The Consumer Confidence Sprint: Helping Brands Lead, Not React
Inflation. Interest rate shocks. Recession anxiety. A volatile job market. These aren’t just headlines — they’re redefining how consumers think, spend, and stay loyal. As Greg Wight noted in a recent article on evolving consumer patterns, the forces shaping today’s behavior — whether tariffs, pandemics, or financial stress — often trigger conscious-shopping responses: reevaluation of […]
What is Pilot Testing and What are the Benefits?
Before launching any market research study, there are a few critical questions you need to ask: Answering these questions before your study begins is key to a successful outcome—and the smartest way to do that is with a pilot test. In this article, we’ll walk through what pilot testing is, why it matters more than […]
How to Balance Fast Insights with Research Rigor
Insights teams are under pressure to deliver research faster than ever. Stakeholders expect answers in days, not weeks, and the rise of AI-powered tools has accelerated the demand for instant insights. But there’s a catch—moving too fast can compromise data quality. Poorly designed surveys, rushed sampling, and misinterpreted results can lead to flawed decision-making that […]
Key Webinar Takeaways: From a Neuron to Agentic AI
In our recent webinar, Rick Kelly (Chief Strategy Officer at Fuel Cycle) and Dr. Bahram Nour-Omid (Executive Chairman at Fuel Cycle) offered a forward-thinking look at artificial intelligence (AI)—tracing its evolution from early computing breakthroughs to today’s cutting-edge agentic AI. They showed how these advancements are reshaping the market research landscape by delivering deeper insights, […]
Why Uncertainty Around Tariffs Should Accelerate—Not Stall—Market Research
The current landscape of global trade is anything but predictable. With ongoing tariff discussions introducing new complexities for consumer brands, uncertainty looms over budgets, supply chains, and bottom lines. In response, many companies may consider cost-cutting measures, including scaling back market research investments. However, history—and data—suggest that this is exactly the time when businesses should […]
The Subscription Economy Needs Better Research: Are Brands Keeping Up?
The subscription economy is booming, with more brands shifting to recurring revenue models. But churn remains a major challenge—and acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining one. Without real-time churn insights, brands risk losing subscribers before they can intervene. Traditional surveys and exit interviews don’t capture the full picture—continuous behavioral tracking […]
Fuel Cycle Signs GDQ Data Quality Excellence Pledge to Champion Data Integrity
At Fuel Cycle, we know that great decisions start with great data. In an era where insights drive everything from product innovation to customer experience, ensuring the quality, security, and integrity of data is more important than ever. That’s why we’re proud to announce that Fuel Cycle has signed the GDQ Data Quality Excellence Pledge—a […]
The Market Research Industry is Dated—And Ripe for Disruption
Traditional Market Research is Failing Businesses Let’s cut through the noise—traditional market research will not help businesses succeed in 2025 and beyond. Slow, rigid, and completely out of sync with the speed of modern business. By the time your insights crawl their way to you, the world has already moved on. This isn’t just an […]
Insights vs. Instincts: What Really Drives Decision-Making in the C-Suite?
Despite living in the most data-driven era in history, many executives still rely on gut instinct over hard data when making high-stakes business decisions. But why? And more importantly, how can insights teams bridge the gap between data and intuition to drive smarter decision-making? This article explores why instincts still dominate in the C-suite, when […]
The Potential TikTok Ban – What Brands Need to Know Now
We’re not in the clear yet – talks of a TikTok ban are still looming and have sparked a wave of questions for brands: What happens if TikTok disappears? Where will your audience go? And how can you maintain the same level of engagement and influence without it? Fuel Cycle’s latest white paper, “Navigating the […]