Educated Conjecture: An Ipsos Podcast

What's driving menu innovation for quick service restaurants in the face of broader health and post COVID trends? In this episode, Erin Cohen, Director of Consumer Insights at Tim Hortons, joins Mike, Sean, and guest host Jaclyn Chiarello, from Ipsos's Innovation group, talk about how data from both customers and broader trends is influencing Tim Hortons evolving offer to Canadians. Warning, this episode may make you very hungry.

In this episode, host Mike and Sean are joined by their Public Affairs colleague Sanyam Sethi to drill down into the Canadian data from the recent Global Trends study. Together they explore the data that shows how the country is changing and how Canadians feel about the impact of constant disruption and evolving technology as well as issues affected the most by the "say-do" and "believe-true" gaps. Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most major podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

In this episode, Nick Chiarelli, Engagement Manager for Ipsos’ Global Trends and Foresight group, joins Mike to discuss what’s changed (and what hasn’t) in trends and attitudes around the world as measured by Ipsos’ annual Global Trends study. Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most major podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

In this last episode of 2022, Mike and Sean are joined by Gregory Jack, VP of Public Affairs with Ipsos, to discuss 12 stats which helped to describe what was happening in Canada over the course of the last year.  Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most major podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published. Thank you for your support over the last year, and have a safe and happy holiday season!

In this episode, Milorad Ajder, Global Service Line Leader for Corporate Reputation at Ipsos, joins Mike and Sean to talk about all things reputation - how it’s defined, what companies can do to develop reputational breathing space, the impact of trust, and the foundational effect of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities.   Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most major podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

Heading into the final week of Quebec’s election campaign, in this episode, Sébastien Dallaire, SVP/ Directeur-général for Ipsos in Québec joins Sean and Mike to discuss how the upcoming election will play out. Topics of discussion include the key political parties and players, who is leading and who is lagging, as well as the issues shaping public conversation. Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most major podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

Are policies that link national funding to ensuring that sport is abuse-free, fun and safe resulting in a healthier sport culture for high-performance athletes and participants? In this episode, Derek Johnston, Communications strategist & facilitator for Face Value Communications, & Integral Professional Coach, joins Mike to talk about the shift from win-at-all-cost coaching to an approach that considers both the mental and physical health of athletes.   Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most major podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

Is the mainstream media losing its role as the gatekeeper of objective news and reporting? With news and information available 24/7 from a huge variety of sources, how are Canadians getting their facts? In this episode, Beatrice Politi, Vice President, Corporate Advisory - Earned Media, Coaching and Strategy at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, joins Mike and Sean to talk about where Canadians are getting their news, how media habits are changing, and the impact on democracy and open discussion.  Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most major podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

We’re dishing up a ‘mash-up’, between our Educated Conjecture and Customer Perspective Ipsos podcasts, to give a customer and citizen perspective on the world.  Hosted by Helen Wilson, Mike Colledge provides us with the ‘citizen lens’, and Ray Kong provides us with the ‘customer lens’. Ray and Mike talk to us about what matters to today’s citizens – what’s keeping them awake at night, of course recognising that customers are citizens too. Among the topics covered are: customers’ expectations of brands in helping them address pressing concerns – cost of living and sustainability among them; liquid expectations, including those crossing from the private into public sectors; executives’ challenges, including staffing; and, on a positive note, disruption breeding innovation. As a flavour of the conversations they’re hearing: “ … when my income hasn't risen as fast as my cost of living … the expectations (of organisations) are not that they are going to solve the root causes, (but) … how do you help me navigate these times?” “I vote every four years, but I spend every day, and I'd like my money to have a similar impact to my vote on those broad social issues” And from a business leader: “I know that this (staffing) is a problem. I know that we need to find ways to do better, but I just have no tools to solve this, because I cannot get people … and I cannot develop alternate tools fast enough”. Mike leads Ipsos Public Affairs in Canada, and is co-host of Educated Conjecture, our podcast that examines a current or emerging issue – what’s happening today, the future impact, and steps that might need to be taken to generate a better outcome for tomorrow. Ray Kong is a President in our Ipsos Client Organisation and has previously led Ipsos CX business in both South Africa and Canada.   Ray is representing Customer Perspective, which our loyal listeners will know is aimed at all of you who are concerned with helping your organisation deliver on its Brand Promise to customers. If you’d like to add another podcast to your favourites list, head to Educated Conjecture.  And, yes, we’ll be inviting Darrell Bricker to educate us, but if you cannot wait and would like to read his book, Empty Planet, head here for details. Find out more about our latest Ipsos CX and Channel Performance thinking.

More than two in three Canadians say they’re worried that basic services have been neglected by our governments.  In this episode, Mike and Sean are joined by Darrell Bricker, Global CEO, Ipsos Public Affairs, to discuss precarious public confidence, concerns about the delivery of public services, and a divided set of issues.   Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us  at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most major podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

If a week is a long time in politics, consider that when Ipsos was founded in 1975, NASA launched the first joint United States and Soviet Union space flight, Betamax and VHS videotapes were introduced, and the ethernet was just being born.  In this episode, Simon Atkinson, Chief Knowledge Officer at Ipsos, joins Mike and Sean to talk about how Ipsos manages its wide range of knowledge, and how common (and not so common) beliefs, attitudes, opinions, and issue concerns have been changing pre-and-post pandemic.   Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us  at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most major podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

Delivery, drive-through, take-out, or cooking at home, Canadians’ food and beverage choices are changing. In this episode, Asad Amin, SVP and lead of Ipsos’s syndicated food and beverage group, joins Mike and Sean to talk about the impact of the pandemic, inflation, pent up demand for a dining experience, and generational differences which are all affecting what Canadians eat (and drink!), and where. Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us  at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most major podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

Canadians are increasingly concerned about inflation, housing affordability/availability, interest rates, and the economy in general. In this episode, Mike Moffatt, Assistant Professor at The Ivey Business School at Western University and Senior Director of Policy at The Smart Prosperity Institute joins Mike to talk about a wide variety of economic issues that are affecting Canadians. Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most major podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

Does when you’re born shape who you are?  In this episode, Bobby Duffy, Director of the Policy Institute King’s College London, and Author of The Generation Myth, joins Mike and Sean to discuss how generations shape societies, and why generational differences aren’t as distinct as we think. Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at  publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most major podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

As the pandemic (very) slowly becomes endemic, how are working Canadians dealing with the seemingly endless sameness of remote work? Are we working more hours, but becoming less productive? What’s spurring Canadians to change their jobs, their careers, or their lives to find meaning and purpose as we move into the third year of COVID?  In this episode, J.P. Gedeon,  Leadership Psychology and Transformation Expert, Management consultant, Executive coach, and Corporate educator joins Mike and Sean to discuss how people and organizations are coping with anxiety and uncertainty, how these factors are influencing behaviours at work, and why it’s important to make your bed! Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd   like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at  publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

What’s most worrying our neighbours to the south? In this episode, Chris Jackson, SVP for Ipsos in the USA joins Sean to discuss the most important issues facing Americans, including the economy, COVID, and increasing concerns about war and foreign conflict. Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd  like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at  publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

Are Canadians believers or skeptics on the benefits that technology will bring to their lives over the next decade?  The answer is – it depends.  In this episode, Jesse Hirsh, Futurist & Co-Founder of The Academy of the Impossible, joins hosts Mike Colledge and Sean Simpson to discuss the impact of generation, technology literacy and trust in big tech when it comes to embracing the future.  Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at  publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

In this episode, Dawn Desjardins, Deputy Chief Economist at RBC joins hosts Mike Colledge & Sean Simpson to discuss the uneven impact of the pandemic on Canadians and their increasing worries about affordability and inflation.  Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like  us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get  episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

The Canadian political landscape seems to be changing by the minute. In this bonus episode of Educated Conjecture, recorded on February 14, 2022, Darrell Bricker, Global CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs joins Sean Simpson and Mike Colledge as they try to take stock of the latest news. They also try to assess the complex set of challenges that the Trudeau government faces as they move forward. Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We're on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

In this episode, Mike and Sean talk about cryptocurrency with Kimberly Grauer, Director of Research at Chainalysis Inc. and Eric Jardine, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Virginia Tech and Co-author of “Look Who's Watching: Surveillance, Treachery and Trust Online”.  Although still in the minority, increasing numbers of Canadians believe that paper money and coins are disappearing, and confidence in digital currency is growing.  What is cryptocurrency, who’s using it around the world, and what’s contributing to it’s growth?  Our guests help us explore the issues.   Link: Crime and NFTs: Chainalysis Detects Significant Wash Trading and Some Money Laundering In this Emerging Asset Class