✨ Episode Overview 

In this episode, Janice is joined by Terrae (Trey) Schroeder, who brings deep experience leading insights across major brands. The conversation explores the evolving relationship between insights, analytics, marketing, and strategy—and what it takes for insights professionals to elevate their role in today’s fast‑moving, tech‑driven environment. 

Trey shares practical frameworks for driving business impact, navigating the pitfalls of “helpfulness,” staying strategic amid increasing speed and complexity, and becoming an indispensable voice in the organization. He also opens up about his leadership philosophy, career journey, and the small cultural moments that bring teams together. 

🎙️ Key Themes & Takeaways 

1. The State of the Insights–Marketing Relationship 

• Technology is disrupting both marketing and insights—creating opportunities to partner more closely as both functions adapt.
• However, the speed of content creation and execution can lead to bifurcation, with each side experimenting independently.
• Insights teams must focus on impact vs. activity to avoid being pulled into endless tactical requests.

2. The Biggest Pitfalls for Insights Teams 

• Asking many questions instead of the right questions. 
• Being helpful at the expense of focus, leading to low‑impact work. 
• Being outnumbered by marketers, which requires discipline in prioritization. 

3. How Technology Is Changing Collaboration 

• Speed of digital content means marketers often cannot test or learn before launching. 
• Insights struggles to keep pace when both sides are experimenting. 
• The result: misalignment not due to conflict but due to velocity. 

4. Elevating the Role of Insights 

Trey emphasizes: insights must begin at the strategy level, not with a list of ad‑hoc requests. 

• Start annual planning with big rocks—the highest‑impact strategic questions. 
• Ensure alignment with company‑wide priorities, not just functional goals. 
• Maintain and continually manage a learning agenda to avoid drifting back into tactical execution. 

5. Insights Must Have a Seat at the Table 

• Insights can’t be impactful if they only present once a month and disappear. 
• They must be integrated into ongoing business conversations, from supply chain to customer issues to product decisions.
• Representation is improving: more companies are embedding insights into leadership reporting structures (GM, President). 

6. Insights as a Strategic Pillar 

Trey’s vision: 

• Insights should be the bedrock of company strategy, leading market assessments and consumer understanding. 
• Objective, data‑driven measurement becomes even more important as algorithms and automated media buying take over.
• Brands must bring this capability in‑house to avoid “black box” dependencies.

7. How to Ask Better Questions 

Insights professionals should elevate any request by asking: 

• What is the broader context? 
• What decision are we trying to make? 
• What does success look like? 
  This helps avoid order‑taking and ensures work aligns with true business needs. 

8. Leadership Style and Career Development 

Trey credits P\&G’s “academy company” model for shaping his career: rotating through brand, shopper, analytics, behavioral science, and RGM gave him a full 360° understanding of the business. 

• He identifies as a big‑picture leader, valuing broad context over specialization. 
• Recommends future heads of insights intentionally diversify roles across geographies, functions, and customer types. 

9. Building Culture & Team Connection 

• Trey brings competitiveness, positivity, and team energy to his leadership approach. 
• He also champions a fun team culture—including an International Lunch Club featuring a Wheel‑of‑Fortune‑style restaurant picker.
• For him, team bonding, shared experiences, and celebrating wins fuel performance. 

💬 Best Quotes from Trey 

“We have to steward our teams for impact, not activity.” 

“If you don’t want to be an order taker, don’t take the order—ask the bigger question.” 

“Insights should be the bedrock of our strategy sessions.” 

🎧 Listen & Learn 

This episode is a must‑listen for insights professionals seeking to increase their strategic influence and for marketing leaders aiming to better integrate insights into everyday decision‑making.