The Expanding Constellation of Insights Collaborators

If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that the audience for insights is no longer confined to research. It’s everyone. The latest GRIT data confirms this reality: the number of functions actively engaging with insights continues to grow, even as roles shift and responsibilities blur. There is an organizational curiosity and hunger to understand, to anticipate, to know more.

On the brand side, researchers still anchor the process (73% call the insights group an active collaborator), but the gravitational pull of analytics, marketing, and executives grows stronger. Analytics teams now cite 2.5 active collaborators on average, compared to just 2.0 for researchers. 

That difference matters. It signals a more interconnected, data-literate organization where insights flow horizontally across departments, not just vertically through reports.

What’s especially striking is the rise of executive engagement. Across both research and analytics segments, executive involvement has surged – up 13 points for researchers and 12 for analysts. 

With real-time dashboards and autonomous analytics at their disposal, leaders no longer wait for insights; they expect them to appear alongside every decision. That shift elevates the expectations and accountability of insights teams, and it reflects a deeper truth: curiosity now operates at the speed of business.

At the same time, traditional collaborators like R&D and product management show steep declines, some dropping by double digits. The likely culprit? DIY research and self-serve analytics tools. When every function has access to fast, inexpensive feedback loops, collaboration risks become fragmented. The challenge isn’t lack of data, but too many uncoordinated data producers chasing answers in silos.

Suppliers, meanwhile, mirror this expansion. Tech-led firms now report collaboration across nearly every function, especially marketing and executive teams, while large service-led suppliers (500+ FTE) cite record engagement from product and R&D. 

The implication is clear: the modern insights ecosystem is broad, complex, and increasingly co-created.

We’re entering an era where the boundary between researcher and stakeholder disappears. AI-native platforms make this possible by embedding intelligence into workflows and extending the reach of insights far beyond the core team – amplifying curiosity across every level of the organization. The role of the researcher, then, is not to guard the data but to orchestrate understanding. To translate, not just tabulate. The organizations that thrive will be those that treat collaboration not as coordination, but as a shared pursuit of better decisions.

The insights universe keeps expanding. Our job is to make sure it stays connected – and that curiosity is met with understanding.