Measuring the ROI of Customer Insights

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4rZmjXj

Episode summary: In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs sits down with Dave Kerry Davies, UserTesting’s Global Value Engineering Director, to tackle one of the most persistent challenges facing research and insights teams: proving ROI.

Drawing on conversations with more than 500 organizations, Dave shares a surprising pattern—most teams don’t struggle with complex financial modeling; they simply fail to measure ROI at all. The result? A “PR problem” for research teams, where executives call for customer-centricity but don’t clearly see the financial impact of insights work.

Dave breaks down four core value drivers—business growth, faster innovation, reduced operational costs, and risk mitigation—and explains how teams can translate customer experience improvements into measurable business outcomes. Through practical examples (from digital banking to municipal websites), he shows how reducing friction, shifting research earlier in the product lifecycle, and aligning with executive priorities can directly impact revenue, cost savings, and strategic decision-making.

The conversation also explores how framing insights through executive empathy—understanding what makes a great day for your boss—can transform internal conversations, reduce political friction, and earn research a true seat at the table. Dave offers simple, actionable advice for teams just getting started: track your work, state your assumptions, collaborate cross-functionally, and iterate on your ROI story over time.

You’ll learn:

• Why failing to measure ROI creates a visibility and credibility gap for research teams
• The four value drivers that connect insights work to executive priorities
• How to quantify friction in customer journeys and tie it to revenue and cost impact
• Why “shifting left” reduces rework and increases product success
• How executive empathy can improve alignment and reduce internal politics
• Practical first steps to start building your own ROI model

Resources & links:

• How to measure UX ROI and impact (https://www.usertesting.com/blog/how-measure-ux-roi-and-impact)
• The ROI of consumer insights when building digital finance products (https://www.usertesting.com/blog/roi-consumer-insights-when-building-digital-finance-products)
• Dave Kerry on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kerry/)
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast