Brett Townsend

Author Insights on the Brink

Brett is SVP of Strategy at Quester, a branding and innovation strategy agency, and has had a successful career generating sizable revenue on both the corporate and agency sides of consumer insights. He has led insights departments and teams, doing domestic and global branding and innovation for major brands like Pepsi, Doritos, Ruffles, Walmart, Frigidaire, and Lowe’s. His work has led to successful innovations, brand extensions, product improvements, and marketing campaigns worth tens of billions of dollars globally. He served on the board of directors for the U.S. Insights Association, acting as chairperson in 2022. He also has a passion for teaching; he is an adjunct professor of marketing at UNC-Charlotte, has been a frequent guest speaking at over 15 universities, and coached Junior Olympic volleyball for 10 years. He is from Austin, Texas and currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Day One - 18 February 2025

10:00 AM Insights on the Brink: Transforming consumer insights for a new era

Consumer insights as a profession stands at a pivotal moment. In their book Insights on the Brink, Tim Hoskins and Brett Townsend challenge the status quo of the industry, advocating for a bold departure from its academic and methodological roots. Instead of focusing on process-heavy approaches, they argue for a shift toward actionable, empathy-driven strategies that deliver real impact for customers. In this opening session, Tim and Brett will explore why the insights profession must take risks, demand a stronger voice within organisations, and prioritise outcomes over methodologies.

 

Through their "golden rules" for modern consumer insights, they will lay out a roadmap for how insights professionals can redefine their role—not just as data collectors, but as strategic drivers of innovation and change. Attendees will leave inspired to rethink their own approaches and ready to make insights an indispensable part of their organisation’s success.

 

Attendees will learn:

  • Golden rules for transformative insights: Learn actionable principles to shift focus from methodologies to uncovering powerful insights that drive CX strategy and business impact.
  • Elevating the role of insights: Discover how to effectively present findings, advocate for insights’ value, and secure a stronger influence within your organisation.
  • Consumer-centric strategies: Gain fresh perspectives on building empathy, answering critical business questions, and crafting strategies that resonate with real consumer needs.