The So What from BCG

AI and data help tell us what people do, but not why. Lauren Taylor, global leader of BCG’s Center for Customer Insight, makes sense of the mixed signals that consumers give off. To truly understand what drives people, businesses of course value robust, real-time data. But they also must uncover the context, motivators, and human truth behind every choice. 

Learn More:

Lauren Taylor: https://on.bcg.com/4nfwZ1A 

BCG’s Latest Thinking on Customer Insights: https://on.bcg.com/46iy6Yt 

The Paradox of Pessimism: Why Gloomy Consumers Keep Spending: https://on.bcg.com/3Ir7FH2 

Unpacking the $15 Trillion Opportunity in Leisure Travel: https://on.bcg.com/4gGyCTI 

Mapping the Consumer Touchpoints That Influence Decisions: https://on.bcg.com/3IBLBcD 

GenAI’s Role in Customer Insights: Think "And" Not "Or": https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/genais-role-customer-insights-think-ajr3c/ 

Chapters 

00:00-01:25 Introduction/Lauren’s ‘So What’ 

01:26-02:39 How can businesses cut through the contradictions and truly understand what customers want? 

02:49-03:18 Should we just ignore what people say? 

03:19-04:37 What is consumer sentiment? 

04:38-05:35 What can businesses really learn from consumers? 

05:36-06:20 What factors play into the say-do gap? 

06:21-07:45 How much does emotion shape what people buy? 

07:46-09:08 How and why should businesses deaverage the customer? 

09:09-10:17: How nuanced is motivation across different regions? 

10:18-12:10 What parts of the customer journey actually shape what people choose? 

12:11-12:52 Has AI helped us better understand customers or made things more confusing? 

12:53-13:51 How can companies make sense of conflicting signals? 

13:52-14:46 How is AI changing the way that we understand consumer behavior? 

14:47-16:19 With data available, why is it critical for businesses to still talk to customers? 

16:20-17:07 What mistakes are companies making when it comes to listening to their customers? 

17:08-17:32 What should companies look for in sentiment signals? 

17:33-18:04 Lauren’s ‘Now What’ 

18:05-18:27 Do milestone moments matter? 

18:28-18:42 Outro 

M&A activity is waking up, but many companies are reluctant to leap into the fray. Daniel Friedman, BCG’s global leader of transactions and integrations, explains why bold moves now could pay off. Waiting may feel safe, but the cost could be forfeiting once-in-a-decade opportunities. 

Learn More: 

Daniel Friedman: https://on.bcg.com/4mWHyGW 

Mid-2025 M&A Insights: https://on.bcg.com/3V6ENGF 

BCG’s Latest Thinking on M&A: https://on.bcg.com/4ndP9QU 

BCG’s M&A Sentiment Index: https://on.bcg.com/3VEdBzb 

Chapters:

00:00-02:56 Intro/Daniel’s ‘So What’ 

02:57-04:34 What is different now vs. the beginning of the year? 

04:35-06:13 How quickly will the market recover? 

06:14-08:20 What regions and sectors are particularly active? 

08:21-09:01What are risks that could impede recovery? 

09:02-10:26 What is wrong with waiting on the sidelines? 

10:27-12:00 Do downturn deals tend to deliver more value than boom time deals? 

12:01-13:25 What can a company to do ensure that it finds the right deal? 

13:26-17:02 How has M&A changed in a more uncertain world? 

17:03-18:03 How will AI evolve? 

18:04-19:45 What are the winners doing right in this new environment? 

19:46-21:16 The ‘Now What’ 

21:17-21:33 Outro

Transformation isn’t a gamble—it’s science. Kristy Ellmer, a leader with BCG Transform, unpacks the research behind what really makes change work: involving employees in the journey, preparing for the “messy middle,” and building emotional and practical support into the process. Successful efforts focus equally on shifting behaviors and mindsets, not just strategy and structure.  

Learn More: 

Kristy Ellmer: https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/kristy-ellmer 

Preorder Kristy's Book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Change-Really-Works-Science-Based/dp/B0FHBXYSLZ

BCG’s Latest Thinking on Business Transformation: https://www.bcg.com/capabilities/business-transformation/insights 

To Keep Transformations on Track, Incentives Are Crucial: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/incentives-are-crucial-for-transformation-success 

The Transformation Paradox: How to Grow When the Growing Gets Tough: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/transformation-paradox-how-grow-when-growing-gets-tough 

What happens when people live decades longer than before—but not necessarily healthier? Iana Kouris, customer experience leader at BCG X, explores how companies can help people live longer healthier. Businesses can jumpstart the longevity economy by leveraging CX, behavioral design and change management to develop new products for prevention and customized for the growing elderly population, as well as supporting their employees on this journey. 

Learn More: 

Iana Kouris: https://on.bcg.com/4fvFrXv 

BCGX: https://on.bcg.com/4ltCU1A 

How Digital and AI Will Reshape Health Care in 2025: https://on.bcg.com/4mEGBCu 

Private equity is under pressure to deliver returns in a tougher environment. Clark O’Niell, BCG’s global lead for AI infrastructure and cyber in the private investors & private equity practice, shares how the smartest investors are using AI to move beyond hype, drive impact at scale, and future-proof their portfolios. It’s about focus over fragmentation—and combining judgment with new tools. 

Learn More: 

Clark O’Niell: https://on.bcg.com/46tTmep 

BCG’s Latest Thinking on Private Equity: https://on.bcg.com/4598Fa5 

IT Spending Pulse: AI Agents and GenAI Reshape Priorities: https://on.bcg.com/4mmjVXG 

The So What from BCG on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMJgyXjV5gMI9JV-GcF_D1Y6zyf1Eab_0

Rich Lesser, BCG’s global chair, and Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, reflect on the shocks and surprises that shaped the first half of the decade and what they reveal about the future. They explore the traits leaders need today: building trust, staying geopolitically aware, and adopting AI in a people-centered way. 

Learn More: 

Rich Lesser: https://on.bcg.com/4lZrWla 

Martin Reeves: https://on.bcg.com/4lXaAVX 

Winning in the 20s: https://on.bcg.com/4lpe1oo 

Winning the ’20s: A Leadership Agenda for the Next Decade: https://on.bcg.com/40iscDs 

Europe is at a tipping point after years of slow growth. Sylvain Duranton, BCG X’s global leader, explains how countries and companies can work together to simplify regulation, scale innovation, and build a truly unified, competitive Europe. 

Learn More: 

Sylvain Duranton:https://on.bcg.com/3T9QN9b 

Europe’s Business Leaders Are Ready for Action: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/global-trade-disruption-wake-up-call-europe-boston-consulting-group-lbnhe/ 

BCG’s Center for Geopolitics: https://on.bcg.com/4kJir8K 

The role of the CEO is both powerful and punishing. Christine Barton, BCG’s CEO Advisory lead in North America, explores how to make the job more fulfilling. It starts with clarity of purpose, building the right leadership team, and minimizing activities that are time and energy sinkholes.

Learn More: 

Christine Barton: https://on.bcg.com/4n4CyAk 

BCG’s Insights for CEOs: https://on.bcg.com/4l6jujg 

Moves Only a CEO Can Make: https://on.bcg.com/4kUtpJ2 

Balancing a Dynamic Career and a Rewarding Personal Life: https://on.bcg.com/3TfaYTz 

Justin Manly, BCG’s lead on growth and innovation, explains how businesses can choose the right growth strategy given their aspirations and position in the market. Whether a company is gaining or losing share, in a booming or sluggish industry, profitable growth depends on knowing your starting point. 

Learn More: 

Justin Manly: https://on.bcg.com/4kGYyPH 

BCG’s Latest Thinking on Growth and Innovation Analytics: https://on.bcg.com/4kjTEIB 

BCG’s Latest Thinking on Corporate Finance and Strategy: https://on.bcg.com/3ZeAMlX 

Your Growth Strategy Depends on Your Starting Point: https://on.bcg.com/43YpzZm 

The Vitality Code: How Growth Leaders Master Strategy, Technology, People, and Culture: https://on.bcg.com/4dMKjH1