Research Reframed

Knowing your research objectives is the easy part, but getting a room full of strangers to tell you something honest and unguarded is something else entirely. In this episode, Jasmina sits down with Andy Fielder and Jeff Hall, two of NRG's most experienced moderators with over 40 years of combined experience, to unpack the craft behind qualitative research. They get into active listening, managing group dynamics, adapting across formats from audience screenings to online IDIs, and how to hold space for genuinely difficult moments without losing the thread of a session. They also tackle the bigger question hanging over the industry: what can an AI moderator actually replicate, and what remains stubbornly human?

Long-held assumptions about high-quality production are being dismantled in the social video era. In this episode, Jasmina is joined by Hena Naghmi and Max Thomson from NRG’s Streaming and Creator Platforms practice to unpack a major shift in audience behavior: why viewers are increasingly categorizing short-form content as "premium." Drawing on key insights from NRG’s Future of Social Video research, the conversation traces how traditional definitions of video craft and authentic storytelling are being rewritten across every screen, including the rapid growth of social content on Connected TVs (CTVs).

Qual-at-scale is redefining how we approach open-ended research, with AI-driven methodologies turning individual responses into scalable insight. In this episode, Jasmina is joined by AJ Giovannetti, Senior VP of Theatrical Strategy, to unpack how NRG is using AI moderation and emerging platforms to engage hundreds of consumers all at once, uncovering meaningful patterns at speed. The pair assess what today’s tools can deliver and where qual-at-scale creates real value. They also look at what this shift means for the future of research, highlighting the core importance of combining AI with human interpretation.

Small to medium-sized business (SMB) marketers are chasing reach when the data shows precision drives growth. In this live episode, recorded at SXSW 2026, Jasmina is joined by Vita Molis, Head of B2B Institute Editorial at LinkedIn, to unpack what’s really working for small businesses today and why the conventional B2B marketing playbook may be working against them. Drawing on new research from NRG and LinkedIn, they explore how SMBs are approaching AI adoption, prioritizing high-quality audiences over scale, and using thought leadership to build trust and drive results.

A year after Netflix’s Adolescence sparked intense debate about masculinity and the pressures shaping young men today, where has the conversation gone since? In this episode, Jasmina is joined by Holly Hewlett, VP of Content Development and Marketing Strategy at NRG, and Fergus Navaratnam-Blair, VP on NRG’s Trends and Futures team. The trio come together for a conversation about how masculinity is being portrayed, debated, and redefined across media and culture. Drawing on insights from NRG’s Hero Complex research report, they explore what continues to resonate in stories about men and boys, how the industry has responded over the past year, and why the conversation is beginning to move beyond diagnosing the problem toward a more constructive view of what male representation could look like next.Want to explore some of the research mentioned in this conversation and more? Learn more via the links below. Hero ComplexFrom Bond to BeckhamMirror on Masculinities

Who’s really shaping the future of AI policy, and what are the most influential voices saying behind closed doors? In this episode, Jasmina is joined by David Byler, NRG VP and in-house expert on public opinion and panel research, to explore the Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) Panel. The KOL brings together leading voices across government, policy, academia, and technology, revealing what they’re really saying about today’s biggest policy questions: from AI anxieties to whether the US is truly leading the global AI race.

What does it take to build a successful entertainment franchise in our modern media ecosystem? And who are today’s franchises actually for? In this episode, Jasmina is joined by Matt Blong, EVP, Head of NRG’s Syndicated Entertainment Programs, and Collin Leirvik, EVP, Head of Gaming and Sports. Together, they explore how the most powerful entertainment franchises are shifting away from broad, four-quadrant appeal and toward deeply-engaged fandoms, from hardcore gamers to anime superfans. And they dig into what the future of entertainment strategy will look like in a world where passion, not reach, is the true key to success.Want to explore some of the work mentioned in this conversation? You can dive into our Leveling Up research and our Anime, Ascendant research via the links.

Research Reframed pulls back the curtain on what's next in the world of research, insights, and data science. In this episode, host Jasmina Saleh is joined by Fergus Navaratnam-Blair, Vice President for Trends and Futures, and Alan Miyazaki from NRG’s data science team. Together, they explore how generative AI is opening up new possibilities for research and insights professionals. As a case study, they discuss a research initiative conducted in partnership with the nonprofit Young Storytellers that used large language models to analyze more than 7,000 children’s stories, revealing how young people’s hopes, fears, and emotional needs have evolved over the past 20 years.Want to go deeper? You can explore the full research behind this work here.