Dan Parker-Smith on Storytelling, Video, and Creative Collaboration in Insights

Dan Parker-Smith, Creative Director & Filmmaker at EXPLNERS and a 2026 Future List Honoree, brings a storyteller’s lens to market research. With a background in music and film, he is redefining how insights are communicated, using video to turn complex data into compelling narratives. Passionate about collaboration and creative experimentation, Parker-Smith champions a more human, engaging approach to delivering insights that resonate and drive action.

Outside of insights, what are your passions and interests?

I love music and performing. Alongside running a business, I write music and play in multiple bands – I sing, play guitar, piano and drums – a rock and roll covers band, a trad folk band and an original alt-indie rock band. I’m a keen creative and I enjoy collaborating with other musicians. Writing songs is a great challenge and outlet. A few years back, our album earned a 4 star-review in Rolling Stone Magazine which was a very proud moment. I like to push myself and try new things, personally and at work. Balancing running a business with so many creative projects can be a challenge, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Who is your career role model or source of inspiration?

I take a lot of inspiration for my work from outside of the research sector. Think we can learn a lot from the other departments and areas that sit alongside us. For me, marketing is about communication and therefore has truly embraced video to tell stories for brands and organisations – research not so much. I think we can look to marketing and similar fields and see how we can become better communicators – not just in the work we deliver, but how we communicate with each other to collaborate and tell insight stories. Specifically, I take inspiration from YouTube creators and journalists. Explainer videos from companies like Vox have really showed us how we can take (sometimes) quite drab data and turn it into an impactful, engaging story using video. It’s not just about flashy visuals, but about a compelling narrative that draws people in and leaves them wanting more.

Since starting your career in MRX, what would you consider to be your greatest accomplishment? 

My biggest achievement was when my company EXPLNERS was shortlisted for the MRS Best New Venture award in 2025. The business is just the three of us, no financial backing, just independent researchers who came together to create a business – definitely something to be proud of. I started my career in MRX almost by accident, but even in the early stages I was keen to find ways to integrate my skillset in film and bring in my video production knowledge. Beyond vox pops and ethnography, I felt we could use other storytelling techniques within the video format from documentary and journalism to tell the research story. One of the biggest challenges was showcasing to clients the value of the format and what we could deliver for them. So to be up for Best New Venture was massive for me.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned from market research? 

Collaborate, make a strong network, nurture it, use it for help and help others too. I think there’s enough of the pie to go around, so as a rule - when others ask for help, get involved. Hopefully what goes around comes around, and I’ve found it most cases it does. Market research doesn’t happen in a vacuum and we’re often pulling from many sources, collaborating and relying on others to do our job well. I think when the opportunity comes, actively get to know people and see if you can collaborate. It might not happen straight away but if you get a good vibe, stick with it. Personally, I met my two co-founders this way – getting a sense that they’d be good to work with and staying in touch until the moment was right to do something together.

What advice do you have for folks hoping to start a career in insights? 

I always remind myself that clients are people too. We all have a life outside of work, and remembering this can be really helpful in understanding how best to communicate together and make work enjoyable and productive. Clear, honest and positive communication is massive – not just ‘being a team player’, but actually working together to realise how best the work we can do can actually drive change. Landing a good insight is better than a great insight sitting in a desk drawer because of poor communication. In my MRX career, I’ve found the best work I deliver is with the people I have strong relationships with. So, my advice would be to nurture those relationships and build on them. Specifically for my career, reiterating the phrase ‘clients are people too’ has made me think about the videos I make and how they can land insights better in the business to communicate with stakeholders and deliver a truly valuable piece of video insight.