Insight Architect · Fractional Chief Insights Officer

I help brands make confident decisions about what consumers actually want

Strategic qualitative research, consumer insight, and brand strategy — guided by 25 years of knowing which questions to ask and what the answers really mean.

Naomi Mersky — Strategic Researcher and Insight Architect
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From Manhattan agency war rooms to boardrooms across the country, I've spent over two decades uncovering what makes people tick — and translating those truths into strategies that move brands forward.

Services

Strategic insight leadership — embedded in your team or engaged by the project

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Fractional Chief Insights Officer

Ongoing strategic research leadership for brands that need senior insight guidance without a full-time hire. I embed with your team, shape your research roadmap, interpret findings, and present to the C-suite — on a retainer that fits your stage and budget.

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Insight Architecture & Research Design

I design the research — the right methodology, the right questions, the right audience — so you get answers you can act on. From study architecture through analysis and strategic narrative, I own the thinking from brief to boardroom.

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Expert Moderation & Fieldwork

Thousands of hours moderating across every format — in-facility, in-home ethnography, digital, Zoom, shop-alongs, and unconventional settings. I know how to get past what people say to uncover what they actually think, feel, and do.


Built in agencies.
Proven across industries.

25+
Years of strategic research & planning
150+
Brands across CPG, pharma, tech, QSR & beyond
10+
Industry verticals
Methodologies — if it exists, I've done it

Consumer Packaged Goods

Deep experience with iconic CPG brands across food, beverage, household, baby, and pet categories — from global leaders to ambitious challengers. Brand innovation, renovation, positioning, and equity.

Healthcare & Pharma

Extensive work with leading pharmaceutical companies, health insurers, and major oncology and specialty care institutions. Patient journeys, HCP research, OTC switches, and disease-state education.

QSR & Restaurants

Long-standing relationships with top quick-service and casual dining brands. Menu innovation, brand repositioning, customer experience, and competitive strategy.

Technology & Telecom

Research for major tech platforms, device manufacturers, and wireless carriers. User experience, product positioning, and adoption barriers.

Retail, Beauty & Fashion

Insights for prestige beauty, mass retail, fashion brands, and e-commerce platforms. Shopper journey, brand perception, and category exploration.

Spirits, Finance & Travel

Strategic research for premium spirits, financial institutions, energy companies, and travel brands. Trust-building, customer acquisition, and brand loyalty.

Approach

25 years of judgment,
accelerated by modern tools

The research landscape is changing fast. AI can transcribe, code themes, and surface patterns at scale. What it cannot do is sit across from a consumer and know — from a pause, a contradiction, a flash of emotion — that the real insight is hiding beneath the surface.

I bring both: decades of strategic intuition and a modern, tool-augmented workflow that delivers faster without sacrificing depth. I design hybrid research programs that blend the right technology with irreplaceable human judgment — so you get speed and rigor.

Research architecture designed around your business question — not a template
Hybrid methodologies pairing AI-assisted analysis with expert moderation
Deliverables built for decision-makers — strategic narratives, not data dumps
Faster turnaround and leaner budgets without compromising insight quality
"She specializes in finding out what makes people tick — and how to interest them in what they don't yet know they need."

For Every Stage

Big-brand rigor for organizations that think differently

Startups & Emerging Brands

You're building something new and every dollar matters. I bring Fortune 500 research discipline to early-stage questions — product-market fit, positioning, audience definition — scoped to startup timelines and budgets. The same strategic thinking, right-sized for where you are now.

Flexible engagements for growing companies

Nonprofits & Cultural Institutions

I've worked with some of the country's most respected institutions — from world-class museums and medical foundations to international advocacy organizations. Your "consumers" are donors, members, visitors, and communities — and insight work here serves a mission, not just a margin.

Mission-driven research partnerships

Get in Touch

Let's figure out what your customers aren't telling you

Whether you need ongoing insight leadership or a focused study, I'd love to hear about the questions keeping you up at night.

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