MMR and Heineken Named Finalists in the Quirk's Awards for Groundbreaking Research Project
We're excited to share that MMR and Heineken have been named finalists in the Groundbreaking Research Project category at the 2026 Quirk's Awards.
Being shortlisted is a wonderful recognition of the partnership, creativity and expertise that went into this project, and the exciting ways AI can help brands get more value from the consumer understanding they already have.
A Smarter Way to Turn Insights Into Ideas
Most businesses have access to huge amounts of information. From consumer research and trend reports to years of insight and learning, there's no shortage of data. The challenge is finding ways to bring all of that information together and turn it into ideas that teams can actually use. That's exactly what this project set out to do.
Working together, MMR and Heineken developed an Agentic Ideation Pipeline that combines AI Personas, consumer insight and brand knowledge to help teams generate new ideas faster and more effectively. The approach allows teams to explore opportunities from different angles while drawing on a wide range of existing knowledge and research.
The project showed how AI can help spark new thinking, uncover unexpected opportunities and support innovation in a practical way, all while proving that AI works best when combined with human expertise, helping teams make better decisions rather than replacing them.
A Proud Moment for the Team
Commenting on the news, Alexandra Kuzmina, Innovation Director at MMR, said:
"Genuinely proud of this one. It was a real team effort and a genuinely forward-thinking client. Thank you to Heineken for trusting us to explore new ground together, and to the MMR team who made it happen,"
Sophie Read, Innovation Insights Manager at Heineken, added:
"At Heineken, we believe true innovation starts with deep consumer understanding, and we've partnered with MMR for many years to bring that closeness into our product development. Their AI Personas tool, built on our flavor segmentation, already gave us something genuinely useful. It was like having a continuous dialogue with our consumers, available on demand. What gives me confidence in it is that it's grounded in real consumer data, not AI generating ideas in isolation. It gives us a strong first lens, to which we then apply our own human judgment. It's all about balance. What began as an experiment is now part of our live pipeline. It's been genuinely successful, and we're looking forward to using it again"
Recognition from the Insights Industry
The Quirk’s Awards recognize the researchers, suppliers and products and services that are adding value and impact to marketing research. Finalists are selected by a panel of judges made up of a combination of end-client researchers, supplier partners and Quirk’s editorial staff. The award winners will be announced at the Quirk’s Awards Virtual Celebration on November 17, 2026. Please visit quirksawards.com for more details.
Looking Ahead
While we're proud to have been named finalists, this recognition is also a reminder of what's possible when brands are willing to experiment, learn and embrace new approaches. As AI continues to evolve, we're excited to keep exploring how it can help businesses unlock more value from their existing knowledge and turn great insights into even better ideas.
A huge thank you to everyone involved in the project and to the teams who helped bring it to life. We're looking forward to celebrating alongside the other finalists at the Quirk's Awards.