I have spent many years working in the market research industry, and because of that, I know exactly what the first weeks of September feel like. There is a very specific, collective intake of breath across our community as the summer holidays wind down and the final stretch of the year looms on the horizon.
Q4 is challenging. It brings an intense, unique kind of pressure. End clients are in a rush to spend their remaining annual budgets, which means agencies and in-house teams are suddenly faced with the massive task of delivering high-quality, strategically robust insights at lightning speed, all before Christmas.
To help researchers prepare for the busiest period of the year, we launched our “Q4 Ready” initiative back in 2024. I am incredibly pleased to say that as we head into autumn, we are officially launching its third edition.
For me personally, having the opportunity to pause and host these conversations with industry leaders is always a highlight. When September comes, it is genuinely something I look forward to. It is the absolute perfect way to beat the holiday blues!
The 2026 Webinar Line-up
To kick things off, we are hosting a new series of weekly webinars starting later this week.
We will be featuring expert guidance on crafting more effective proposals with Paul Griffiths, reflections on how we define and maintain “good work” in the era of AI with Marco Rovagnati, and open discussions with Pippa Keen at Etsy and Lara Rice at BBC Studios exploring modern end-client needs and the realities of navigating local cultural nuances.
You can check out the full schedule and register for the sessions here
Stretching Before the Sprint: Ad Hoc Client Refreshers
Getting ready for a busy period does not just mean pausing to learn something new. Often, it is about pausing to re-learn and sharpen the tools we already have.
Think of it like a thorough stretching session before you run a fast sprint. You want your muscles to be warm, flexible, and completely prepared before you step onto the starting blocks.
That is why, alongside our public webinars, we are also running dedicated 30-minute ad hoc refreshers with both our current and prospective clients. These rapid, informal sessions are designed to ensure our platform’s capabilities are fresh in your mind when those tight-turnaround Q4 briefs start dropping into your inbox.
It is a tiny time investment that will pay massive dividends when you are in the thick of proposal writing over the next three months. If you would like to get a session in the diary for your team, you can book a slot directly here.
I hope this initiative helps make your Q4 a little smoother, a little more efficient, and a lot more successful. I look forward to seeing you at our first session!
Giulia
