Rock n' Roll Research Podcast

Luke Kulik is Sr. Director of Sales at marketing and insights platform company, Prodege, who are particularly adept at fusing data sources in clever and powerful ways. Knowing that, it’s not hard to see how Luke found his way to the company.Luke plays many instruments like piano, guitar, saxophone and drums. But also the sitar, the bansuri and the bouzouki among others. His current musical passion is melding electronic music with traditional acoustic forms like blues, soul and others where the mashup creates new and inspiring forms.We discuss what makes insights appealing as a career, the advice that applies to both professional and artistic growth, and jam sessions in Chicago and at Quirk’s conferences.

We invite Emmanuel Probst from Ipsos back to the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast to discuss his latest book, Assemblage: The Art and Science of Brand Transformation. Emmanuel and I go deep into a few concepts from the book and revisit his ‘desert island disc’ choices from Episode #55. This is the first episode of the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast with the “Open Mic” format. Enjoy! \m/ \m/

I first met Bohb Blair at an epic Motörhead show in Chicago in 2009. Fast forward and today Bohb is the CMO of the iconic Jones Soda and the Chief Brand Officer of its cannabis expansion, Mary Jones Cannabis. Bohb’s first career was in music. After quitting his job as tour manager for Urge Overkill’s Nash Kato, he landed an ad agency gig supporting an on-premise branding program. He bounced up the ladder of the agency world until he became Global Chief Experience Officer at Starcom before joining Jones.Bohb shares his career journey, his passion for helping pioneer CPG cannabis and his strategy as CMO for Jones. He also discusses why the cannabis market has a data advantage, the problem with bias in research, his love for Brian Eno and music as a hobby vs. a profession.

Angela Quinn is a visible and recognizable face in the world of market research. She is a regular at Insights Association conferences and ubiquitous on LinkedIn. She has also been a vocal and passionate advocate for ensuring diverse voices are heard and understood both within the research industry and in the context of the studies we conduct.You may be surprised to know she is a relative newcomer to the research industry and to the US. Angela shares her fascinating story of how she came to research, how she cultivated a talent for leatherworking and her optimistic vision for the future of the research industry.

Jonathan Rudick, Director of Customer Insights for Financial Services at Walmart, grew up and was educated in South Africa. After a brief stint in London, he traveled to Los Angeles and never went back.He got his start as a focus group facilitator and eventually found his way to HSBC, Capital One and finally Walmart. Jonathan’s mother was trained as a concert pianist. Sitting under the piano while she was playing sparked a passion for creating music that has carried him throughout his life. He discusses his unique journey including growing up in small-town South Africa, the influence of local indigenous music and the punk movement, and the importance of experimentation in both music and research. He also shares an insightful perspective on how modern technology is changing consumer behavior and the field of research.

If you feel more like a rockstar on tour than a researcher traveling for qualitative research, then you’re probably working with Daniel Berkal of The Palmerston Group.Daniel considered a career in music before pursuing advertising and eventually research. Qualitative research has been the perfect outlet for his creative mind, which persistently pumps out fresh ways to uncover insights and keep everyone engaged and having fun along the way.Daniel shares what first drew him to research, tips on doing research in Las Vegas and how Tik Tok is changing how we discover and consume insights.

Rogerio Monteiro is Chief Client Officer for Worthix, a leader in using AI to measure what value truly means to customers. Rogerio is dynamic, sharp, energetic and uncommonly resilient. If you’re in need of a good mood and some inspiration, Rogerio is a great person to spend time with.He started his research career in Brazil with General Motors and Kraft Foods before going all-in as an entrepreneur in concert promotion. Murphy’s Law struck his venture in every way possible, and Rogerio refreshed his successful research career armed with newfound perspective and hard-won wisdom.Rogerio shares his journey, what he’s learned along the way and the techniques he’s employed to keep positive and moving forward. He also discusses his love for surfing, the power of samba and why the future of research is both conversational and real-time.

Right on time for the holidays! Elizabeth Saulsbury of Cox Enterprises, has just released her debut album, “Peppermint.” It is a wonderful, jazzy collection of holiday standards and original compositions, accompanied entirely by colleagues from Cox.Elizabeth started her career at Cox as a research analyst and has navigated her way to her current role as Employment Brand Manager. She discusses why research provides a useful foundation in her current role, changing consumer attention spans and the value of good data.She also shares her journey through the music, how she came to release "Peppermint" and what music shares in common with marketing.Find Elizabeth’s album “Peppermint” on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music or wherever you get your jams. \m/

Adam Conley is the Regional Director of Insights for North America at Mars Wrigley who, let’s be honest, is home to all the best confectionary brands.A torn ACL as a college basketball player got him focused and led the way to a career in insights. In this short conversation, he has sharpened my own understanding of what insights are and how to make them stick.Adam draws deeply insightful parallels among data, creativity, consumer behavior, backyard oil and the development of movements like punk rock, hip hop and reggae. On the power of provocation in landing an insight: “NWA can come in and land an insight in any company better than I could, better than anybody I’ve ever seen.”Adam’s relentless pursuit of understanding the origin of things makes his views of the future especially shrewd. Plus, he loves punk rock.

David Corsaro is a Client Director at MetrixLab and he fooled me on this podcast. I don’t feel so bad, though, because he also took the trophy on “Fool Us” by stumping Penn & Teller. David has always had two careers, a magician and a market researcher. They are not one and the same, but he has distilled insightful lessons from each. In fact, he recently delivered a compelling presentation at the Insights Association South Central Chapter Annual Conference in Las Vegas where attendees, myself included, came away both with a new lens on research and wondering if magic is actually real. As good a magician as David is, he’s an even better marketer and researcher. We discuss his journey through both careers, how they intersect and we share some mutual love for the Beastie Boys.