AI and data help tell us what people do, but not why. Lauren Taylor, global leader of BCG’s Center for Customer Insight, makes sense of the mixed signals that consumers give off. To truly understand what drives people, businesses of course value robust, real-time data. But they also must uncover the context, motivators, and human truth behind every choice.

Learn More:

Lauren Taylor: https://on.bcg.com/4nfwZ1A

BCG’s Latest Thinking on Customer Insights: https://on.bcg.com/46iy6Yt

The Paradox of Pessimism: Why Gloomy Consumers Keep Spending: https://on.bcg.com/3Ir7FH2

Unpacking the $15 Trillion Opportunity in Leisure Travel: https://on.bcg.com/4gGyCTI

Mapping the Consumer Touchpoints That Influence Decisions: https://on.bcg.com/3IBLBcD

GenAI’s Role in Customer Insights: Think "And" Not "Or": https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/genais-role-customer-insights-think-ajr3c/

Chapters

00:00-01:25 Introduction/Lauren’s ‘So What’

01:26-02:39 How can businesses cut through the contradictions and truly understand what customers want?

02:49-03:18 Should we just ignore what people say?

03:19-04:37 What is consumer sentiment?

04:38-05:35 What can businesses really learn from consumers?

05:36-06:20 What factors play into the say-do gap?

06:21-07:45 How much does emotion shape what people buy?

07:46-09:08 How and why should businesses deaverage the customer?

09:09-10:17: How nuanced is motivation across different regions?

10:18-12:10 What parts of the customer journey actually shape what people choose?

12:11-12:52 Has AI helped us better understand customers or made things more confusing?

12:53-13:51 How can companies make sense of conflicting signals?

13:52-14:46 How is AI changing the way that we understand consumer behavior?

14:47-16:19 With data available, why is it critical for businesses to still talk to customers?

16:20-17:07 What mistakes are companies making when it comes to listening to their customers?

17:08-17:32 What should companies look for in sentiment signals?

17:33-18:04 Lauren’s ‘Now What’

18:05-18:27 Do milestone moments matter?

18:28-18:42 Outro

M&A activity is waking up, but many companies are reluctant to leap into the fray. Daniel Friedman, BCG’s global leader of transactions and integrations, explains why bold moves now could pay off. Waiting may feel safe, but the cost could be forfeiting once-in-a-decade opportunities.

Learn More:

Daniel Friedman: https://on.bcg.com/4mWHyGW

Mid-2025 M&A Insights: https://on.bcg.com/3V6ENGF

BCG’s Latest Thinking on M&A: https://on.bcg.com/4ndP9QU

BCG’s M&A Sentiment Index: https://on.bcg.com/3VEdBzb

00:00-02:56 Intro/Daniel’s ‘So What’

02:57-04:34 What is different now vs. the beginning of the year?

04:35-06:13 How quickly will the market recover?

06:14-08:20 What regions and sectors are particularly active?

08:21-09:01What are risks that could impede recovery?

09:02-10:26 What is wrong with waiting on the sidelines?

10:27-12:00 Do downturn deals tend to deliver more value than boom time deals?

12:01-13:25 What can a company to do ensure that it finds the right deal?

13:26-17:02 How has M&A changed in a more uncertain world?

17:03-18:03 How will AI evolve?

18:04-19:45 What are the winners doing right in this new environment?

19:46-21:16 The ‘Now What’

21:17-21:33 Outro

Transformation isn’t a gamble—it’s science. Kristy Ellmer, a leader with BCG Transform, unpacks the research behind what really makes change work: involving employees in the journey, preparing for the “messy middle,” and building emotional and practical support into the process. Successful efforts focus equally on shifting behaviors and mindsets, not just strategy and structure.

Learn More:

Kristy Ellmer: https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/kristy-ellmer

Preorder Kristy's Book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Change-Really-Works-Science-Based/dp/B0FHBXYSLZ

BCG’s Latest Thinking on Business Transformation: https://www.bcg.com/capabilities/business-transformation/insights

To Keep Transformations on Track, Incentives Are Crucial: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/incentives-are-crucial-for-transformation-success

The Transformation Paradox: How to Grow When the Growing Gets Tough: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/transformation-paradox-how-grow-when-growing-gets-tough