The Sea Change Is Here: Adapt or Get Left Behind

The insights industry faces its most pivotal inflection point since the internet era. Budgets are tightening, technology is rewriting rules, and client expectations are evolving at breakneck speed. Buyer-side research spending hits historic lows, while analytics and tech budgets hold firm-clients now prioritize tech-driven insights over traditional methods. This isn’t a downturn; it’s a seismic recalibration. Here are the key points and implications. 

M&A: Consolidate Strategically

Smaller firms clinging to outdated models are vulnerable. Target acquisitions with tech prowess (AI, automation) or sticky client relationships to future-proof your portfolio. Move swiftly-undervalued assets won’t stay cheap.

Tech Investments: Survival Demands Integration

Tech isn’t optional. Leaders thrive by embedding AI and automation into workflows-think sentiment analysis, synthetic data, and real-time analytics. But buying tools isn’t enough: train teams to wield them strategically, ensuring tech amplifies (not replaces) human expertise.

Growth: Client Obsession & Diversification

Only 34% of buyers cite management valuing traditional research (down from 65% in 2024). Winners diversify into analytics, consulting, and tech-enabled solutions while forging strategic partnerships, not transactional relationships. Deliver ROI that’s impossible to ignore.

Efficiency: Innovate to Do More With Less

With 58% of buyers cutting project counts, streamline ruthlessly. Automate grunt work, adopt value-based pricing, and optimize operations. Efficiency isn’t just cost-cutting-it’s freeing resources for high-impact work.

Talent: Bridge the Skills Gap

Staff growth stagnates in research but surges in analytics. Upskill teams in AI, data science, and hybrid methodologies to stay relevant. Invest in training programs and hire talent that blends technical prowess with business acumen.

The Bottom Line

This isn’t about survival-it’s about dominance. Leaders will:

1. Acquire or merge to bolster tech and client depth.

2. Embed AI/automation to deliver faster, smarter insights.

3. Pivot to client-centric, diversified offerings that prove tangible value.

4. Optimize operations to thrive in a budget-squeezed market.

5. Build future-ready teams equipped for hybrid roles.

The industry’s tectonic plates are shifting. Agility, innovation, and strategic boldness separate winners from the obsolete. The time to act is now.