Join Knit at the Corporate Researchers Conference (CRC) 2025 in Chicago on Sept 9-11, 2025. We're excited to be co-presenting with Taylor Spaeth, Senior Manager, Insights & Analytics at Kellanova for our session "From Mid to Magnetic: How Kellanova is using Researcher-Driven AI to reclaim cool." For more info on the event, visit: https://www.insightsassociation.org/Events/CRC-September-9-11-Chicago
September 9, 2025
Chicago, IL
September 10, 2025 | 12:10 PM-12:40 PMCST
Presenters:
Liam Hickey: Head of Research, Knit
Taylor Spaeth: Senior Manager, Insights & Analytics, Kellanova
Session Overview:
Kellanova faced a hard truth—Gen Z didn’t see its brands as culturally relevant, describing them as merely “pretty good,” which in this demographic’s language meant forgettable. Traditional research methods fell short, often suppressing honest feedback due to groupthink and social pressure in live settings.
To break through, Kellanova partnered with Knit to field self-recorded, unaided video responses powered by Researcher-Driven AI. This approach unlocked raw, authentic feedback that revealed both the problem (a lack of cool factor) and potential paths forward. Instead of chasing one-off insights, the Knit platform allowed the team to zero in on patterns and respondents who provided context-rich explanations, ensuring deeper exploration in the right direction.
The emotional impact of hearing the brand gaps directly from Gen Z voices helped overcome internal resistance to long-term brand investment. The insights led to realignment of brand equity strategies, gained stakeholder buy-in, and inspired more Gen Z-relevant brand positioning.
