MRX Lab

Hosted by FlexMR

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Oct 2026

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The MRX Lab from FlexMR explores new and novel conversations from the fringes of the market research & consumer insights industry in 10 minutes or less.

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October 22, 2026Episode 1033 min

#81 - Embedding Business Insight at the Heart of Growth

How can business insight help shape better government decisions and unlock UK economic growth? In our latest episode, David Bharier of the British Chambers of Commerce joins the MRX Lab podcast to explore declining business confidence, the impact of policy, and why investment and exports matter. Over the course of 30 minutes, David and Paul also touch on the growth delivery test, a framework designed to put businesses at the heart of policymaking and connect every decision to measurable change. --- Presented by: Paul Hudson, CEO @ FlexMR Featuring: David Bharier, Deputy Director, Economics & Insights at British Chambers of Commerce. For more info on FlexMR, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ www.flexmr.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or connect via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

September 9, 2026Episode 941 min

#80 - Consumed By Your Consumer: A Competitive Advantage

Consumers are overwhelmed by choice, so how do we understand their choices? By becoming consumed by our consumers, we can remember them at the point of decision, rather than falling back on pure business metrics. In our latest episode, Christina Habib, Chief Insights Officer: CXO Beauty, Luxury & Wellness, joins Paul to discuss the impact of relevant insight and leveraging for a competitive advantage. Over the course of 40 minutes, the pair touch on mental availability, the importance of tailoring centricity strategies to your industry, and much more. --- Presented by: Paul Hudson, CEO @ FlexMR Featuring: Christina Habib, Chief Insights Officer: CXO Beauty, Luxury & Wellness For more info on FlexMR, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.flexmr.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or connect via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠/ ⁠X⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

August 11, 2026Episode 822 min

#79 - Customer Salience: The Engine of Connection

There is a prominent gap between the belief in customer centricity and achieving it. But how do researchers keep the voice of customers in the room to influence how decisions are made when they are not always able to be there? In our latest episode, Chris Martin, FlexMR's Chief Marketing Officer, joins Paul to reflect on both academic and organisational research around Customer Salience. Over the course of 20 minutes, the pair discuss the need for more data around how much customers are truly included in an organisational decision-making process, why it is so important for researchers to become a hybrid of both a scientist and an artist, and much more. --- Presented by: Paul Hudson, CEO @ FlexMR Featuring: Chris Martin, Chief Marketing Officer at FlexMR For more info on FlexMR, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.flexmr.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or connect via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠X⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

July 15, 2026Episode 727 min

#78 - Leadership and Culture for High Performance Insight Teams

Leadership coach and former insight practitioner, Rachel Fraser, joins Paul to explore the cultural and behavioural foundations of Customer Salience. Drawing on her experience across coaching and leadership development, Rachel argues that the effectiveness of insight depends less on the quality of outputs and more on the mindset, influence and commercial awareness of the teams delivering them. The episode centres on the shift from delivering insight to building capacity for adaptive influence, where practitioners must move beyond certainty and hierarchy to navigate ambiguity, hold multiple perspectives and shape decisions across the organisation. Through practical examples, she highlights the importance of coaching over training, action over theory, and confidence built through doing, not knowing. The conversation also unpacks the role of commercial thinking, emphasising that insight teams must understand stakeholder priorities—margin, risk, growth—and translate customer needs into that language to become trusted advisors. --- Presented by: Paul Hudson, CEO @ FlexMR Featuring: Rachel Fraser, Leadership Coach For more info on FlexMR, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠www.flexmr.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or connect via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

June 30, 2026Episode 632 min

#77 - Data, Insight and Commercial Centres of Excellence

Insight is a dialogue. That's the key takeaway from this in-depth conversation with Simon Tregidgo, Strategy Lead for Trade & Services at Kingfisher. Drawing on experience across insight, strategy and commercial functions, Simon explains how to embed knowledge and habits within an organisation and why a diverse stakeholder approach is vital to growth.The episode centres on Kingfisher's Centres of Excellence, designed to support knowledge sharing, best practice and innovation by connecting banners and markets. Throughout the conversation, Simon highlights the importance of in-person workshops, honest (and sometimes vulnerable) conversations about knowledge, plus how to overcome the tension between project delivery and the ongoing nature of customer and commercial evolution. --- Presented by: Paul Hudson, CEO @ FlexMR Featuring: Simon Tregidgo, Strategy Lead: Trade & Services at Kingfisher For more info on FlexMR, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.flexmr.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or connect via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠X⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

May 27, 2026Episode 432 min

#75 - How Memorable Marketing Strategies Can Build Customer Centricity

Do you actively brand your insight projects? This month, we invite you to consider how the implementation of marketing strategies can reach decision-makers and leave a lasting impression, resulting in an increase in Customer Centricity within your organisation. In our latest episode, Rupesh Patel joins Paul to discuss the importance of remaining top of mind for business questions and share tips on how insights can be promoted memorably. Over the course of 30 minutes, the pair touch on competitive internal promotion strategies, the application of marketing academia and more. --- Presented by: Paul Hudson, CEO @ FlexMR Featuring: Rupesh Patel, Head of Insights (Large Tech Brand) For more info on FlexMR, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.flexmr.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or connect via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / X / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

May 4, 2026Episode 526 min

#76 - A Seat at the Table: How Engaging Insights Lead to Customer Centricity

Customers need to always have a seat at the table. Insight teams need to be in the room, even when not physically present. But during a time where information is in abundance and budgets are squeezed, how can this be achieved? In our latest episode, Natalie Delahunty, Head of Brand Insight at Trainline, joins Paul to discuss how long-term engagement of decision-makers through strategies such as infographics can aid in maintaining customer centricity. Over the course of 30 minutes, the pair touch on tailoring insights based on internal target audiences, distinctively naming projects that are crucial to the trajectory of a business, utilising MaxDiff and more. --- Presented by: Paul Hudson, CEO @ FlexMR Featuring: Natalie Delahunty, Head of Brand Insight at Trainline For more info on FlexMR, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.flexmr.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or connect via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / X / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

March 19, 2026Episode 331 min

#74 - Customer Centricity Starts at Your Own Two Feet

Customer centricity starts at your own two feet. But it also needs to go further. Could having a programme that ties in all levels of an organisation be the key to success? In our latest episode, Paul Thomas, Global Consumer & Shopper Insight Director, joins Paul to discuss how customer centricity programmes and direct conversations with customers are crucial to organisations. Over the course of 30 minutes, the pair discuss examples of successful customer-centric strategies, anecdotes, the importance of the involvement of key decision-makers and more. --- Presented by: Paul Hudson, CEO @ FlexMR Featuring: Paul Thomas, Global Consumer & Shopper Insight Director For more info on FlexMR, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.flexmr.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or connect via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

February 11, 2026Episode 226 min

#73 - Speed Dating Without the Romance: A Path to Customer Centricity

During a time where technology and artificial intelligence are becoming more prominent, there are challenges in moving beyond traditional research methods to consistently humanise the customer in the minds of key decision-makers. In our latest episode, Ellie Osborne, Senior Insight Lead at Saga, joins Paul to discuss how customer centricity can engage decision-makers and ensure Customer Salience is interwoven consistently throughout an organisation. Over the course of 25 minutes, the pair discuss successfully positioning key decision-makers in front of real customers through 'speed dating', how researchers can drive customer centric decisions and much more. --- Presented by: Paul Hudson, CEO @ FlexMR Featuring: Ellie Osborne, Senior Insight Lead at Saga For more info on FlexMR, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.flexmr.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or connect via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠X⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

January 14, 2026Episode 125 min

#72 - The Future of Customer Salience

In a world where habits within an organisation are often built on financialisaton, it can be hard to overcome existing culture and consistently humanise the customer in the minds of key decision-makers. In our latest episode, Chris Martin, FlexMR's Chief Marketing Officer, joins Paul to discuss how Customer Salience can be used to flip the script and ensure decision-makers are always thinking about customers. Over the course of 25 minutes, the pair discuss how decisions are currently being made within organisations, the impact of cultural habits, how researchers can drive change and much more. --- Presented by: Paul Hudson, CEO @ FlexMR Featuring: Chris Martin, Chief Marketing Officer at FlexMR For more info on FlexMR, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.flexmr.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or connect via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠