Dig In

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Amir Jamil, Associate Director of Analytics, Insights and Capabilities at Barilla, to discuss how he navigated stakeholder pushback to rebuild Barilla’s consumer segmentation, why trust and empathy are the real drivers of insights impact, and how Gen Z, AI, and shifting food trends are reshaping the future of the category.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke chats with Dig’s very own SVP, Lesley Sloggett, to unpack how real customer stories fueled an empathy-rich financial campaign, why seamless collaboration between insights and marketing creates game-changing work, and how Gen Z’s nonlinear approach to money and life is reshaping the future of financial brands.

Erin Cohen, Senior Director of Consumer Insights and Intelligence at CIBC, and Rachel Vares, Director of Brand Marketing, share their extensive backgrounds in consumer sentiment and storytelling. They discuss how deep insights turned financial uncertainty into a campaign rooted in trust. Interesting anecdotes about sourcing authentic client stories and the challenges faced during production reveal the importance of collaboration. They also touch on understanding Gen Z's unique financial needs and offer valuable tips for successful insights-marketing partnerships.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Dig Insights Co-Founder and CEO Paul Gaudette to discuss why true innovation requires focus, how “killing the middle” frees teams to pursue ideas that matter, the dangers of chasing shiny objects without consumer purpose, and how building a culture of shared accountability, not isolated teams, fuels sustainable innovation.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Tina Lambert, former Chief Marketing Officer at Tropicana and author of Innovation Is Ugly, to unpack why the traditional innovation funnel is broken, how leaders can balance creativity with disciplined execution, and the lessons she’s learned from both billion-dollar brand successes and spectacular failures. Check out Tina's book, Innovation is Ugly, here: https://innovationisugly.com/

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Rob Volpe, founder of Ignite360 (acquired by Dig Insights) and empathy activist, to explore how understanding irrational fears can unlock brand growth, the power of storytelling to inspire action, and why human connection is the most valuable insight of all.

On our very first episode of season 4 (!!) host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Pavi Gupta, VP of Insights & Analytics at Chobani, to explore how curiosity and unconventional thinking can spark breakthrough insights, the story behind how J&J turned an irrational fear into innovation, and why today’s insights leaders must champion the “power of and” to drive true business impact. 

In our final episode of season 3 of Dig In, Jess Gaedeke reflects on her conversation with Marat Fleytlikh, Director of Consumer Insights at Perdue Farms, on why you shouldn't fix what isn't broken when it comes to brand redesigns, why insights professionals should own their seat at the table as strategic partners—not just data interpreters—and how smart use of AI can help teams reduce redundant research and unlock time-to-insight.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Marat Fleytlikh, Director of Consumer Insights at Perdue Farms, to explore how to strike the right balance between refreshing design without losing what makes a brand iconic, the transformative impact of knowledge management and AI on the insights function, and why empathy and curiosity are the ultimate tools for modern insights leaders.

In this week’s Dig (In)spiration, Jess Gaedeke reflects on her conversation with Liz Ackerley, Senior Director of Strategic Insights & Analytics at Danone, on how real consumer stories can shift mindsets across departments, how branding and gamification helped scale Danone’s Consumer Love program, and why mentoring isn’t just about fixing problems, it’s about unlocking potential.