At no point in history have organisations had access to more data, more research, more customer feedback or more analytical capability than they do today. Yet, one challenge seems more common than ever.

Making decisions.

From conversations with clients and senior leaders across the industry, the problem is rarely a lack of information. More often, it’s the opposite – organisations are overwhelmed by evidence, competing priorities and multiple interpretations of reality. Data is abundant, but clarity is not.

That is why the question of what constitutes good insight feels particularly relevant in 2026.

For much of our industry’s history, the answer may have been relatively straightforward. Good insight was robust, representative and methodologically sound. It answered the brief, reduced uncertainty and helped organisations understand their customers more effectively.

Those foundations remain as important as ever, but increasingly – and quite rightly, in my opinion – good insight is being judged not simply by the quality of the research itself, but by the impact that it has on decisions.

The first test is whether insight changes something. A beautifully designed project that sits in a folder has limited value. Insight earns its place when it shapes strategy, improves a proposition, influences investment decisions or gives leaders the confidence to choose one path over another.

One theme that has emerged repeatedly through conversations with senior insight leaders is that successful research ultimately creates action. The true value of insight is only measured when it is applied.

A shared understanding

Beyond decision-making, there is another role that is becoming increasingly important: alignment.

Modern organisations are complex. Marketing, product, commercial and leadership teams may all view the same challenge through different lenses. Good insight creates a shared understanding of reality and helps stakeholders move beyond opinion and assumptions, providing a common reference point from which better decisions can be made.

In many organisations, that ability to create alignment is becoming just as valuable as the research itself. A single piece of insight that brings people together around a clear direction can often create more value than dozens of disconnected findings.

The human edge

At the same time, the growing availability of data is forcing us to think more carefully about what makes insight distinctive.

In many sectors, proprietary datasets and first-party information are genuine competitive advantages. But what increasingly separates high-performing organisations is the ability to understand people, rather than having access to information.

A recurring lesson from many of the most experienced leaders in our profession is that technology evolves, but understanding people remains at the heart of great insight. As analytical tools become more capable, being able to understand motivations, emotions, tensions and unmet needs becomes more important, not less. Good insight connects evidence with empathy. It helps organisations understand not only what people do, but why they do it.

The need for context

Another challenge I see emerging is balancing accessibility with rigour.

The democratisation of insight is, on the whole, a positive development. More people are engaging with research than ever before. Knowledge libraries, self-service platforms and AI-powered search tools have the potential to extend the reach and influence of insight across organisations.

However, accessibility does not remove the need for expertise. Research still requires context, interpretation and judgement. Findings can be misunderstood when divorced from methodology, sample design or historical context. New technologies do not replace the principles that underpin quality research. If anything, they make those principles more important.

An eye on the future

Finally, good insight increasingly helps organisations look ahead rather than simply explain what has already happened. The future has always been uncertain, but the pace of change facing organisations today makes foresight more valuable than ever.

More and more, insight functions are being asked to identify emerging behaviours, understand changing expectations and help leaders navigate ambiguity. While you cannot predict the future with certainty, you can offer direction amid uncertainty.

Methodological rigour remains the foundation of our profession and always will be. But today, good insight is defined by something broader than technical excellence alone. It changes decisions, it creates alignment, it combines evidence with human understanding, it balances accessibility with rigour and it helps organisations move forward with greater confidence. In a world overflowing with information, that may be the most valuable contribution our profession can make.

James Endersby is chief executive at Opinium