Market Research in the Age of AI: Why Empathy Still Wins
- Madeline McDonald, Senior Manager of Consumer Insights at Nature’s Way
- AI and Automation, Content Strategy and Marketing, Customer Experience (CX), Digital Transformation, Other Martech, Strategy and Trends
AI is transforming nearly every corner of marketing, and market research is no exception. From faster analysis to synthetic audiences and digital twins, new tools promise efficiency and scale. But according to Madeline McDonald, Senior Manager of Consumer Insights at Nature’s Way, technology alone is not enough.
After more than five years leading insights at one of the most established health and wellness brands, Madeline believes the future of market research depends less on automation and more on empathy.
After more than five years leading insights at one of the most established health and wellness brands, Madeline believes the future of market research depends less on automation and more on empathy.
Check out the full interview with Madeline McDonald, where she shares how the combined forces of AI and human insight can help propel market research to new heights. This is a must watch!
From primary research to consumer truth
Madeline’s career has been rooted in understanding people, not just data.
“I’ve been at Nature’s Way for about five years. Always in the insights field. I came from a primary research background, meaning I ran my own studies,” she says. Today, she leads consumer insights across brand development, innovation, and trend analysis.
Nature’s Way itself has a deeply human origin story. Founded in the late 1960s, the company began when the founder sought herbal alternatives after his wife was diagnosed with stage four cancer. That ethos still shapes how insights inform product development today.
“We have over 2,000 products at this point across both brands,” Madeline explains, referring to Nature’s Way and its professional line, Integrative Therapeutics. “But at the core, it’s about helping people integrate holistic wellness into their day-to-day life.”
“I’ve been at Nature’s Way for about five years. Always in the insights field. I came from a primary research background, meaning I ran my own studies,” she says. Today, she leads consumer insights across brand development, innovation, and trend analysis.
Nature’s Way itself has a deeply human origin story. Founded in the late 1960s, the company began when the founder sought herbal alternatives after his wife was diagnosed with stage four cancer. That ethos still shapes how insights inform product development today.
“We have over 2,000 products at this point across both brands,” Madeline explains, referring to Nature’s Way and its professional line, Integrative Therapeutics. “But at the core, it’s about helping people integrate holistic wellness into their day-to-day life.”
Market research starts with empathy
For Madeline, market research is fundamentally about knowing the consumer. But knowing goes far beyond demographics or price sensitivity.
“When it comes to building brands and building products that make a difference in people’s life, you have to really understand their overall needs,” she says. “That goes beyond just what does the product do or what price point is it at.”
She shares a personal story that shaped her perspective. After struggling with sleep and relying on Benadryl, Madeline worked with Nature’s Way’s master herbalist to try a supplement that changed her experience entirely.
“It was solving not only the need of helping me fall asleep and stay asleep, but it was also solving this other need,” she explains. “The social, emotional, and functional implications of a solution that was not working.”
That insight drives how her team approaches research today. “The core of what we do in Insights at Nature’s Way is to really get that empathy foundation. What are their social, emotional, and functional needs?”
“When it comes to building brands and building products that make a difference in people’s life, you have to really understand their overall needs,” she says. “That goes beyond just what does the product do or what price point is it at.”
She shares a personal story that shaped her perspective. After struggling with sleep and relying on Benadryl, Madeline worked with Nature’s Way’s master herbalist to try a supplement that changed her experience entirely.
“It was solving not only the need of helping me fall asleep and stay asleep, but it was also solving this other need,” she explains. “The social, emotional, and functional implications of a solution that was not working.”
That insight drives how her team approaches research today. “The core of what we do in Insights at Nature’s Way is to really get that empathy foundation. What are their social, emotional, and functional needs?”
How AI is changing data quality and research methods
AI has accelerated research workflows, but it has also complicated data integrity.
“Data quality has always been an issue,” Madeline says. “Before bots, we had speeders. People copying text messages into open-ended responses.” AI makes low-quality responses harder to detect because “it’s not somebody copying and pasting something. It’s somebody that knows the answer.”
To combat this, her team prioritizes data tied to real behavior. “We really have been leaning more towards using data that is connected to consumption,” Madeline explains, citing panel-based partners that collect receipts and purchase behavior.
At the same time, AI has become a valuable efficiency tool. “I use it every day,” Madeline admits. “A lot of the time for emails because that’s stuff that does not really add value, but it takes up a lot of time.”
“Data quality has always been an issue,” Madeline says. “Before bots, we had speeders. People copying text messages into open-ended responses.” AI makes low-quality responses harder to detect because “it’s not somebody copying and pasting something. It’s somebody that knows the answer.”
To combat this, her team prioritizes data tied to real behavior. “We really have been leaning more towards using data that is connected to consumption,” Madeline explains, citing panel-based partners that collect receipts and purchase behavior.
At the same time, AI has become a valuable efficiency tool. “I use it every day,” Madeline admits. “A lot of the time for emails because that’s stuff that does not really add value, but it takes up a lot of time.”
The limits of digital twins and synthetic audiences
While AI-powered digital twins and synthetic audiences are gaining traction, Madeline remains cautious. “I think digital twins are awesome,” she says. “They are great for direction.” But direction is not the same as understanding.
She recounts testing AI tools to summarize customer feedback, only to find major gaps. “I went through and coded them for different themes and what we got were two completely different things.” The issue was context. “It did not understand the intricacies of the context behind it. It was tying things to words, not experiences.”
For Madeline, AI struggles with deeper layers of insight. “I have not found anything that is able to understand completely the business context, integrate qualitative components, interact with trends, and also be in the business and strategy meetings with you.”
Her conclusion is pragmatic. “AI can be another thought partner for you, another supporting thing, but then you can understand where to go from there and where you need to dig deeper.”
She recounts testing AI tools to summarize customer feedback, only to find major gaps. “I went through and coded them for different themes and what we got were two completely different things.” The issue was context. “It did not understand the intricacies of the context behind it. It was tying things to words, not experiences.”
For Madeline, AI struggles with deeper layers of insight. “I have not found anything that is able to understand completely the business context, integrate qualitative components, interact with trends, and also be in the business and strategy meetings with you.”
Her conclusion is pragmatic. “AI can be another thought partner for you, another supporting thing, but then you can understand where to go from there and where you need to dig deeper.”
Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond
So, what does the future of market research look like?
“I think really understanding the different data sources all in one is going to be the key,” Madeline predicts. Especially when those sources connect stated behavior with actual behavior. “Not what consumers are saying about what they have done, but what they have really done,” she explains.
AI’s greatest promise, in her view, is not replacing researchers but freeing them. “AI is about making us more efficient and smarter and reducing that cognitive load so that we are able to make bigger ideas, more creative ideas, and really dive into the human and the creative more.”
“I think really understanding the different data sources all in one is going to be the key,” Madeline predicts. Especially when those sources connect stated behavior with actual behavior. “Not what consumers are saying about what they have done, but what they have really done,” she explains.
AI’s greatest promise, in her view, is not replacing researchers but freeing them. “AI is about making us more efficient and smarter and reducing that cognitive load so that we are able to make bigger ideas, more creative ideas, and really dive into the human and the creative more.”
Why human stories still matter
One of Madeline’s most meaningful projects is centered on longevity, a major trend in health and wellness. Rather than leaning on abstract data, her team gathered real stories from women experiencing aging firsthand.
“There is a lot of emotional baggage when it comes to this,” she says. “A lot of cultural context.” By encouraging brand teams to talk directly with women in their lives, the team gained nuance that data alone could not provide. The insight reshaped messaging away from resisting aging toward feeling alive and present.
“It’s less about I do not want to age,” Madeline explains. “It’s more about how do I still feel alive? How do I make the most of the moments?”
Seeing that insight reflected back in consumer reactions confirmed the approach. “It was so fun to see women comment, ‘I remember that feeling.’ That felt really cool to me.”
“There is a lot of emotional baggage when it comes to this,” she says. “A lot of cultural context.” By encouraging brand teams to talk directly with women in their lives, the team gained nuance that data alone could not provide. The insight reshaped messaging away from resisting aging toward feeling alive and present.
“It’s less about I do not want to age,” Madeline explains. “It’s more about how do I still feel alive? How do I make the most of the moments?”
Seeing that insight reflected back in consumer reactions confirmed the approach. “It was so fun to see women comment, ‘I remember that feeling.’ That felt really cool to me.”
Empathy as the shortcut to trends
As trends accelerate across TikTok and AI-driven platforms, Madeline offers a final reframing. “Empathy is the shortcut to the trend cycle,” she says.
Rather than chasing ingredients or formats, she believes brands should focus on underlying human motivation. “I do not believe necessarily in keeping up. I believe in understanding the overall core human motivation, and then asking: Are there better ways to deliver that?”
In a world increasingly shaped by AI, Madeline’s message is clear. The future of market research is not about replacing human insight, but about using technology to get closer to it.
Rather than chasing ingredients or formats, she believes brands should focus on underlying human motivation. “I do not believe necessarily in keeping up. I believe in understanding the overall core human motivation, and then asking: Are there better ways to deliver that?”
In a world increasingly shaped by AI, Madeline’s message is clear. The future of market research is not about replacing human insight, but about using technology to get closer to it.
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