Ponderings From The Perch

*This podcast mini-series is brought to you by Multilingual Connections, enabling you to connect with your audience in their language. And be on the lookout for Parts Two and Three of the QRCA series!* How do thought leadership and networking tools shape modern qualitative research? A look inside QRCA. On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney presents Part One of a three-part Conference Flyover from QRCA in Philadelphia, featuring conversations about thought leadership strategy, networking tips, and the future of AI in research. Multilingual Connections founder and CEO, Jill Kushner Bishop, PhD, joined Business Development director, Carlos Hevia, in Philly for this annual conference. With bilingual moderation, and many other translation, coding and transcription services useful to the market research industry, they enjoyed talking with colleagues and amplifying important voices at QRCA. Stephanie Douglass, CRO at Little Bird Marketing

Market research must evolve beyond simple data collection to protect people's privacy. On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and Ipsos Senior Vice President Alina Serbanica about global data privacy in market research. They explore how privacy legislation varies across regions and the challenges of implementing consistent standards in multi-country research projects. In her role at Ipsos, Serbanica oversees privacy compliance across all operational areas, ensuring projects meet global, regional, and national law requirements. This is particularly crucial as policymakers implement new regulations around artificial intelligence technology and the protection of minors and vulnerable populations. They discuss how privacy principles remain consistent across both in-person and online research, though execution differs significantly based on methodology and technology used. "Many people think that privacy compliance regulat

Mental models can function as the hidden architecture of marketing strategy. On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney presents the second installment of her exploration into mental models and the positive impact they can have on marketing strategy. As an established thought leadership strategist, she breaks down five powerful thinking frameworks and demonstrates how they can be used to help marketers understand complex patterns and make better decisions. Mental models covered in this episode include Bayesian updating, the Lindy effect, antifragile planning, systems thinking, and confirmation bias. Over the years, she has broken down different frameworks, marketing systems and networking tools to help people use their time more effeciently. McKinney demonstrates how these mental models can serve as essential thinking tools for improving campaign outcomes. She explains how each model provides unique insights for social selling and strateg

Want to know how winning companies use their nuanced understanding of human behavior and market insights as a basis for competitive advantage? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with Social Lens Research Managing Partner Natasha Stevens and Founding Partner Julie Diaz-Asper about transforming marketing strategy through ethnographic research. They examine how video diaries and interactive activities help brands connect with diverse market segments representing $3.4 trillion in purchasing power. Their collaboration with market research groups demonstrates how different communities approach purchasing decisions through distinct cultural lenses - from Latino and Asian consumers prioritizing family legacy to Black consumers focusing on building generational wealth. Their conversation reveals practical ways companies can build authentic connections across communities. "It's essential across different ethnicities, locations, and ab

Can data reveal which 50% of your marketing budget is actually working? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and CEO of Mix Analytics Hillary Borndahl about transforming content marketing strategy through data-driven analysis.  Through their company's marketing mixed modeling approach, Mix Analytics helps businesses develop a growth strategy framework to optimize marketing investments across channels by analyzing historical data and calculating actual returns. They begin their discussion with critical findings from Mix Analytics' study of $34 billion in sales data. The data revealed that most companies invest only 2-3% in marketing when they should at least 4% to protect and grow their brand. But what might be keeping the back is not knowing what will work and what will not.  Borndahl emphasizes that businesses can use this approach with niche applications like focusing on B2B buyer persona development, but that mo

Want to know what corn on the cob and mascara wands have in common? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and QRCA President Jeff Hecker about building community in qualitative research.  As co-founder and principal of Athena Brand Wisdom, Hecker brings 15 years of experience conducting research across industries from pharmaceuticals to agriculture, using methods from focus groups to marketing semiotics. But his volunteerism in making the qualitative space is of interest in this episode. With the upcoming annual conference for the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), they discuss how this non-profit has been instrumental in shaping careers through its commitment to open knowledge sharing and community building. The organization's emphasis on welcoming new members includes conference ambassadors and speed networking events, fostering connections that support professional growth.  Hecker gives an excel

Can intentional leadership transform workplace culture and employee trust? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and RADICL Work co-founder Dan Riley about the critical role of trust in organizational success and creating transformative workplace environments. As a content marketing consultant helping organizations navigate change, Riley shares that only about 20% of employees trust their leadership but believe intentional changes and consistent actions can help build stronger, more engaged teams. Riley explains how companies need to embrace a robust values-driven communication strategy in their approach to workplace transformation, especially regarding technology implementation and return-to-office policies. His growth strategy framework emphasizes that organizations must focus on the "long play"—prioritizing people and culture over short-term outcomes. Revenue and profitability are natural results of taking care of

** Be on the lookout for Part 2 to hear mental models Six through Ten ** Stop letting outdated thinking frameworks hold back your marketing strategies. On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO, Priscilla McKinney, introduces powerful mental models that revolutionize marketing strategy and professional decision-making. Drawing from her background as a cultural anthropologist and fractional CMO, she shares how these frameworks can transform both marketing initiatives and broader business decisions. McKinney discusses the first five fundamental models: map is not territory, circle of competence, second-order thinking, inversion, and availability cascade. She emphasizes how these frameworks can transform your thought leadership strategy and help avoid common pitfalls in marketing decision-making. The conversation explores how these mental models apply specifically to marketing tools and networking tools, highlighting the importance of testing conventional wi

Effective email list management demands a systematic approach. On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney breaks down essential email marketing best practices through a creative North Pole analogy. She explains how businesses often chase new prospects while overlooking opportunities within their existing database.  McKinney unveils a data-driven approach to email marketing B2B lead generation, from processing bounces to strategic database maintenance. Her framework combines analytical insights with human intelligence, bringing together email marketing KPIs and invaluable team insights about subscriber relationships. She demonstrates how face-to-face interactions inform digital strategy, transforming routine list maintenance into a powerful tool for business growth. "Just as Santa doesn't need new chimneys to deliver more presents, businesses often don't need new lists to generate more revenue," McKinney explains. "They need clean lists t

Understanding consumers beyond traditional market research metrics is important. Perfecting buyer personas requires a deeper dive, and technology can help.  On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and Glimpse Chief Strategy Officer + Chief Client Officer, Adam Bai about the evolution of buyer personas in marketing and how anthropology can perfect them. Traditionally, personas were simplistic stereotypes or basic demographic profiles. However, modern approaches focus on persona mapping and deeper attitudinal and emotional insights that go beyond surface-level characteristics. Bai explains how Glimpse, a groundbreaking human response platform, helps companies develop a more nuanced understanding of their ideal customers. For example, in their work with HubSpot, they created a persona called "Growth Gabby.” Using a growth strategy framework and surveys that privileged unstructured, open-ended responses, this approach allo

Is your LinkedIn profile working against you? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO, Priscilla McKinney, discusses how LinkedIn serves as more than just a job-hunting platform, positioning it as a powerful tool for networking and social selling at scale. The platform's evolution from a simple job board to a comprehensive professional networking space has created unprecedented opportunities for businesses and individuals to connect, share insights, and build meaningful professional relationships. As an influencer in the space she has a lot to say about it. Behold, her social proof:  She explains how developing a thought leadership strategy can transform your professional presence while advocating for quality over quantity in networking. Random connections can dilute a network's relevance, and understanding your LinkedIn Social Selling Index (LinkedIn SSI) helps measure the effectiveness of your engagement efforts. McKinney emphasizes that successful n

Why are traditional market research firms getting left behind in the industry's rapid evolution? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with Tony Brown, founder of SKAIL, about transforming revenue generation strategies beyond traditional relationship-based selling. The urgency of this transformation is evident in recent industry reports, which show traditional firms growing at just 3% while the overall industry enjoys a 7.6% expansion rate. McKinney and Brown discuss how market research firms can adapt to changing market conditions, particularly focusing on marketing effectiveness in their business development efforts. Brown, with over 25 years of experience as a fractional sales leadership consultant, shares insights on helping research firms transition from reputation-based growth to proactive business development, emphasizing the importance of measuring marketing automation ROI. "Sales is not really about sales," Brown expl

On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney, along with guest and CRO Stephanie Douglass, discuss implementing the Little Bird Marketing  SOAR™ system. The system was created after noting that many companies were implementing the right marketing tactics but in the wrong order, leading to suboptimal results. So if you’re tired of marketing strategies that fail to produce results, this is the episode for you.  They discuss the two primary ways to implement the SOAR™ system: DIY (Do It Yourself) and DFY (Done For You). McKinney explains that the DIY option includes the framework, training, and essential assets designed for internal teams to handle execution themselves. She emphasizes that DIY clients receive persona development, strategy sessions, and an annual marketing roadmap. For the DFY option, Douglass describes it as making Little Bird Marketing "an extension of your team," handling everything from strategy to execution like a marketing

Trust and human connection are driving innovation in our digital world. On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with global trust expert and author Philipp Kristian about developing a thought leadership strategy that transforms how businesses approach social selling and building your social influence in the digital age. McKinney and Kristian discuss how the trust economy is revolutionizing business relationships and social influence, drawing from Kristian's extensive work with Fortune 500 companies and his book "The Trust Economy: Building Strong Networks and Realizing Exponential Value in the Digital Age." Through their conversation, they explore how technology is scaling human connection and why innovation naturally emerges in environments where trust flourishes."What technology is doing [is] scaling human connection," Kristian explains. "When we scale human connection and trust, all of a sudden, there are a huge number of poss

Ready to stop chasing every lead and focus on the ones that matter? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and CRO Stephanie Douglass about Account-Based Marketing (ABM). As a B2B lead generation agency, Little Bird Marketing shares insights on this targeted and customer driven marketing strategy that focuses on identifying and pursuing specific high-value accounts rather than casting a wide net with traditional demand generation approaches. McKinney and Douglass discuss marketing effectiveness through the three-tiered approach to ABM: one-to-one (highly personalized campaigns for specific large accounts), one-to-few (targeting similar companies within specific industries), and one-to-many (broader targeting that resembles traditional demand generation). They explore the FIRE framework for selecting target accounts: Fit (alignment with ideal customer profile), Intent (showing interest in solutions), Relationship (exis

**This episode of Ponderings from the Perch is a replay of a popular episode first aired on Digital Transformation Success, the premier podcast for no-nonsense discussions of digital innovation in business.** No matter how advanced the technology it uses, market research still needs astute judgment… and the best judgment comes from humans.  On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO, Priscilla McKinney, gives her patented Conference Flyover of Question Pro’s XDay 2024 in Austin, TX. XDay is a premier event where the best and brightest in market research come together to both network and share insights.  Mckinney, and Little Bird Marketing CRO, Stephanie Douglass, talk with industry experts, such as Garry Batroff of Thematic and Ibby Sayed of Cotera (who is also a fellow podcaster). Question Pro’s Cecil Puvathingal joins Priscilla in a conversational recap about what they heard and felt throughout the day. There were moments of inspiration – both personal

Today, Miami. Tomorrow, the world!  On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO, Priscilla McKinney, gives you her conference flyover of Greenbook’s IIEX LATAM in Miami, Florida. IIEX LATAM is a conference dedicated to exploring the latest trends, technologies, and methodologies in market research, with a specific focus on gathering market insights from the Latin American region. She talks with leaders in market research about evolving marketing strategies and consumer insights in Latin America and how Spanish and Portuguese are needed for conducting representative market research in the U.S.  McKinney's guests, such as Natalia Infante Caylor, Brian Ewan, and Ricardo Alvarez, discuss topics like the importance of understanding Hispanic markets, the role of AI in revolutionizing marketing analysis, and the challenges of discrete choice modeling. The conversations delve into various aspects of marketing strategy, from the nuances of multicultural research to t

What if the magic behind the Cinderella story isn't a prince and a fairy godmother but rather strategies for tapping into our potential? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO, Priscilla McKinney, talks with guest and published author Joanna Bloor about her book, Tales of Potential: The Cinderella Story You Haven't Heard. Bloor, who examines how things work behind the scenes, discusses her experience of writing a book that presents a different perspective on potential and future. She describes how she overcame initial reluctance to put her ideas on paper, resulting in a work representing her viewpoint and contributing to thought leadership in the field. Bloor and McKinney explore various elements of the Cinderella story that Bloor uses to illustrate her ideas about realizing one's potential. These include Cinderella's interaction with her fairy godmother, which Bloor interprets as a demonstration of holding one's own in front of a powerful figure, and t

Learn how market researchers navigate the complex market landscape to deliver more accurate and valuable insights. On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO, Priscilla McKinney, gives you her 2024 ESOMAR Congress flyover, held in Athens, Greece. The ESOMAR Congress is the premier global gathering for market research professionals. It brings together industry leaders to explore cutting-edge trends, share innovative methodologies and shape the future of marketing research. McKinney’s guests discuss key topics such as the integration of AI in qualitative research, the use of virtual reality for enhanced consumer engagement and the challenges of conducting research in niche markets. She also highlights strategic insights from industry thought leaders, such as Ray Poynter, who emphasizes the importance of embracing diverse perspectives in today's global market research landscape. "The first thing we have to accept," Poynter explains. "Is [that] there is not on

AI's potential in SEO lies not in replacing human expertise but in enhancing it strategically as part of a comprehensive content marketing strategy. On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO, Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and Orbit Media CEO Andy Crestodina, about the role of AI in modern SEO strategies. Crestodina, known for leading with value and always being helpful, brings over two decades of digital content marketing experience to the table. As the co-founder of Orbit Media, a web design company in Chicago, he's been at the forefront of content marketing and SEO trends, making him the perfect guest to shed light on this timely topic. Crestodina delves into AI's strengths and limitations in content creation. He explores the importance of human creativity in crafting compelling content and explains how AI can be leveraged effectively in the content auditing process. Crestodina discusses using AI as a tool to enhance human-created content rather th