Gut Feel with Proof: Lessons from Rémy Cointreau’s Ruth Rohlfing
In a world where data is everywhere and gut instinct still matters, how can insights leaders cut through the noise to drive decisions with confidence? With 25+ years of experience across luxury spirits, beauty, and consumer research, Ruth shared candid lessons on how modern insights teams can thrive. Here’s what we learned:
The role of insights has transformed — but credibility still matters
Ruth traced the evolution of insights from long, agency-led projects to today’s agile, tech-enabled approaches. While speed and accessibility have improved dramatically, she stressed that robust methodology and trusted sources remain non-negotiable. There’s data everywhere, but the role of insights is still about answering the right questions and driving the business forward.
Insights leaders succeed by building trust
Ruth emphasized that the best insights teams are not just data providers. They’re strategic partners across marketing, sales, and leadership. Success depends on empathy, EQ, and knowing when to push for research versus when to back gut instinct.
Democratisation is powerful if guided
With so much data at everyone’s fingertips, “…almost by default everybody now is also all of a sudden an insight expert…” Ruth encourages making insights tools accessible, but with safeguards to ensure teams are using data responsibly and acting on the right conclusions. The role of insights remains to synthesize, clarify, and recommend. “It’s important to make sure data is still used in the intended way.”
AI shows promise — but not everywhere
Ruth shared candid experiences where AI-led qualitative tools fell short, but also highlighted where AI shines: instant coding and synthesis of open-ended responses, saving time while retaining quality. For her, the sweet spot is blending technology with human expertise.
A real-world case: packaging that resonates
Ruth showcased how her team used Ideally to test packaging options for a new American whiskey launch. Within three days, they had clear consumer feedback pointing to the winning design. Insights that not only guided internal decisions but also gave distributors confidence to back the launch.
Modern insights teams thrive when they combine speed with rigor, accessibility with expertise, and gut feel with proof. The main lesson? Insights need to drive action, otherwise they act as a "nice to know" rather than a need.
At Ideally, we believe insights should be iterative and support your creativity. That’s why leaders like Ruth use our platform to test ideas in days, not weeks, while keeping rigor intact. If you’d like to see how, book a demo.
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