Our Chief Strategy Officer, Devora Rogers, recently joined Adam Torres on the Mission Matters podcast for a candid conversation about how brands can use consumer research to unlock growth and stay connected to their audiences. Devora opens the discussion by sharing the unexpected path that brought her from early work in radio and TV (including a stint on The Apprentice) to a career in insights, and how storytelling has been the throughline the entire way.

From there, the conversation turns to the role research plays in helping brands make confident, consumer-centric decisions. Devora shares examples from her work with major brands, illustrating why instinct and internal assumptions aren’t enough on their own, and why understanding people’s motivations, context and lived experiences is essential to building successful products and campaigns.

The episode also touches on the rising influence of AI and how it’s reshaping the research landscape. Devora highlights where AI can help teams work smarter and move faster, and where synthetic responses and automated tools fall short. She says that nothing can replace or mimic “the incredible diversity of humans we get to talk to as researchers…Synthetic is a nice word for fake… real people surprise us all the time.” During the show, she describes scenarios where AI can’t anticipate human behavior, such as the unexpected conspiracy theories that surfaced in a focus group.

The full discussion covers:

• How storytelling skills translate into stronger research and strategy
• Why brands need consistent, structured consumer feedback
• Common pitfalls when organizations skip or underinvest in research 
• The risks of DIY and automated, AI research and synthetic respondents
• Why and where human understanding still leads

It’s an engaging, approachable conversation that underscores why research matters and how brands can use it more effectively.

You can listen to the full episode on Mission Matters via Spotify or Apple Podcasts: https://missionmatters.com/from-the-apprentice-to-insights-leader-how-devora-rogers-helps-brands-turn-data-into-growth/