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Podcast: Negotiation Illuminators
Podcast: Negotiation Illuminators

In this episode of Negotiation Illuminators, Amy Combrinck speaks with Ramona Daniel, a Cultural Insights and Strategy Consultant. Founder of Twenty3.

They explore the evolution of Negotiation practices, the importance of understanding cultural contexts and the significance of communication styles in Negotiations.

Ramona shares her journey of transitioning careers and emphasises the need for relationship building in Negotiations.

Ultimately, they conclude that Negotiation is a dynamic process akin to a dance, requiring adaptability and awareness of cultural differences.

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Prompt Design for Independent Researchers – Foundations
Prompt Design for Independent Researchers – Foundations

This training session was created for the Insight Consultant Group (ICG) as a Knowledge Share session for their independent consultants.

If you are relatively new to AI, this 45-minute session will help you get more out of the AI tools you’re already using, without needing to become a tech expert. You’ll learn:

  • What different types of AI tools (like ChatGPT or Claude) can and can’t do, and how to pick the right one for the job

  • Simple, repeatable ways to write prompts that give you better, more relevant answers

  • How to fine-tune AI responses when they’re not quite right

  • Easy ways to keep track of the prompts you’ve written, so you can reuse and improve them over time

This is a hands-on, interactive session for independent researchers who want to work faster, think more creatively, and make AI a more useful everyday tool.

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Podcast: Talking AI with Ray Poynter
Podcast: Talking AI with Ray Poynter

I had a really enjoyable chat with Ray Poynteron his 'Talking AI' podcast about using LLMs for cultural insights.
His questions made me realise how we are all moving through the GenAI adoption curve at different speeds.
Working as an independent researcher forced me to find new ways to challenge my assumption, so I accelerated my own learning to use LLMs as a thinking partner.
And I very quickly realised that using Ai isn't about replacing human insight, but amplifying your ability to ask better questions when you don't have a team around you.

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Ramona Daniel Ramona Daniel

Would You Eat This Caterpillar's Face?

Which supermarket has the best caterpillar cake?

Which? has actually just released the results of a blind taste test of 9 supermarket caterpillar cakes, and Waitrose's Cecil came first. M&S Colin - the OG, the icon, the one that started it all in 1990 - came last with 64%.

So I pulled YouScan social listening data to understand what's actually being said online. And it turns out people are not just picking a favourite. They're evaluating caterpillar cakes on a surprisingly specific set of criteria: the ratio of buttercream to sponge, the structural integrity of the chocolate coating, the aesthetic quality of the face and feet.

The choice of cake has become a form of social signalling. For many people, the caterpillar cake isn't really a cake. It's a ceremonial object. And the thickness of the chocolate shell is a measure of how much you care.

So why has nobody ever successfully premiumised it?

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Trends Ramona Daniel Trends Ramona Daniel

Trends & Artefacts: mystic outlands edition

In this week’s edition of Trends & Artefacts, we round up the snackable trends, stats and insights from around the world, including:

  • Pet Collars Now Let Owners Call Their Dogs

  • Restaurants Are Banning Phones to Rebuild Connection

  • Murder Mystery Events Go Mainstream

  • Explainer: Mystic Outlands

  • Romania's Bottle Return Scheme Collects Eight Billion Containers

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Trends Ramona Daniel Trends Ramona Daniel

Trends & Artefacts: viking wellness edition

In this week’s edition of Trends & Artefacts, we round up the snackable trends, stats and insights from around the world, including:

  • Qantas Deploys All-Female Crews at Scale

  • Victoria Legislates the Right to Work From Home

  • Spotify Lets Users Edit Their Algorithmic Taste Profile

  • Explainer: Viking Wellness

  • Beauty Commerce Shifts to Diagnose and Decide

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Trends Ramona Daniel Trends Ramona Daniel

Trends & Artefacts: stack dating edition

In this week’s edition of Trends & Artefacts, we round up the snackable trends, stats and insights from around the world, including:

  • Gen Z Still Scrolls TikTok But Trusts It Less

  • Wordle Creator Launches Harder Word Game

  • Korea Pilots Free Public Sanitary Pads

  • Explainer: Stack dating

  • Uber Lets Women Choose Women Drivers

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Trends Ramona Daniel Trends Ramona Daniel

Trends & Artefacts: housefishing edition

In this week’s edition of Trends & Artefacts, we round up the snackable trends, stats and insights from around the world, including:

  • Cinema Attendance Has Not Fully Recovered

  • Wired Headphones Are Back as a Cultural Statement

  • Teen Sleep Deprivation Reaches Epidemic Levels

  • Explainer: housefishing

  • WhatsApp Launches Parent-Managed Pre-Teen Accounts

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Trends Ramona Daniel Trends Ramona Daniel

Trends & Artefacts: choppelganger edition

In this week’s edition of Trends & Artefacts, we round up the snackable trends, stats and insights from around the world, including:

  • Freeze-Dried Candy Turns Chewy Into Crispy

  • Fortnum & Mason Chocolate Bars Include Sheet Music

  • Red Berries Reshape Luxury Perfume

  • Explainer: Choppelganger

  • Barbie Doll Cakes Fade From Celebrations

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