Don’t Just Hand Over the Deck: How Co-Creation Unlocks Real Insight Value

Keri Vermaak, Regional Engagement Director at Infotools, writes for Insights Association on why insights work best when clients help find them.

In our data-rich world, it’s easy to assume that producing a research report is enough. But the real value of research only begins when a client does something with it—makes a decision, takes action, changes course. Until that moment, we’ve only spent time and money.

"Until the moment a client does something good with research, there is no value."

That might sound stark, but it’s a truth Keri has seen play out time and again. The return on investment from insights doesn’t come from simply delivering findings—it comes from collaborating to discover them.

Insight Isn’t a Handoff

Too often, research is treated like a handoff: the project concludes, a tidy deck is delivered, and stakeholders are expected to pull out the “so what” on their own. This approach assumes that understanding will naturally follow—and that action will soon after.

"Insight doesn’t live in the handover. It lives in the discovery."

But in reality, insights become actionable only when clients are actively involved—not just at the briefing stage, but throughout the entire process, especially during analysis. When clients can dig into the results, ask questions, and explore data through their unique lens, insights become personal—and powerful.

From Static Delivery to Shared Discovery

We saw this firsthand with a global client managing an incredibly complex research ecosystem: hundreds of brands, 100+ data sources, and more than 75 agency partners. Insight was trapped in silos, and stakeholders were overwhelmed.

Working together, we transformed their approach:

• Harmonizing survey data globally

• Aligning markets and partners to common protocols

• Delivering consistent, comparable insights across regions

"The goal wasn’t just better reporting. It was a strategic shift in how insight was discovered, shared, and acted on."

This shift empowered local teams to explore results on their own while freeing up central insight teams to focus on strategy and storytelling. That’s shared discovery at scale—and it makes all the difference.

The More They Explore, the More They Ask

There’s a misconception that giving clients tools to explore insights will reduce engagement. But the opposite is true.

"When stakeholders explore, they come back with better, more relevant, more urgent questions."

And those are the moments when researchers can truly shine—offering meaningful patterns, building compelling narratives, and advising on business decisions. It’s a shift from data deliverers to insight partners.

How to Enable Co-Creation in Insight

To make this collaborative model work, you don’t need to overhaul your entire process overnight. Start with a few practical steps:

• Make discovery intuitive
  Create dashboards or tools that feel as easy to use as reading a headline. Business users should be able to explore what’s interesting, fast.

• Automate the reveals
  Use platforms that surface statistically significant trends, patterns, or shifts—so stakeholders see what matters without digging endlessly.

• Support guided curiosity
  Allow flexible interaction with data (segmenting, trending, tracking), while keeping guardrails in place to prevent overwhelm.

• Meet stakeholders where they are
  Push insights to where decisions happen—dashboards, inboxes, team meetings—so insight becomes part of the process, not a separate output.

Insights That Stick Start with Ownership

When a client discovers something for themselves—whether through dashboards, smart tools, or a question well-asked—they act with more clarity and confidence. They champion the findings internally. They drive decisions forward.

"Co-created insight isn’t just better understood—it’s better used."

Fieldwork Is Only Half the Journey

We spend a lot of time perfecting fieldwork, but insight doesn't end when data collection stops. The second half—the interpretation, the storytelling, the pattern-spotting—that’s where the true value lies. And that value grows exponentially when clients are deeply involved.

"Insight work isn’t finished when the fieldwork ends. That’s just the halfway point."