Dig In

On this week’s episode of Dig (In)spiration, Jess is joined by Dig’s VP, Future Strategy & Innovation, Shelby Walsh, to explore how to distinguish fleeting trends from meaningful shifts in consumer behavior, why adjacent categories can unlock better innovation, and how brands can reduce friction by balancing technology with human connection.

On this week’s episode, Jess  is joined by Elisa Vitalo, VP Product Marketing, Digital Experience, & Insights, GoodRx to explore how consumer pain points and iterative research inspired Companion, how GoodRx is expanding beyond prescription discounts, and why insights leaders must connect research more closely to business strategy.

On this week’s episode, Jess Gaedeke is joined by Joel Armstrong, VP, AI, at Dig to explore why we’re still thinking too small about AI, how bringing human creativity and AI together can unlock new possibilities, and why realizing AI’s full potential requires rethinking how we work rather than simply doing the same things faster. 

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Sean Burress, Senior Director, Insights & Analytics Enterprise Initiatives, Baby & Child Care at Kimberly-Clark, to explore how the company is combining human creativity and AI to rethink its innovation pipeline, why uncovering unmet consumer needs is key to driving growth, and how curiosity and a growth mindset can help insights teams...

On this week’s episode, Jess Gaedeke is joined by Betsy Pendergast, VP of Future Strategy and Innovation at Dig Insights, to explore why the real opportunity with AI goes beyond efficiency, how brands can stay distinctive as AI reshapes consumer decision-making, and why human connection is becoming more valuable in an AI-driven world.

On this week’s episode, Jess chats with Erin Miller, Vice President of Global Corporate Communications at Yahoo, to explore how Yahoo turned AI experimentation into a new way of working, why AI is most valuable as a thought partner rather than a replacement, and why human connection still matters more than ever in an increasingly AI-driven world.

On this week’s episode, Jess Gaedeke is joined by Meagan Healey, VP of Marketing and Brand Strategy at Dig, to explore why consistency is essential to strong brands, how clear brand foundations create more room for creativity and experimentation, and why marketers need to look beyond their own perspective when making big brand decisions.

We’re back for Season 5! On our first episode back, Jess Gaedeke is joined by Kunal Mehta, Global Head of Marketing, Communication and Brand at DSM-Firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health, to explore why consistency is the foundation of strong brand building, how Kit Kat broke one of its most iconic brand rules to take a stand on girls’ education, and why the strongest brands know when to stay con...

It's the Season 4 finale of Dig In! On the final episode Jess Gaedeke revisits the most memorable moments from Season 4, featuring clips from conversations that explored everything from why getting into consumers' homes still changes everything, to how alligator farms unlock contact lens insights, to the agile innovation sprint behind Danone's GLP-1 product launch. We'll see you soon for Season 5....

Bonjour! On this week's episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Julien Naggar, SVP of Client Partnerships at Dig Insights, to explore why ethnographic research surfaces the consumer truths that surveys will never capture, how the insights function is evolving from data aggregator to strategic decision influencer, and what French consumer culture can teach global brands about empathy, sustainabilit...

On this week’s episode, Jess Gaedeke is joined by Amy Baer, Head of Strategic Insights North America at Bel Group, to explore why getting marketers into consumers’ homes still unlocks the most powerful insights, how ethnographic research is shaping a more consumer-first culture at Bel, and why human connection remains essential in the age of AI.

We’re doing a throwback episode this week! In the episode Jess was joined by Anna Estlund, Vice President of Insights & Strategy at Pernod Ricard, to explore how the team navigated the canned cocktail boom by rooting strategy in consumer behavior, the importance of cultivating empathy across global stakeholders, and why shopper insights is the most underrated (and sexiest) area in the insights...

On this week’s episode, Jess Gaedeke is joined by Betsy Pendergast, VP, Future Strategy & Innovation at Dig, to explore how community is reshaping the future of entertainment, why fragmentation is driving a renewed need for connection, and how insights teams can move beyond reporting to create real organizational impact.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Vera Chien, Executive Director of Global Corporate Strategy and Insights at Warner Bros. Discovery, to explore how rethinking segmentation can turn insights into real business impact, why “knowing is only half the battle” when it comes to research, and how stronger stakeholder collaboration makes insights actually stick.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Kelly Nielsen, SVP of Global Client Development at Dig Insights, to explore why great campaigns often fail in execution rather than strategy, how brands can better connect insight to shelf and win key consumer occasions, and what it takes to stay relevant with evolving audiences in a rapidly changing landscape.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Katie Curler, National Account Manager at Campari Group, to explore how insights and creativity come together to win the “first drink” at retail, what it takes to turn campaigns into in-store experiences that actually convert, and why brands must continuously engage consumers or risk losing them altogether.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Shelby Walsh, VP of Future Strategy & Innovation at Dig Insights, to explore how shifting consumer expectations—from instant gratification to AI-shaped education—are redefining wellness, and why brands must bridge immediate benefits with long-term value, show up in new ecosystems of influence, and build rituals to earn lasting loyalty.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Tracey Halama, CEO of Supergut and former CEO of Vital Proteins, to explore how a sales-driven mindset shapes CPG leadership, why aligning messaging to channel is critical for growth, and how personal consumer insight is fueling the next wave of “food as medicine” innovation.

On this week’s episode, Jess is joined by Paul Gaudette, CEO here at Dig Insights, to unpack the evolving role of the insights function, exploring why insights must move beyond being misframed as a data factory to become a true growth driver, how to balance speed with substance and rigor in an era of overpromised technology, and what it takes to translate “the what” into the “so what” that fuels s...

On this week’s episode, Jess Gaedeke is joined by Douglas Healy, Head of Consumer Insights — North America at Kraft Heinz, to unpack why heritage brands like Quaker win when they embrace their origins, how insights teams must evolve from data providers to true growth drivers, and why a learning mindset (not faster tools) is the real competitive advantage in today’s AI-fueled landscape.

On this week’s episode, Jess is joined by Patricia King, EVP Global Client Partner at Dig Insights, to unpack the tension between speed and substance in the age of AI, the difference between fast answers and confident decisions, and why strategic clarity, human judgment, and true partnership are what ultimately turn outputs into meaningful outcomes.

On this week’s episode, Jess Gaedeke is joined by Kendra Speed, Founder & Principal at Klarion Group and former Director of Consumer Market Insights and Marketing Strategy at LinkedIn, to unpack how she rebuilt LinkedIn’s brand tracking program to drive real strategic action, what it takes to lead insights through organizational change, and why human curiosity—not just AI—is the key to the fut...

On this week’s episode, Jess Gaedeke is joined by Marcie Connan, EVP of Delivery Excellence & Client Experience at Dig Insights, to unpack why global insights only work when paired with local context, how scaling without flattening markets leads to better decisions, and what human-centered leadership looks like in complex, global organizations.

On this week’s episode, Jess is joined by Cristina Marinucci, VP Global Growth & Omni Commercial Insights at Mondelez, to unpack how starting with real snacking moments helps close the say–do gap, why system-led innovation beats one-off launches, and what it takes to build scalable growth platforms that actually show up on shelf.

On this week’s episode, Jess is joined by DIG’s VP of Marketing and Brand Strategy Meagan Healey to unpack how AI is reshaping agency discovery and marketing decision-making, why human judgment and trust still matter most, and what it means to be a modern marketer in an AI-accelerated world.