Warner Bros. Research Alums Launch Maverix Insights Firm
Three longtime Warner Bros. research executives have joined forces to launch Maverix, a research firm that taps proprietary data on consumer purchasing activity to study entertainment consumption in the context of a person’s broader lifestyle preferences.
Liz Huszarik spent 30 years with Warner Bros., serving as executive VP of media research and global insights for Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution prior to leaving the company following its 2022 merger with Discovery Inc. Huszarik’s former colleagues, Alexia Raven and Kathleen Marinaccio, joined her about a year ago when they took the first steps to launch Maverix.
Huszarik’s goal was to create a next-generation research operation that can analyze a consumer’s entertainment choices in the context of other lifestyle and purchasing details. That was enabled when she secured access to a proprietary zero-party data base that tracks the daily consumption habits of some 30 million people in the U.S. and 50 million worldwide. When Huszarik learned that such a data base existed and that it tracked TV shows and movies along with other consumer purchases, her heart skipped a beat.
“You need to tell an emotionally compelling story with data for it to change hearts and minds,” Huszarik told Variety.
Data is more plentiful than ever but the deluge makes it ever harder to interpret. Raven has data science skills that complement Huszarik’s strengths. Marinaccio is the design maven who has deep experience using visuals, charts and graphics to explain the significance of what the data reveals.
During her years at Warner Bros., “we had unlimited budgets [for data sources], but it continued to tell less and less of a story,” Huszarik said. “With Nielsen, less and less of the viewing is captured, so we were hobbling and cobbling together all these multiple sources.”
Huszarik’s focus in getting Maverix off the ground was to “identify a data source, and then we really wanted to lean into emotional insights, because we believe that all companies be be they media and entertainment, tractors, retail, insurance, phone — whatever they are, they have to make their consumers feel something. Whether it’s comfort, empowerment, excitement, connection — they have to message and connect with them on an emotional level.”
The company’s clients to date have included Amazon, YouTube, Sony, Warner Bros. Discovery, Endeavor, Varsity Spirit, Unlikely Collaborators, Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI), First Stop News and Tim McGraw’s Down Home Productions.
After years of crunching TV ratings and viewing the marketplace largely through the lens of age and gender demographic categories, the holistic view of what makes consumers tick is refreshing for the Maverix trio. Raven asserted that understanding the emotional undercurrent of what makes consumers choose one product or service over another is crucial to long-term growth.
“In any industry, every brand is a storyteller,” Raven said. “They’re telling stories across all of these various platforms today, whether it’s on social media, it’s on a podcast, it’s on a Slack channel, it’s on YouTube. They’re having to tell and connect with people emotionally.
Raven cited the sucess of bottled water brand Liquid Death, which is not affiliated with Maverix.
“They’re incredible storytellers around their brand,” she said. “At a time when we’re going through unprecedented technological change, these generational shifts that are happening across all generations, it’s never been more crucial to really understand like human behavior, explore culture and then help evolve businesses.”
Huszarik emphasized the importance of bringing added context to questions that companies face about everything from pricing to launch dates. Maverix’s work is rooted in entertainment but it extends well outside the Hollywood bubble. “We’re looking at product analytics, concept evaluation, piloting, testing, go-to-market strategies, growth strategies. Context always matters, especially today, because we know the pace of change is only accelerating,” Huszarik said.
The trio are enjoying the nimbleness of their startup venture and the contrast to working for a large studio. For the first time in their careers, the trio have the authority to set the company’s agenda. Maverix has launched a number of products to pique the interest of potential clients, notably the Media Identity Graph (aka MIDG) that offers a daily look at what people are buying, and why.
“Collaboration and empowerment are the cornerstones of our philosophy,” Marinaccio said. “Maverix Insights fosters a community united by a shared vision of driving positive change and creating a lasting impact.”
Huszarik has studied business activity and outcomes for more than 30 years. The process of planting her entrepreneurial flag to launch and rev up Maverix to seek out clients has been gratifying and daunting, she said. The company has six employees to date. The three principles so far work remotely out in different states, with Huszarik leading the charge from her home base in Los Olivos outside of Santa Barbara.
“One nice thing is to be able to work with like-minded partners who want to be there with you,” Huszarik said. “You don’t have as much of the politics that you have within a large organization because we’re coming together to all build the business together. So that’s a nice thing.”
Huszarik points to the disruption that is roiling Hollywood as firm evidence that the industry needs insights beyond ratings and box office numbers. The WarnerMedia-Discovery merger that brought the Maverix partners together is but one example of the pressure to do more with less. “There’s such pressure on the bottom lines,” she said. “We’re in this position because of that, so it’s nice to be on the other end.”
(Pictured: Maverix partners Liz Huszarik, Alexia Raven and Kathleen Marinaccio)
Liz Huszarik spent 30 years with Warner Bros., serving as executive VP of media research and global insights for Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution prior to leaving the company following its 2022 merger with Discovery Inc. Huszarik’s former colleagues, Alexia Raven and Kathleen Marinaccio, joined her about a year ago when they took the first steps to launch Maverix.
Huszarik’s goal was to create a next-generation research operation that can analyze a consumer’s entertainment choices in the context of other lifestyle and purchasing details. That was enabled when she secured access to a proprietary zero-party data base that tracks the daily consumption habits of some 30 million people in the U.S. and 50 million worldwide. When Huszarik learned that such a data base existed and that it tracked TV shows and movies along with other consumer purchases, her heart skipped a beat.
“You need to tell an emotionally compelling story with data for it to change hearts and minds,” Huszarik told Variety.
Data is more plentiful than ever but the deluge makes it ever harder to interpret. Raven has data science skills that complement Huszarik’s strengths. Marinaccio is the design maven who has deep experience using visuals, charts and graphics to explain the significance of what the data reveals.
During her years at Warner Bros., “we had unlimited budgets [for data sources], but it continued to tell less and less of a story,” Huszarik said. “With Nielsen, less and less of the viewing is captured, so we were hobbling and cobbling together all these multiple sources.”
Huszarik’s focus in getting Maverix off the ground was to “identify a data source, and then we really wanted to lean into emotional insights, because we believe that all companies be be they media and entertainment, tractors, retail, insurance, phone — whatever they are, they have to make their consumers feel something. Whether it’s comfort, empowerment, excitement, connection — they have to message and connect with them on an emotional level.”
The company’s clients to date have included Amazon, YouTube, Sony, Warner Bros. Discovery, Endeavor, Varsity Spirit, Unlikely Collaborators, Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI), First Stop News and Tim McGraw’s Down Home Productions.
After years of crunching TV ratings and viewing the marketplace largely through the lens of age and gender demographic categories, the holistic view of what makes consumers tick is refreshing for the Maverix trio. Raven asserted that understanding the emotional undercurrent of what makes consumers choose one product or service over another is crucial to long-term growth.
“In any industry, every brand is a storyteller,” Raven said. “They’re telling stories across all of these various platforms today, whether it’s on social media, it’s on a podcast, it’s on a Slack channel, it’s on YouTube. They’re having to tell and connect with people emotionally.
Raven cited the sucess of bottled water brand Liquid Death, which is not affiliated with Maverix.
“They’re incredible storytellers around their brand,” she said. “At a time when we’re going through unprecedented technological change, these generational shifts that are happening across all generations, it’s never been more crucial to really understand like human behavior, explore culture and then help evolve businesses.”
Huszarik emphasized the importance of bringing added context to questions that companies face about everything from pricing to launch dates. Maverix’s work is rooted in entertainment but it extends well outside the Hollywood bubble. “We’re looking at product analytics, concept evaluation, piloting, testing, go-to-market strategies, growth strategies. Context always matters, especially today, because we know the pace of change is only accelerating,” Huszarik said.
The trio are enjoying the nimbleness of their startup venture and the contrast to working for a large studio. For the first time in their careers, the trio have the authority to set the company’s agenda. Maverix has launched a number of products to pique the interest of potential clients, notably the Media Identity Graph (aka MIDG) that offers a daily look at what people are buying, and why.
“Collaboration and empowerment are the cornerstones of our philosophy,” Marinaccio said. “Maverix Insights fosters a community united by a shared vision of driving positive change and creating a lasting impact.”
Huszarik has studied business activity and outcomes for more than 30 years. The process of planting her entrepreneurial flag to launch and rev up Maverix to seek out clients has been gratifying and daunting, she said. The company has six employees to date. The three principles so far work remotely out in different states, with Huszarik leading the charge from her home base in Los Olivos outside of Santa Barbara.
“One nice thing is to be able to work with like-minded partners who want to be there with you,” Huszarik said. “You don’t have as much of the politics that you have within a large organization because we’re coming together to all build the business together. So that’s a nice thing.”
Huszarik points to the disruption that is roiling Hollywood as firm evidence that the industry needs insights beyond ratings and box office numbers. The WarnerMedia-Discovery merger that brought the Maverix partners together is but one example of the pressure to do more with less. “There’s such pressure on the bottom lines,” she said. “We’re in this position because of that, so it’s nice to be on the other end.”
(Pictured: Maverix partners Liz Huszarik, Alexia Raven and Kathleen Marinaccio)