The role of insight teams is undergoing a profound transformation.

Fuelled by AI, automation, and evolving stakeholder expectations, the demands on today’s insight leaders are sharper, more complex, and more strategic than ever.

The critical question now facing the industry is no longer “how do we keep up?” but “what does true excellence look like in this new landscape?”

Drawing on the latest intelligence from Kantar, Ipsos, System1, and industry-leading practitioners, here’s a perspective on the emerging blueprint for success — and how organisations can future-proof themselves by investing early in in-demand consumer analytics and the evolving skillsets in insights jobs.

The New Skillsets Defining Insight Excellence

Success in insights today demands a new breed of expertise — one that fuses technical capability with commercial and creative intelligence:

• AI fluency combined with human storytelling: Mastering AI tools is only the start; the true differentiator lies in the ability to translate complex outputs into narratives that influence decision-making.

• Data synthesis over data gathering: Teams that can connect disparate data points into strategic insights will lead the next generation of decision-making.

• Commercial acumen as standard: Insight professionals must think beyond research outputs to business outcomes, embedding themselves deeply within the commercial ambitions of the organisation.

For businesses serious about excelling in in-demand consumer analytics, developing these skillsets in insights jobs must become a strategic priority.

Rethinking Team Structures for Agility and Influence

Structural change is also essential. The most progressive teams are moving towards:

• Lean, agile pods: Small, expert teams empowered to pivot quickly in response to business needs.

• Embedded agency-client hybrids: Breaking down traditional silos to deliver seamless, end-to-end insight capabilities.

• Cross-functional collaboration: Stronger integration with brand, customer experience, and strategy functions to ensure insights are not just heard but acted upon.

The future belongs to those who design their teams not just for efficiency, but for influence.

Building the Right Technology Foundations

Technology is no longer an optional enabler — it is a strategic lever:

• Automation is central: Insight functions must invest in automation tools that liberate human talent from repetitive tasks, allowing more focus on interpretation, innovation, and strategic guidance.

In an environment where in-demand consumer analytics is a competitive advantage, the right tech stack will determine which organisations win.

Cultivating a Culture of Strategic Leadership

However, perhaps the most significant shift is cultural. The best insight teams of the future will be defined not only by what they do, but how they lead:

• High emotional intelligence: Teams thrive under leaders who prioritise psychological safety, trust, and empowerment.

• Focus on clarity over complexity: Insight narratives must cut through the noise and catalyse action.

• Positioned as strategic advisors: High-performing teams will earn — and demand — a seat at the strategic table.

Culture is no longer a “soft” consideration; it is a critical pillar of insight excellence.

Winning Strategies from Top Insight Organisations

Leading teams are already embracing innovative models to stay ahead:

• Modular, targeted training: Rapid upskilling in AI, data storytelling, and commercial impact thinking.

• Insight-as-a-service models: Increasing flexibility and scalability without losing depth.

• Collaborative deliverables: Moving away from static decks towards dynamic, live problem-solving sessions that co-create solutions with stakeholders.

The insight teams that thrive in 2025 will be those that anticipate the future — not react to it.

Investing now in the right skillsets in insights jobs, embracing in-demand consumer analytics, and fostering a culture of strategic leadership will define the organisations that lead, not follow.

If you’re navigating these shifts — or ready to discuss what future-ready insight leadership looks like in practice — I would welcome a conversation.

As a sales and marketing manager with experience working with both blue-chip businesses and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), I’ve seen the best (and worst!) of both worlds.

While blue chips are historically able to weather recessions and withstand market shifts — crucial in this unstable, post-Brexit moment! — SMEs tend to offer job seekers a breadth of experience that blue chips can’t rival.

In fact, we’re currently seeing a real swell of later-career candidates moving towards SMEs, as opposed to the traditional blue chips that traditionally tempt the best talent.

Why do most people make the move to SMEs?

In my experience, there are typically three factors at the core of a decision to throw in the corporate towel at a Blue Chip and shift over to an SME:

1. Agility: the perceived ability of an SME to react quicker to market conditions.
2. Autonomy: the perceived lack of red tape and freedom to take true ownership of decisions.
3. Impact: the desire to be, shall we say, a big fish in a small pond.

But that doesn’t mean you should write-off blue chips entirely! While many blue chips can actually offer jobseekers all of the above — as well as the opportunity for career progression, international moves, and cross-discipline training — some SMEs struggle to do just that. Let’s just say I’ve heard some real horror stories! (But let’s save those for another day…)

In short, it’s often not about the company size, it’s about the company.

(Related: See what exciting Sales and Marketing opportunities we have at Vertical Advantage now)

So, as a job seeker, what do I need to take into consideration before deciding between a blue-chip or an SME?

First of all, don’t assume anything about the company based on its status. SMEs don’t guarantee autonomy, nor do blue chips automatically turn you into a mere corporate cog!

Instead, test your assumptions at interview. For example, many SMEs will have their founders heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the company, which can go one of two ways:

1. They want people with experience, who can take the metaphorical ball and run with it, or…
2. They’re so attached to their ‘baby’ that they can’t relinquish control! (And they might be suffering from the dreaded ‘ugly baby syndrome’, rendering them absolutely immune to criticism.)

Neither one is better or worse than the other, but it’s crucial to consider which approach will suit you. As always, asking incisive questions at interview will be your biggest asset when it comes to figuring this out.

Similarly, remember that SMEs can often be risk-averse, reluctant to rush to market and fail. Meanwhile, blue chips can typically swallow such failures and bounce back. Depending on your preferences, the security of a blue-chip could definitely play in your favour.

It’s also key to remember that you can make just as much of an impact at a blue-chip business as you can with an SME.

Plus, if you’re impatient, the time it takes to land large clients at an SME can be frustrating; meanwhile, at a blue-chip, often you can hit the ground running. I recently moved to an SME having spent 7 years in a blue-chip, and this is definitely something which impacted me! I’d expected my previous clients to bring me all their recruiting needs, but that just wasn’t the case and it took time to re-establish my client base and sort trading terms etc.

eCommerce is a continually growing and changing sector, and if eCom is your passion, now is a perfect time to push forward in this market.

In today’s world, eCommerce is a strategic focus for even the most antiquated of FMCG organisations and how to get most out of it is the question on everyone’s lips. The projections vary (wildly at times) but what is not in doubt is that online sales are only going one way, and as such the demand for talent able to drive that growth is substantial.

In the early days of eCommerce, only responsibility was just tagged to the job descriptions of the likes of Online NAM’s, Category Managers & Shopper Marketing Managers. This was because it only covered about 5% of the sales in comparison shop floor sales so didn’t warrant a specialist position. As time has passed, businesses have continued to underestimate the impact of eCom and hence under-invested in developing the talent of future leaders.

This short-sightedness should have you licking your lips if you want to pursue a career in it. A lot is changing. Even in the last 12 months, there’s been a proliferation of restructures and newly created roles. The appetite from companies is most definitely there, but the talent to feed it is not.

Because there’s a lack of competition and a wealth of opportunity for candidates. Right now, there’s a huge opportunity for eCommerce enthusiasts to fast-track their career. The pace of development means that the scope to learn new skills and be exposed to new technology is far ahead of the more established areas we typically recruit for.

eCommerce is a function tailor-made for curious, inquisitive folk with a thirst for knowledge.

Where do these eCommerce roles sit under?

Sales? Marketing? Neither? Both?

Increasingly, there is no clear answer. Whilst that structure is still reasonably common, the creation of dedicated eCommerce & Digital teams has led to a more matrix-led approach. It now sits somewhere between Sales & Marketing with employees acting as ‘internal consultants’ across the business.

Now, as an eCommerce Manager, you might need to be just as comfortable negotiating trading terms with Online Buyers as you are understanding the role PPC plays in improving the path to purchase. The days of simply being an ‘Amazon NAM’ are numbered and expecting to transfer ‘bricks & mortar’ experience into ‘bricks & clicks’ is unrealistic.

What does this actually mean for you when you’re trying to navigate a career in eCommerce?

As recruiters we’re often speaking to people who aren’t eCommerce specialist in FMCG but would like to be. Broadly speaking there are 3 different types of people and here’s the advice we give them.

1. Working in FMCG with zero eCom experience?

Know about Cambridge Universities work on Hero Imagery? Got some thoughts on the INS Ecosystem?

I advise you to learn as much as you can from multiple areas. Soak it all up and start to form a picture of what you enjoy the most. You might want to remain in a broad role and there’ll continue to be no shortage of demand for that, but equally, if you find an area you love then specialising will pay dividends.

Lack of experience can be made up for by giving your 2 cents/bitcoin on the latest developments in the market. This is where it’s down to your willingness to learn. If your company doesn’t have the structure in place to give you the experience you want then start developing it elsewhere – go to events, be on top of the latest developments, get to know the online buyers at the retailers you work with or eCom teams at competitors.

2. Working in FMCG with some previous eCom exposure but not a specialist?

I advise you to think about moving into a broad, generalist position. If the structure exists internally to facilitate it, or externally.

3. eCommerce specialist with no FMCG experience?

Your best bet here may well be to play to your niche skillset. Figure out what you know that most people in FMCG don’t and find a company who, if not already there, is moving towards specialisation.

If you’re keen to broaden your experience, then once inside make this clear and find out the best way to move internally further down the line. In so many areas of FMCG the closed-mindedness when hiring outside of the industry means businesses shut themselves off to talent. But, when it comes to eCommerce, skills can outweigh market or category-specific knowledge, meaning it can be a great way in for people wanting to break into FMCG.

To conclude, is it better to be a jack of all trades and master of none?

A generalist approach is perhaps best suited to SME’s / those with relatively new eCommerce functions. But it’s unlikely to be the long-term solution. As the nuances of what it takes to get people to buy online become better understood, the creation of more specialist positions will proliferate. At the developed end of the market, you already see companies taking a more sophisticated, specialist approach.

Now, structuring their teams with the understanding that eCommerce is not just a commercial undertaking. A sale online has resulted from the culmination of every touchpoint. I’m positive that the same approach is likely to filter down & become commonplace in the market as time progresses.

If you’re still not quite sure what you need to do in order to progress your career in eCommerce, don’t sweat it!

In a nutshell, you need to become so knowledgeable that eventually, people see your talent as wasted anywhere else.

The outcome?

You’ll either impress so much at interview that your lack of experience won’t be an obstacle, or your knowledge and enthusiasm will be recognised internally and allow you to make the case for creating/shaping a role just for you.

Lastly, what does the future look like?

One example I’d expect to see, is more direct-to-consumer specific roles created over the next 12-24 months and businesses leading the way in areas such as this are already nurturing the best niche talent (I’m looking at you, Unilever).

Inspired to see what eCommerce opportunities are out there at the moment? Click here to browse our latest eCommerce & Digital jobs.