Verian has been recognised at the 2026 New Zealand Insights Effectiveness Awards, taking home three Gold Awards and one Silver Award across some of the industry's most competitive categories.
The awards celebrate research and insights that drive meaningful decisions and achieve measurable impact, recognising work that makes a tangible difference for organisations, communities and New Zealanders.
The achievements reflect Verian's commitment to help clients tackle complex challenges and create positive change.
Verian and Fire and Emergency New Zealand received the Innovation Award (Gold) for the Marketing Spend Impact Modelling tool, a project recognised by judges for its innovation, clarity and compelling evidence of impact. Judges described the work as demonstrating how research could cut through complexity, create a practical decision-making foundation, and help direct investment where it would have the greatest effect.
Verian was also awarded two Gold Awards in the Social and Public Impact category, recognising the role of insight in addressing significant social issues and informing public decision-making.
The first winning project, Out of the Shadows: How Insight is Reshaping MBIE's Response to Worker Exploitation, demonstrated how robust evidence can help government better understand and respond to hidden and complex forms of harm.
The second, Small Screens, Big Worlds: Mapping the Media Lives of the 'Alpha Generation', delivered with Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air, explored how children are navigating an increasingly complex media landscape and provided crucial evidence to support future content and media decisions.
Verian, NielsenIQ and Sport New Zealand also received a Silver Award for Long-Term Impact for Active NZ, recognising nearly a decade of evidence generation that has helped shape New Zealand's sport and recreation system.
The award acknowledges the value of sustained, high-quality insights programmes that continue to influence strategy, investment and policy over many years.
These awards highlight the power of collaboration between clients and researchers, and demonstrate how insight can deliver real-world outcomes across public policy, behaviour change, communications and service delivery.
Andrew Robertson, Co-Managing Director of Verian New Zealand, said the recognition reflects both the calibre of the team's work and the trust placed in Verian by clients.
"We're incredibly proud to see these projects recognised by the industry. Each award-winning piece of work reflects the dedication of our teams and the willingness of our clients to use evidence and insight to tackle important challenges. The real success is the impact these projects have had in helping organisations make better decisions and create positive outcomes for New Zealanders."
Verian extends its congratulations to all award winners and finalists, and particularly to the clients and project teams who contributed to these achievements.
Together, these awards reinforce Verian's purpose: Powering decisions that shape the world.