2026 Reset: Reimagining Market Research for Speed, Substance & Strategic Impact

As we step into 2026, I find myself reflecting on more than just a new calendar year. After over two decades with hospitality, aviation, technology outsourcing and market research, one thing has become very clear to me:

Companies that win are companies that learn fastest from consumers and act on it.

Consumer behaviour over the years has evolved from:

1. needs to expectations
2. expectations to experiences
3. experiences to emotions and identity

And through these years one truth has remained constant:

Market research is not about data. It is about understanding people, their motivations, fears, aspirations, trade-offs and lived realities.

The question today for our industry is no longer “How do we collect data better?”

It is: “How do we enable smarter, faster, and more strategic decision-making?”

The role of market research has moved beyond reporting the past. Today, it is expected to:

1. guide growth
2. anticipate disruption
3. decode emotion and behaviour
4. enable rapid business action

2026 demands new strategies, new operating models, and new mindsets. To remain relevant and value-creative, researchers will increasingly be defined by the following strategic shifts:

1. From asking consumers to observing real behaviour

Surveys will remain important, but they will no longer stand alone. AI, digital trace data, passive measurement, and analytics are enabling us to:

1. 1. 1. understand what people do (not only what they claim)
      2. decode emotional and subconscious drivers
      3. capture insights in natural environments

Behavioural data + declarative data = deeper truth

2. From “projects” to always-on intelligence

Instead of discrete research projects, organisations are now building:

1. 1. continuous listening systems
   2. customer experience observatories
   3. real-time decision dashboards

Boards want to know: “What is changing now, not last quarter?”

The winning research ecosystems will be:

1. 1. always-on
   2. modular
   3. plug-and-play with internal data and APIs

3. From backward reporting to predictive foresight

Descriptive charts are no longer enough. Predictive analytics enables organisations to:

1. 1. forecast demand
   2. anticipate churn
   3. simulate market and pricing scenarios
   4. stress-test innovation strategies before launch

Market research is evolving from what happened to:

1. 1. what will likely happen
   2. what should we do next
   3. Agile research as default, not exception

2026 will belong to teams that learn fast. Agile research models allow:

1. iterative testing instead of single big-bang studies
2. shorter feedback loops with customers
3. rapid prototyping of concepts, UX, and communication

Insights must move at the speed of business decisions.

At Divergent Insights, our focus is clear: Turn insight into strategic advantage.

We do this by combining:

1. AI-assisted analytics
2. API-powered sample connectivity
3. advanced modelling and decision frameworks
4. global panel and field capabilities (online & offline)

We work as partners and not just vendors, co-creating:

1. growth strategies
2. innovation pipelines
3. customer experience transformation
4. market entry and pricing decisions

Our goal is simple: Make research matter more to the boardroom.

As we enter 2026, I ‘d like to invite fellow market research peers, clients, consultants, and industry leaders to share:

1. What strategies are you seeing change in 2026?
2. Where do you see the greatest opportunity for innovation in MR?
3. What do clients value most today—speed, cost, depth, prediction, or partnership?
4. What should the industry stop doing?

Your reflections will help shape how our industry evolves.

Let’s use 2026 not just to measure change, but to lead it.

Happy 2026..