The Growth Distillery’s newly appointed general manager Leigh Lavery has unveiled the 2026 research and insights program, designed to uncover what algorithms miss: the human motivations driving consumer behaviour.
As part of the program launch, The Growth Distillery also revealed a new evolution, with its research now integrated into News Australia’s audience intelligence platform, Intent Connect, enabling brands to turn insights into action.
“This year, The Growth Distillery is upping the ante on Human Intelligence to focus on the unconventional truths that algorithms miss. The market is flooded with algorithmic insights, and while valuable, these models are inherently backward looking,” Lavery said.
“The biggest shift for us this year is linking that foresight to the immediacy of action. By integrating our research into Intent Connect, we are giving clients the capability to target the high-value audiences identified, closing the gap between knowing the customer and growing the customer”.
2026 program highlights include ‘The Unconventional Truth,’ a series designed to challenge the conventional wisdom that keeps brands playing it safe; ‘Gen Z & Gen Alpha’, moving beyond the stereotypes to how these cohorts actually engage.
‘Brand Safety vs Brand Growth’ will investigate how overreaching brand safety measures are costing brands money and harming the media ecosystem.
‘Common Knowledge for the Common Good’ sees why shared cultural context is critical for societal health and brand growth.
‘Fuel for Fandom’ aims to turn passive audiences into active fans across key passion categories such as Food, Travel, and Wellness.
‘Insight to Action’ – flagship research programs ‘Signals of Intent’ and ‘Technographics’ return, now with the ability to target identified audiences directly through Intent Connect.
‘Real-Time Sentiment Tracking’ will leverage The Growth Distillery’s proprietary 30,000+ consumer panel, known as Lighthouse, to track shifting sentiment on societal issues and link it to consumer buying behaviour.
The Growth Distillery is a research and intelligence think-tank, powered by News Corp Australia.
