Impact that matters: how insights shape decisions, brands and society

What the 2025 Global 30 Under 30 reveal about choosing a career with real influence.

One of the most powerful messages to emerge from the 2025 Global 30 Under 30 cohort is that a career in market research, data and insights offers something many young professionals crave, the chance to make a genuine impact. The honourees repeatedly describe the satisfaction of seeing their work drive decisions, influence products and shape experiences that affect millions of people. For those considering a career in the industry, their message is clear, insights is not a behind the scenes function. It is a driver of meaningful change.

Shaping decisions at the highest level

Across sectors, the honourees share examples of how their work directly influences senior decision making. Whether supporting a brand as it expands into a new market, guiding a government department on public sentiment or helping a product team understand user behaviour, their research informs choices that have real weight. This sense of influence is a major reason they recommend the industry. They see the tangible effect of their work, and they are energised by it.

Making products and experiences better

Many honourees talk about the excitement of seeing a product or service evolve because of insights they uncovered. They describe moments when their qualitative understanding shaped a user journey, or when their analysis revealed unmet needs that led to innovation. These experiences are deeply motivating. They show that insights professionals are not observers, they are contributors, helping shape solutions that better meet human needs.

Driving social and cultural impact

Several young leaders in the cohort highlight the role insights can play in social good. This includes projects focused on public health, education, accessibility, sustainability or community attitudes. They emphasise how rewarding it is to work on initiatives that help society understand itself better, especially when the work leads to policy improvements or positive behavioural change. For many, this ability to make a difference is one of the strongest reasons to choose the field.

A career where impact is visible

Unlike some professions where contributions can feel abstract or distant, insights offers clear, visible lines between your work and the outcomes it enables. Honourees describe the pride of seeing their insights presented in boardrooms, reflected in campaigns or integrated into strategic decisions. They talk about how motivating it is to know that their perspective matters, and that they play an essential role in shaping the future of brands, organisations and industries.

Lessons for those considering the industry

The cohort’s reflections give practical guidance to prospective researchers and analysts. If you want a career where your work influences real outcomes, insights offers that. If you want to contribute to better decisions, more human centred products and more thoughtful strategies, this is a field where you will find purpose. If you want to feel the impact of your thinking, this is a profession that rewards rigorous curiosity and evidence driven storytelling.

Closing, choosing a career with real influence

The stories of the 2025 Global 30 Under 30 highlight one of the most compelling reasons to pursue a career in insights, the opportunity to create impact. Whether shaping innovation, guiding organisations or informing social change, insights professionals help the world understand itself in deeper and more meaningful ways. For anyone seeking a career with influence, purpose and tangible outcomes, the insights industry offers a powerful path.