Episode 1: Emerging opportunities for researchers in the world of strategy with Marilena D’Amone

Pebble Presents Marilena D’Amone, a seasoned insights professional, to chat with Emelia about the evolving landscape of strategy and insights in research. They discuss Marlena's journey from research agency to client-side roles, the importance of understanding business needs, four key principles that drive business impact in insights work, and her advice for existing and aspiring qualitative researchers. They also discuss the shocking fact that a very small percentage of insights lead to business outcomes, why, and how that number could improve.Emelia Rallapalli is the founder of Pebble Strategy - a brand strategy and marketing research consultancy. Pebble provides custom-made research programs, marketing strategy consulting, and account planning services. Marilena D’Amone is an NYC-based dynamic strategy and insights professional with a sharp commercial edge and a proven track record of driving success for multinational organizations and iconic brands across the globe, including serving in insights and analytics leadership positions at companies like Reckitt, Nestle, and PepsiCo. She has lived and worked across multiple countries, including Italy, the UK, Brazil, Canada, Russia, Poland, and currently the U.S. (New York City).Welcome to Pebble Presents.- - - - - - - - -If you liked this episode of Pebble Presents, please share it with colleagues and friends! Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show.Want more? Visit PebbleStrategy.com. You can also find us on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/pebble-strategy/) and Instagram(instagram.com/pebblestrategy/). Thanks for listening and joining the conversation!Resources and References Marilena D’Amone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilenadamoneShow Notes 0:23 - Emelia introduces today's special guest and subject2:06 - Marilena shares more of her professional background and how she got to where she is8:57 - Marilena discusses the types of challenges she has seen from all of the different seats she has sat in professionally12:50 - Marilena details additional themes she has seen in her work, as well as the 4 principles she stands by20:08 - Emelia and Marilena discuss a study stating that only 20% of insights deliver business outcomes, and what that means for the insights community22:17 - Marilena talks how sophisticated large organizations are in understanding research 24:50 - Emelia and Marilena break down the fact that, while we need to work at the speed of business, there is a significant loss when we treat insights, data, and intelligence as something that can be acquired quickly and cheaply30:37 - Emelia asks: How can we open our minds and opportunity spaces to do this work in other contexts?34:28 - Marilena and Emelia discuss what happens when an organization is solely focused on short-term goals37:07 - Marilena shares advice on how qualitative researchers can serve their clients better in today's business climate41:31 - Emelia recalls her memories of watching Marilena moderate, and inquires about her training42:50 - Marilena and Emelia reflect on the art and science of moderation44:31 - Emelia and Marilena detail their very first memories moderating focus groups47:28 - Emelia brings the episode to a closeEpisode CreditsExecutive Producer: Emelia RallapalliProducer: Stephanie Watanabe Editing & Post Producer: Erin ZimmermanArtwork & Design: Liisa Turan-Walters