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Welcome back to Intellicast! On the final episode of 2025, Brian is joined once again by Gabby Blados to reflect on some of the biggest trends, news stories, and more that shaped market research this year.
Kicking off the episode, Brian and Gabby walk through some of the major people-on-the-move news from across the industry. Leadership changes, promotions, and board elections signaled a period of transition for some in the industry.
The conversation quickly turns to data quality, which Brian and Gabby agree became the single most important issue of 2025. While concerns around fraud and quality have existed for years, this was the year those conversations became unavoidable. The OP4G and Slice MR case stands out as the defining moment, not just because of its scale, but because it introduced real consequences. Legal action, charges, and accountability forced the entire industry to pay attention in a way it hadn’t before.
As a result, data quality went from being a recurring conference topic to a priority in client conversations. Gabby notes that more clients began asking pointed questions about sourcing, fraud prevention, and panel management, opening the door to deeper transparency and more honest discussions. What had once been abstract suddenly became operational.
Brian and Gabby also reflect on how fraud itself evolved throughout the year. Bad actors became more sophisticated, leveraging automation, AI-driven tools, and new techniques to bypass existing safeguards. In response, research teams adopted more layered and proactive approaches to fraud detection. Still, both acknowledge that true deterrence remains elusive, as most fraudsters face few real consequences beyond being blocked from a panel.
The episode also revisits the role of AI and synthetic data in 2025. Early optimism gave way to a more grounded reality as the year progressed. While AI proved valuable as a tool to support research, the idea that it could fully replace human respondents faded. Brian and Gabby agree that the industry landed in a healthier place, recognizing that human judgment, context, and unpredictability remain essential.
Gabby and Brian also discussed the a few broader market trends they experienced in 2025 . Budgets were tighter, competition increased, and feasibility became more challenging across many projects.
This was a great recap of 2025.
Thanks for tuning in!
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