Cultivating Relationships vs. Selling Research Projects with Eileen Campbell

If you have perfect data but politics still block action, your job is to help overcome those forces, not just point to the dataset. Eileen Campbell, Founder of Womintuition, joins host Jon Last, President of Sports and Leisure Research Group, to discuss why the insights industry is shifting from selling one-off projects toward becoming ongoing decision partners. They cover market bifurcation between DIY platforms and high-value relationships, breaking down silos to deliver horizontal, cross-category context, and hiring for curiosity and creativity. The conversation explores how AI can mine organizational knowledge while humans add judgment, pattern recognition, and the ability to challenge internal biases. They also address pricing beyond time-and-materials, making insights more visible through design thinking and storytelling, and a case example of research elevating the value of IMAX messaging for studios.00:00 Data Meets Politics00:14 Show Intro and Guest01:33 Projects to Partners04:06 Why Change Is Hard05:46 Decision Partner Model07:27 Hiring for Curiosity09:15 DIY Research Pressure12:03 AI Plus Human Insight15:31 New Capabilities and Pricing19:24 Pattern Recognition Edge25:17 Client Side Leadership Tips28:11 CMO Story IMAX Impact31:04 Key Takeaways and WrapInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/