist filmmaker with a research background who understands how to balance research project goals and high-quality, video production storytelling. He was recently shortlisted for the MRS ICG Award thanks to his video work. Dan is a co-founder of EXPLNERS which fuses his experience in market research with his skills in film making.
Register for this session here

EXPLNERS: Activate your insights

The ICG Quiz Night
2025-02-13 18:15 - 21:30
Back due to popular demand, we are proud to be hosting this year’s Quiz Night, open to all.
Hosted by our great quiz hosts, Deanne and Marc Gold (iPoint Research) and generously sponsored by Qualzy and Norstat, this promises to be another great night.

£140 for a table of 8, or £20 a ticket (plus VAT and Eventbrite fees). Includes food and drink.
Thanks to Smart Connect Research for buying our first drinks.
Buy your tickets here

Social Media Listening for Independent Consultants: Turning Online Conversations into Actionable Insights
2025-02-26 13:00 - 13:30
YouScan is an easy-to-use social media listening platform. It employs AI to help researchers, analysts, and insights professionals uncover consumer opinions and gain quick market insights from millions of online conversations. YouScan helps analyze consumer sentiment, track brand mentions, and identify emerging market opportunities in real-time. With its intuitive dashboards and customizable reports, YouScan simplifies complex data, allowing consultants to deliver actionable insights to their clients faster.
A bit more about the YouScan:
YouScan is an award-winning, AI-powered social media listening platform trusted by leading brands and agencies worldwide.
YouScan provides researchers and analysts with real-time insights from millions of online conversations, delivering a comprehensive understanding of consumer opinions, industry trends, the competitive landscape, and emerging market opportunities.
With YouScan, insight professionals gain a deeper understanding of consumers:

What consumers say – YouScan’s powerful text analysis, featuring the GPT-powered Insights Copilot, simplifies understanding consumer opinions about brands, competitors, and events.
What they do – Advanced visual analysis capabilities identify how people interact with brands and products in real life, detecting brand logos, scenes, objects, and activities in social media images.
Who they are – Audience Insights reveal the demographics, interests, and occupations of people discussing brands and topics on social media.

YouScan equips researchers and analysts with the tools to uncover valuable consumer insights, explore untapped market opportunities, and make informed, data-driven decisions that drive measurable results for clients.
Alex Orap:

Alex Orap is the Founder and Chief Growth Officer of YouScan. He is a tech entrepreneur with a successful track record in Software as a Service (SaaS), consumer internet applications, business intelligence, and the telecommunications sector. In 2024, Alex was named among Top 5 Tech Innovators in social intelligence in The Social Intelligence Lab’s Insider 50 nomination.
Anna Yanko

Anna Yanko is the Global Brand Marketing Manager at YouScan, where she drives initiatives to enhance the company’s brand recognition and awareness in both Global and Ukrainian markets.
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Inex One - B2B Market research, simplified
2025-03-12 13:00 - 13:30
You know how expert network interviews and B2B surveys are a pain to coordinate?
Instead of endless email threads and opaque “credit” pricing, we’ve combined the power of 20+ expert networks and survey firms in one platform.
This lets you access all experts faster, pay-per-use, and without the donkey work.
We call it Inex One.
About the platform:
Inex One is a digital platform where market research professionals, investors, and strategy consultants engage the best expert networks and survey providers worldwide. Trusted by more than 7,500 clients globally, Inex One makes it easy and affordable to get B2B insights.
Max Friberg

Max Friberg is the CEO and co-founder of Inex One, the marketplace for expert networks and B2B survey providers.
In his previous career at McKinsey & Company, Max did extensive B2B market research, including commercial due diligence, competitive landscape mapping and voice-of-the-customer studies.
Max is a CEMS MIM graduate from the Stockholm School of Economics and Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC).
You are welcome to reach him on max@inex.one
www.inex.one
Max Friberg | LinkedIn
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In the right ballpark
2025-03-13 11:00 - 12:00
This webinar has been generously sponsored by Choice Language Services Ltd. Unlock the power of global insights with Choice Language Services.

This webinar will be run by ICG member Dan Young and will focus on two things:
– how to be brave telling stories with incomplete commercial data
– how to engage a senior audience using a simple narrative arc
Car buying journeys have become less linear. The Close Brothers insight team wanted to engage its Executive Committee in new routes to market and help them understand how to reach new customers in the future. The team worked with Shed Research to make estimates and assumptions when synthesising a huge number of sources. We used Brent Dyke’s narrative arc to keep Exco engaged with the bigger picture rather than getting bogged down in micro details. And this put us in a strong position to have meaningful strategic conversations and drive decision making.
Dan Young

Dan runs Shed Research. As far as he’s aware, it’s the only customer insight agency focused solely on insight synthesis. Dan helps insight teams do more with their existing research – either synthesising their insight, or training them to do it themselves. In 2020, he was the proud winner of the MRS/ICG Independent Consultant award.
www.shedresearch.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-young-shed/
Register for this webinar here
(Note that this session WON’T be recorded to attend it if you don’t want to miss out).

How to use the ICG's 'eGroup' (closed email group) more effectively
2025-03-21 11:00 - 11:30
Are you using the eGroup mailer properly, or is it anxiety-ridden to do so ?😊
This is a closed session for all ICG members, whether you’re active on the eGroup or less so.
Join us for this short webinar on what the eGroup is and how to use it more effectively.
More specifically, you’ll find out more about;

How to use it easily
What sort of questions to post
General rules (do’s and don’ts) – high level
Options of receiving the emails
Future recommendations.

You’ll also have the opportunity to tell us how you find it and ask us questions.
This session will be run by ICG committee member Paul Gebara, who’s responsible for helping members get the most out of the eGroup.
Register for this session here

AI in Qualitative Research & Business: A Year of Experimentation and Key Learnings
2025-04-01 16:00 - 16:45
This Knowledge Share will be run by ICG member Silvia Iranzo Ferrandis

Over the past year, Silvia has been on a journey exploring how AI can enhance both the way she runs her business and the way she conducts qualitative research. From MR-specific qualitative analysis tools to generative AI and productivity-enhancing applications, she’s tested various platforms and approaches to see what truly delivers value. In this session, she’ll share her experiences, practical insights, and honest reflections on what’s worked (and what hasn’t!)—giving you real-world takeaways to consider for your own practice.
Why Attend?
🚀 Gain Practical Insights – Understand how AI can support qualitative analysis helping you work more efficiently and ultimately improving your results.
🛠 Discover AI Tools – Get an overview of useful AI-powered tools to improve both your research and business operations, with real-world user feedback.
💡 Explore a Range of Platforms – Hear Silvia’s thoughts on tools like CoLoop, Condens, ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, DALL·E, Midjourney, CapCut, HeyGen, Synthesia and Dola AI (time permitting!).
🤝 Ask Questions & Share Perspectives – This is a space to learn, discuss, and exchange experiences with fellow researchers.
About Silvia:

Silvia Iranzo Ferrandis is ‘Director & Consultant’ at ‘In Market Research’ in Spain. A senior expert qualitative research consultant who has been working in multi-country international studies for nearly two decades now. Silvia has managed projects for many international research agencies and consumer, B2B and pharmaceutical global brands. She is passionate about innovation and technology’s role in research and over the past year, she has been actively trying out and integrating AI tools into her workflow and is now excited to share her insights with the ICG community.
http://es.linkedin.com/in/silviairanzoferrandis
www.inmarketresearch.com
Login for this session is here (no need to pre register)

Clientside life in 2025: closing the empathy gap to work well together
2025-04-03 11:00 - 12:00
This webinar has been generously sponsored by Field Sauce

Consultation by AURA with insight clients, agencies and micro-businesses identified that lack of understanding for each others’ challenges can cause unnecessary pressure, waste and stress in research and insight work. Both clients and agencies referenced the ‘us and them’ culture as a barrier: partners on the supply-side don’t always have sight of clientside pressures; and clients often under estimate the impact on their research partners when projects change.
Following our webinar last year to introduce AURA’s Working Well Together campaign, AURA is returning to this topic, and this time focusing on understanding more about clientside life in 2025. Armed with this additional context, ICG members will be better placed to develop great relationships and collaborative approaches that truly support their clients.
Clients from AURA (the UK’s biggest community exclusively for clientside researchers) will share their experiences, plus the findings of a recent survey with AURA members – which can also give clues for when clients will or won’t be more open to working with independents; and ICG members will have the opportunity to ask questions or make suggestions. This discussion will feed into the Working Well Together Team, who continue to develop resources and content to support this campaign.
Our Speakers
Ruth Hinton – Group Head of Customer Experience & Insight

With a career in client-side consumer insight spanning over 20 years at a variety of major retail and hospitality brands, and a background in psychology, Ruth Hinton specialises in understanding the people behind the numbers and collaborating with colleagues to drive improvements for customers.
Ruth is currently Group Head of Customer Experience at Vue International, and also Chair of AURA, the UK’s biggest community exclusively for client-side researchers – providing content, events and peer-to-peer support, to inspire insight and drive impact within organisations.
Nick Bonney – Deep Blue Thinking (and ICG member).

Nick has been a member of the ICG since 2018 when he set up Deep Blue Thinking. As many of us can probably relate to, Nick has seen the research industry from many different angles. He has had roles as an interviewer, a field manager, an agency exec right through to MD and worked a client for nearly 20 years, serving on the AURA Council . Based on those experiences, he saw the AURA Charter as a chance to get the industry to work more effectively together and volunteered to get involved.

Register for this webinar here

Award for Independent Consultants - Your Questions Answered
2025-04-10 10:00 - 10:30
Come and join us to hear more about the MRS/ICG Award for Independent Consultants and how to submit a winning entry.
Find out what the judges are looking for, get tips to help you craft your paper and hear about the rewards of being a finalist or winner.
Ask us any question – no obligation to submit anything!
The submissions window is from 1st May to 26th June so it’s definitely time to start preparing!
No need to pre-register for this: just login to https://zoom.us/j/2071827436

Award 2024 for reference
MRS/ICG Award For Independent Consultants 2024 – OPEN FOR ENTRIES – The ICG
Award for Independent Consultants 2024: Finalists Share Their Submissions – The ICG
RECORDING: Award for Independent Consultants 2024 Finalists Share Submissions – The ICG

Book Group – Meet the author of StandOut Strategies
2025-04-30 12:00 - 12:45
Chantal Cornelius will chat about her newest book StandOut Strategies: Outshine Your Competitors, Win New Clients & Build Lasting Success, hosted by ICG Co-Chair Karen Elton.

By using this link you can buy a copy of the book, direct from Chantal, with an ICG member discount:
https://appletreeuk.com/products/stand-out-strategies-icg/
Everyone is welcome, whether you have read the book or not, as we’ll talk through the strategies and you can ask Chantal any questions you have about promoting your business.
Chantal has been in marketing since 1995 and in that time has gathered a wealth of experience in helping small businesses to promote their services. Chantal’s company Appletree helps small businesses to grow by helping in creating Marketing plans, websites, email newsletters, networking skills, online marketing, SEO, PR, book publishing and much more.
Join us at 12pm on Wednesday 30 April 2025.
Register for this session here
(2) Chantal Cornelius | LinkedIn

Reframing the role of automation in data storytelling
2025-05-01 11:00
This webinar has been generously sponsored by YouScan, social media listening with visual insights. Lunch&Learn from YouScan recording available here .

When we think about automation in quant reporting, we often picture it handling repeatable reports—trackers, multi-market studies, and templated solutions. But automation has evolved. Increasingly, it’s being introduced much earlier in the research workflow, not just as a reporting tool, but as a way to explore data, uncover insights, and shape narratives more efficiently.
Join us to discover how automation can enhance—not replace—your research expertise, and how you can integrate it into your workflow beyond templated outputs.
This session is led by Adam Baker, who brings nearly 15 years of Market Research experience and now leads Customer Success at Indico Labs, helps research agency leaders and consultants significantly reduce the time they spend on manual report automation, combining a “done with you” approach to reporting efficiency with self-service reporting software. Adam has a deep understanding of researchers’ needs and is driven to solve the toughest operational challenges.

Includes a special offer for ICG members.
Indico Labs
Offer for ICG members
Register for this session here

Beyond Z: Understanding the UK's young people
2025-05-06 16:00 - 17:00
This Knowledge Share has been generously sponsored by Yasna.ai, the AI-powered platform that helps independent researchers, consultants, and research agencies scale in-depth interviews. Claim your free 14 days Yasna PRO free trial today – conduct ±50 interviews (worth €100), sign up at yasna.ai

We welcome ICG member Konrad Collao, Craft, to run this 1-hour session about Gen Z in the UK today.
Konrad has a wealth of knowledge about this topic, based on several award-winning projects, thousands of people surveyed, hundreds of qualitative conversations, dozens of digital ethnographies and in-person visits – plus several significant literature reviews.
More specifically, Konrad will cover;

The problem with generational thinking
Busting commonly-held myths about young people
Discussing socio-economic and socio-cultural macro themes that condition the world young people are coming of age in
Exploring the 6 common mindsets among Gen Z
Exploring youth culture.

Konrad Collao, Founder, Craft

Konrad specialises in working with clients in media, entertainment and technology – providing them with cultural and behavioural insights to navigate digital transformation, develop content and marketing strategies, and inform wider business strategy. Much of his work focuses on the changes being wrought by young people coming of age in a very different landscape to that which shaped older generations. For Channel 4, Konrad is the architect of the award-winning Beyond Z series, as well as MRS/ICG award-winning work exploring young people’s relationships with factual content. Konrad has designed and delivered foundational youth-focused studies to imagine and develop The Hundred cricket competition for the England and Wales Cricket Board, and explored young people’s relationships with news for the Reuters Institute. He has also shone a light on Britain’s youth for the BBC, ITV, Premiership Rugby, and the Advertising Association. He has worked across continents for the likes of Netflix, the BBC World Service, Red Bull Media House, and Warner Bros Discovery, and is a regular speaker on matters of youth and media at international conferences.

Register for this session here
