Just as blogs and video content before them, podcasts are exploding in popularity and are quickly becoming a mainstay of audience media consumption. In fact, the annual report that looks into podcasting trends and growth – The Infinite Dial – found that in 2019, 20 million consumers have listened to a podcast for the first time, and an additional 14 million would now describe themselves as weekly listeners.
And it’s not just consumer engagement that’s on the rise. In the last two years, business podcasting has taken on a life of it’s own. The market research industry is no exception either. In 2015, it would have been difficult to compile even just a list of 5 podcasts that regularly touch on the topic of market research. But now, it’s a different story.
Instead of focusing on the wider question of which business and marketing podcasts researchers can benefit from, this list is going to focus on the top 10 podcasts produced by market research and insight professionals that offer deep dives into the industry, incredible interviews and practical value to listeners.
Hosted by Jamin Brazil, a market research industry veteran and former Focus Vision CEO, the Happy Market Research Podcast boasts an incredible line-up of guests. From client side researchers to long time industry veterans and rising research stars, there’s few who haven’t been on the podcasts.
In addition to the main series (which has well over 100 episodes), the podcast also tours research industry events and has produced seasons from interviews with speakers and guests at IIeX, NEXT, WiRE, MRMW and other conferences. A typical podcast runs anywhere 45 minutes to an hour, with conference episodes lasting 5-10 minutes each.
Available: online / Apple / Android / Tune In / Spotify and more
More than 60 episodes in and counting, Conversations for Research Rockstars is a regular podcast hosted by Kathryn Korostoff of Research Rockstar. Described as conversations and guest lectures, this series certainly has a more educational tone than other research industry podcasts. In fact, the library of episodes can almost act as a custom training program to build up your skills and knowledge.
But there’s value for experienced researchers in here too. Episodes often focus on the skills and knowledge listeners need to advance their career in the research industry, peppered with practical advice, walkthroughs and discussions about unresolved challenges in the sector.
Available: Apple / PlayerFM / Listen Notes
The MRXplorer Podcast, hosted by Zontziry Johnson, takes a different approach than many on this list. Rather than filling episodes with a range of guests, the MRXplorer podcast is a more personal affair – described as musings on market research, methodologies and lessons, as well as broader thoughts about the industry and its future.
Running between 15-30 minutes per episode, topics are far ranging and stimulating. Some of my personal favourites are recaps from industry events such as IA Converge and IIeX. Other episodes tackle more philosophical questions – including the role of research technology in the workforce, whether all research projects are worthwhile and what it really means to be efficient.
Available: Apple / Android / Spotify / PlayerFM and more
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| Looking for a new podcast to liven up your daily commute? Try the Happy Market Research Podcast, Conversations for Research Rockstars or MRXplorer - the top 3 picks from FlexMR. |
Only 10 episodes in, The Insightrix Podcast has had a strong start. With guests from both inside and outside of the research industry, the podcast explores a broad range of topics that range from the practical to the surprising. So far, over it’s first year, the podcast has covered: storytelling, customer experience, online communities, cannabis retail and digital marketing.
Guests from outside the research sector bring a bring perspective and the occasional panel format works to bring a range of opinions together in order to form a compelling deep dive into the monthly topic of choice. Episodes range from 10-20 minutes in length.
Available: online / Apple / PlayerFM and more
The Speed of Culture is a podcast dedicated to diving deep into the continually shifting consumer trends within multiple industries, and is released on a regular basis. Hosted by Matt Britton, who is the Founder and CEO of Suzy, each new episode has a special guest who is a key leader in their specific industry and seeks to the audience up to date with the ever-evolving nature of consumer insights.
With each new guest sharing their experiences of their industry at the moment as well as powerful insights on how to keep up with the important trends, this podcast is a goldmine for insight experts looking to gain a working understanding of other industries to create better research experiences for a range of stakeholders. Each episode typically runs for around 30 minutes, with some running close to an hour.
Available: online / Apple / Google / Spotify
Hosted by company CEO, David Paull, the Engagious Podcast has a pretty spectacular line of guests from across the research industry. But they’re joined also by guests from other industries ranging from politics to PR, media to marketing. What joins them all though are the compelling stories that are led by guests as much by David, offering a different side of podcasting – one that feels a little more personal and engaging. Episodes aren’t so much structured around topics as they are people, giving this podcast a distinct, stand out personality. Each podcast runs between 45 – 60 minutes each.
Available: online / Apple / Android / PlayerFM and more
The Future Proof podcast is a collaboration between research agency Kantar and the Saïd Business School at Oxford University. Each episode features an expert who provides advice to insight and marketing leaders on how to navigate a constantly changing landscape, while dispelling common myths and misconceptions. Described as an academic lens over practical industry topics, this podcast is a great way to explore the complex and challenging questions that are often not given enough screen time in other media channels. Episodes last between 25-45 minutes each.
Available: online / Apple / Spotify / PlayerFM and more
Another podcast that wows with the research industry star power it’s able to pull. Expect a whole host of familiar faces (or voices) on this podcast hosted by Simsa Vasa of Infinity Squared. Leaning more towards technology and automation, episodes cover topics such as automation, blockchain, AI, Big Data, the future of sampling, advertising analytics and more. Well worth a listen for in-depth, thought provoking discussions on the future of how data is captured, analysed and ultimately used to make business decisions. Episodes run for 20-40 minutes.
Available: online / Apple / PlayerFM and more
Sitting on the fringes of the market research podcast definition, Real People is certainly one of the most interesting concepts I’ve come across. Host Jason Dustone, Managing Director of Square Holes, draws on his 25 years of industry experience to not only interview academics and practitioners but also the average consumer on a range of topics. Episodes have focused on everything from advertising to business growth, culture, music and health; the list is almost endless. Episodes tend to last for approximately 60 minutes each.
Available: Apple / Spotify / PlayerFM / Stitcher and more
I actually had a really hard time placing the Audible Insights podcast last on the list – and the only reason for it is that I wish there were more episodes. This fantastic show from the Insights Association, hosted by Paul Kirch, isn’t afraid to look into the topics that matter most to building a research team or agency. From data security to the importance of UX, what it means to be an effective leader to engaging the C Suite – every insights professional will find value here. But with a couple of months between each episode, you’ll need to wait a little for each one. A typical episode runs for about 25 minutes.
Available: online / Apple / Android / Stitcher
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| The best market research podcasts of 2019 feature a variety of guest speakers, deep dives into current trends and an abundance of enthusiasm. |
Have you heard? We've launched our own market research podcast, the MRX Lab. In short, monthly episodes join Chris Martin to dissect and examine conversations on the fringes of the insight industry. We've explored a diverse array of topics, including the role of software developers in shaping the market research industry, memes as a language for visual communication, applying journalistic Subscribe today to be notified of new episodes as they launch.
Available: online / Apple / Spotify / Stitcher
So - there you have it, a complete list of the ten most informative podcasts for market research and insights professionals in 2019. Of course, there are more out there – and by 2020, as the podcast boom shows no sign of slowing down, even more again. Which podcasts do you think deserve a spot on this list? Let me know in the comments below, and perhaps they’ll be in next year’s edition.
As the industry evolves, there are some great podcasts that, while they aren't updating anymore, still have a lot of value to add, insights to share and provide a key platform for experts to share their voice. This archive section is a place for us to move such podcasts from our list as we post updates, but helps us preserve their importance.
Intellicast is a bi-weekly podcast series launched by EMI Research in 2018 and hosted by the duo Brian Lamar and Adam Jolley. On each episode, the pair discuss the research industry from a vendor perspective, shine a spotlight on current trends and host interviews with other research industry professionals.
Listening to this podcast is almost like listening to a dedicated news channel for the research industry. Though perhaps what is most incredible is the energy that the co-hosts bring to the show and genuine enthusiasm for upcoming events and their guests. Episodes typically run for 15-30 minutes.
Available: online / Apple / Android / Soundcloud / Stitcher
Looking for something to read instead? We've also compiled a list of the top 12 market research blogs that every insights professional should follow.