Standards Advocate Bremer Opens Audit and Advisory Firm

In Las Vegas, veteran US researcher John Bremer has announced the launch of Signals and Standards Research Consulting, an independent company which will audit insight firms for data quality and advise on 'the rigorous application of AI to data and insights.'

Bremer (pictured) is a data science and MR executive with more than 25 years of C-suite leadership, a BA/BS- and MS-level qualified Statistician, and was honoured by the Market Research Council as its Research Innovator for this year. He currently serves on the Insights Association Standards Committee and on SampleCon's Global Data Quality Steering Committee, among others. Most recently Chief Product and Research Officer at tech start-up Tenetic, he worked earlier as Global Chief Research Officer and Group President at NPD, later Circana, helping establish its enterprise-wide data-quality standards; Chief Research and Chief Strategy Officer at Toluna, Chief Research Officer at Compete / Millward Brown Digital, and SVP of Research Science and Co-Head of the Center for Innovation at Harris Interactive.

The new firm reflects Bremer's belief that the insights industry is 'confronting a crisis of confidence', with bots, professional survey-takers, fraudulent respondents and AI-generated content undermining organizations' trust in the authenticity of the data behind their decisions.

One of the company's objectives is to provide an audit for the quality claims made by suppliers - a reliable independent signal giving a practical way for buyers to tell what's real, and for those who do achieve a high standard to reap the rewards. The audit process will examine both processes and results, and where warranted and requested Bremer will then give his personal, named validation.

The firm will offer guidance on where AI applications and synthetic methods improve research and where they introduce risk, along with independent evaluation of AI research platforms and vendors, and education for leadership teams and boards. Bremer will also conduct Fractional Chief Research Officer and advisory engagements for technology startups and growth-stage insights firms - including evaluation of the data layers behind AI models.

Bremer stresses that the firm is 'independent by design,' with 'no products to push and no reseller relationships, so the only thing we have to protect is whether our judgment holds up.' He comments: 'AI will be the most powerful research tool of our lifetimes, and at the same time the most powerful engine ever built for producing plausible, fluent, confident nonsense. When anyone can generate an answer that sounds right, the only durable advantage left is an answer that is right and can prove it. Signals and Standards exists to help organizations get to that proof.'

The new company is online at www.signalsandstandards.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.