Interview: Adam Woodgate, VP of Research Solutions, The Insights Family

Congratulations on your new role! What attracted you to The Insights Family?

• Thank you. Research is having ‘a moment in the sun’ right now. Brand owners, content developers, broadcasters and publishers, marketeers and distributors need to make the right decisions around business planning, investment and decision making. With consumption of media and entertainment ever more fragmented, access to high-quality, reliable, independent, real-time insights is critical. Since 2017, The Insights Family has been providing insights into the attitudes, behaviours and consumption patterns of kids, teens, parents, and families. For me, it’s tapping into more than three decades of media experience and combining that with the data to deliver meaningful insight to a broad customer base.

Since joining, what have you been most impressed with at The Insights Family?

• The diligence of the team and their commitment to our customers.

Can you share some of the key developments you and your team are working on and what we can expect to see in the coming months?

• I’m looking to enhance the product offering across research solutions. That means simple and effective custom research, e.g. Flash Surveys, Deep-dives, and Brand Health-checks. On the non-custom side of the business, it means identifying opportunities to create new, inspiring reports in addition to serving customers with curated insights and continuing to develop and expand our market tracking and sector reports.

What excites you most about the future of the industry, and how do you see The Insights Family playing a pivotal role in that?

• A senior manager at a media company once approached me after speaking about ‘touchscreen native’ kids at a conference. He said that although they didn’t include content for kids, it made him more aware than ever that one day a new generation with different passions and interests would be part of the audience. Having insight on this emerging audience was essential for the business to get their content commissioning and acquisition strategy right. The data we collect across all the countries we survey gives our customers the edge, ensuring they stay ‘laser-focused’ on the end user, i.e., the audience.

What advice would you give to companies looking to better understand kids and families as they prepare for 2025 and beyond, and how can The Insights Family help them achieve this?

• I’ve always believed every company should have an eye on kids, even if they operate in a sector where kids don’t consume their products. All kids grow into adults, and that’s when you need to know how they think, how they feel, and what motivates them. We can give businesses those insights now, so they are ready for when today’s kids get their first pay cheque.

Adam Woodgate Biography

Starting his career working in programme and content audience research for LWT, Adam then moved into creating content for radio stations. Firstly, working in the US and subsequently for various radio stations in the UK, including Kiss 100 in London and Radio City in Liverpool. A three-year stint as Programme Director at Radio Aire/Magic 828 (Leeds) followed where he led the team to the highest market share ever.

In 2001 he moved into senior management delivering company-wide audience insight as the initial Group Head of Research, for Emap’s (now Bauer) broadcast properties and print titles. After working with Guardian Media Group, he went on to work in insight at BBC Worldwide (now BBC Studios).

For the next 11 years he combined his media and content development background with proven expertise in the use of qualitative and quantitative research to understand an audience’s perception of an IP or franchise for kids’ digital agency, Dubit.

He has recently joined The Insight Family as their VP of Research Solutions, bringing his sector knowledge and research proficiency to head up a team of ten research specialists. He works closely with brand owners, broadcasters, publishers, media buyers and content creators delivering actionable insight into the heart of customers’ businesses. Adam is a regular speaker at conferences and media markets around the world.