The market research industry is entering a period of disruption more profound than anything we’ve seen since the internet transformed data collection in the early 2000s.

Some firms won’t survive it.

And it won’t simply be the smallest or least technical that struggle. The dividing line will be something deeper.

For years, much of our industry has competed on tools, speed, sample, dashboards, and automation. Those things matter, but they are becoming table stakes. AI will accelerate that shift even further.

The real question now is: where does durable value live?

In my view, it lives in authority.

Not authority claimed, but authority earned. The kind that comes from consistently saying something true and useful about how people think, feel, and behave. Especially when it’s inconvenient. Especially when it challenges assumptions.

That kind of authority is built slowly:

✅ Through accuracy and methodological discipline

✅ Through transparency and intellectual honesty

✅ Through the courage to publish what the data actually says

✅ Through a clear point of view grounded in evidence

And once built, it compounds.

It shows up in the platforms you create. Newsletters, briefings, keynote stages, media presence. It shows up in whether decision-makers seek you out not just for answers, but for interpretation.

It changes the nature of the relationship. You stop being a vendor and become part of how your clients understand the world.

That’s where I believe this industry is going.

And it’s where I’m taking Abacus Data as we transform the business and aim it to scale and win.

We are investing in:

1️⃣ Deeper, more continuous understanding of public opinion

2️⃣ Stronger narratives and frameworks that help make sense of complexity

3️⃣ Products and subscriptions that embed insight into our clients’ decision-making

4️⃣ A clearer, more consistent voice in the public conversation

Because in a world flooded with data, the scarcest resource is not information.

It’s trusted interpretation.

And the firms that build that trust will define the next era of this industry.

Want to come along for this ride? 🚀