Teaching the Human in the Loop: Why AI Can’t Replace Curiosity and Storytelling

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast

In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie and Tiffany talk with Marcus Cunha Jr., Robert O. Arnold Professor of Marketing and Director of the Master of Marketing Research program at the University of Georgia, about preparing the next generation of insights leaders. Drawing on real-world projects with companies like UPS and Coca-Cola, Marcus explains how the program blends academic rigor with practical experience to ensure students learn to connect insights to ROI and business impact. He shares how AI and automation are reshaping skill requirements, why curiosity, adaptability, and storytelling remain irreplaceable, and how alumni continue to rise into leadership roles across the industry. The discussion also touches on his research into how popularity shapes perceptions of expertise and how color saturation influences consumer judgments of product potency. It’s both a window into how one of the most respected programs in the field is evolving and a practical guide for turning research into a driver of strategy rather than just a source of data.

What You’ll Learn:

• How UGA’s MMR program blends academic rigor with industry-ready skills
• Why research without influence is just a cost, and how to tie insights to ROI
• Real examples of student projects adopted by UPS and Coca-Cola
• How AI changes skill requirements, but why curiosity, empathy, and storytelling matter more than ever
• The career trade-offs between supplier and client roles for emerging researchers
• Why are persuasive delivery and presentation skills as vital as analytics
• How Marcus’s research connects popularity with perceived expertise and color with perceived potency

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Episode Resources:

• Marcus Cunha Jr. on LinkedIn
• University of Georgia MMR Program
• Tiffany Mullen on LinkedIn
• Stephanie Vance on LinkedIn
• The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast on Apple Podcasts
• The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast on Spotify
• The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast on YouTube
  
  

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