Dig In

Insights and marketing is really a match made in heaven. On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Erin Cohen, Senior Director of Consumer Insights and Intelligence, and Rachel Vares, Director of Brand Marketing, Advertising and Content at CIBC, to discuss how deep consumer insights and seamless collaboration between insights and marketing fueled the bank’s latest brand campaign, help...

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Dig Insights Co-Founder and CEO Paul Gaudette to discuss why true innovation requires focus, how “killing the middle” frees teams to pursue ideas that matter, the dangers of chasing shiny objects without consumer purpose, and how building a culture of shared accountability, not isolated teams, fuels sustainable innovation.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Tina Lambert, former Chief Marketing Officer at Tropicana and author of Innovation Is Ugly , to unpack why the traditional innovation funnel is broken, how leaders can balance creativity with disciplined execution, and the lessons she’s learned from both billion-dollar brand successes and spectacular failures. Check out Tina's book, Innovation...

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Rob Volpe, founder of Ignite360 (acquired by Dig Insights) and empathy activist, to explore how understanding irrational fears can unlock brand growth, the power of storytelling to inspire action, and why human connection is the most valuable insight of all.

On our very first episode of season 4 (!!) host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Pavi Gupta, VP of Insights & Analytics at Chobani, to explore how curiosity and unconventional thinking can spark breakthrough insights, the story behind how J&J turned an irrational fear into innovation, and why today’s insights leaders must champion the “power of and” to drive true business impact. 

In our final episode of season 3 of Dig In, Jess Gaedeke reflects on her conversation with Marat Fleytlikh, Director of Consumer Insights at Perdue Farms, on why you shouldn't fix what isn't broken when it comes to brand redesigns, why insights professionals should own their seat at the table as strategic partners—not just data interpreters—and how smart use of AI can help teams reduce redundant r...

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Marat Fleytlikh, Director of Consumer Insights at Perdue Farms, to explore how to strike the right balance between refreshing design without losing what makes a brand iconic, the transformative impact of knowledge management and AI on the insights function, and why empathy and curiosity are the ultimate tools for modern insights leaders.

In this week’s Dig (In)spiration, Jess Gaedeke reflects on her conversation with Liz Ackerley, Senior Director of Strategic Insights & Analytics at Danone, on how real consumer stories can shift mindsets across departments, how branding and gamification helped scale Danone’s Consumer Love program, and why mentoring isn’t just about fixing problems, it’s about unlocking potential.

On this week’s episode, Jess Gaedeke is joined by Elizabeth Ackerley, Senior Director of Strategic Insights & Analytics at Danone, to talk about how her team sparked a global empathy movement through the “Consumer Love” program, why mentorship and coaching are essential tools for leadership growth, and how Danone is staying head of the curve in a food industry transformed by GLP-1, protein tre...

In this week’s Dig (In)spiration, Jess reflects on her conversation with Brodie Dunn, Brodie Dunn, Director of Strategic Insights at PepsiCo Foods North America, on how the iconic Cheetle (Cheeto dust) taps into deep-seated brand associations, why true incrementality starts with a human perspective, and how brand experiences will need to evolve in a GLP-1 world. 

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Brodie Dunn, Director of Strategic Insights at PepsiCo Foods North America, to explore how empathy earns you a seat at the table (and keeps it), why embracing the mess made Cheetos a cultural icon, and what it really takes to turn Super Bowl ads into long-term brand platforms.

In this week’s Dig (In)spiration, Jess Gaedeke reflects on her conversation with Jo Lepore, EVP of Global Market Expansion & Foresight at Dig Insights, on how understanding market nuances is critical for global expansion, how foresight requires embracing uncertainty and multiple possible futures, and how diverse leadership perspectives drive stronger business decision-making.

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Jo Lepore, Dig Insights new EVP of Global Market Expansion & Foresight, to explore how foresight fuels smarter strategy, why market expansion is more than just “lift and shift,” and how the insights function must evolve to stay human and stay relevant.

In this week’s Dig (In)spiration, Jess Gaedeke reflects on her conversation with Ronda Slaven, VP of Market Insights & Competitive Intelligence at Synchrony, on how a long-running shopper study turned into a revenue-driving program, the need for industry-wide accountability on data quality, and the power of insights that truly add value.

On this week’s episode , Jess Gaedeke is joined by Ronda Slaven, VP of Market Insights & Competitive Intelligence at Synchrony, to explore how a one-off research study turned into a 13-year insights program that now fuels brand trust, sales conversations, and long-term strategy. Plus what it takes to make research truly stick, how AI is changing the shopper journey, and why the insights indust...

In this week’s Dig (In)spiration, Jess Gaedeke reflects on her conversation with Khary Campbell, VP of Consumer Research & Insights at Comcast, on how creating in-context learning capabilities like virtual reality shelf sets can streamline innovation, how embedding empathy into research through real-life consumer interactions creates business value, and why asking “how might we?” is the mindse...

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Khary Campbell, VP of Consumer Research & Insights at Comcast, to explore how immersive, in-context learning unlocked innovation at General Mills, why true empathy starts with stepping outside the office and into people’s homes, and how frameworks like “How might we…” can reshape the future of research, tech, and leadership.

In this week’s Dig (In)spiration, Jess Gaedeke reflects on her conversation with Nick Graham, former Head of Insights & Analytics at Mondelēz and PepsiCo, on how defining equity with conviction laid the groundwork for global alignment, why clarity means marinating in the problem—not jumping to solutions, and how empowering local ownership led to greater adoption and advocacy for PepsiCo’s equi...

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Nick Graham, former Head of Insights & Analytics at PepsiCo and Mondelēz, to explore how truly lasting transformation begins with understanding human behavior, the importance of building co-ownership across global and local teams, and why defining the why before the how is the secret weapon of any successful change initiative. 

In this week’s Dig (In)spiration, Jess Gaedeke reflects on her conversation with Anna Estlund, Senior Director of Insights & Strategy at Pernod Ricard, on how building empathy in context can align global stakeholders to local market dynamics, how in-store immersion helps cross-cultural teams see the shopper reality firsthand, and why Shopper Insights deserves to be seen as the sexy, career-mak...

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Anna Estlund, Senior Director 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 world.

In this week’s Dig (In)spiration, host Jess Gaedeke reflects on her conversation with Ron Burrage—former head of design at PepsiCo, Hershey, and P&G—on the creative power of design in brand revitalization. Jess highlights how small but iconic visual elements, like the Hershey’s Kiss plume, can unlock big storytelling moments, how packaging innovation can shift category dynamics, and how Ron’s...

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Ron Burrage, design industry veteran and strategist at goDutch to explore the lessons learn from the Hershey’s Kisses brand refresh, how cross-functional collaboration fuels innovation, and how design is a strategic tool that connects brands with consumers in meaningful ways. 

In this week’s Dig (In)spiration, host Jess Gaedeke reflects on her conversation with Jorge Calvachi, Director of Insights at La-Z-Boy, on the power of emotional connection in brand building—how tapping into emotional and social dimensions of comfort helps craft more meaningful campaigns, how a deep understanding of the consumer drives agility and innovation, and why even heritage brands need to c...

On this week’s episode, host Jess Gaedeke is joined by Jorge Calvachi, Director of Insights at La-Z-Boy, to discuss how building a consumer-first insights function transformed the iconic brand. They explore how understanding the emotional meaning of comfort reshaped La-Z-Boy’s marketing and why insights leaders must proactively uncover growth opportunities.