Three longtime Warner Bros. research executives join forces to leverage proprietary data on consumer purchasing activity to study entertainment consumption based on individuals’ broader lifestyle preferences We have launched a research company called Mavericks.
Liz Husarik spent 30 years at Warner Bros., where she served as senior vice president of media research and global insights for Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution until her retirement following the company’s merger with Discovery in 2022. Ms. Husaric’s former colleagues, Alexia Raven and Kathleen Marinaccio, joined her about a year ago when she took the first steps to launch Maverix.
Huszarik’s goal was to build a next-generation research operation that could analyze consumers’ entertainment choices against other lifestyle and purchasing details. This was made possible after she secured access to a proprietary zero-party database that tracks the daily spending habits of approximately 30 million people in the United States and 50 million people worldwide. When Huzalyk learned that such a database existed, tracking TV shows and movies along with other consumers’ purchase history, her heart skipped a beat.
“To change people’s minds, you need to use data to tell emotionally compelling stories,” Huzalyk told Variety.
Data is more abundant than ever, but the deluge has made it increasingly difficult to interpret. Raven has data science skills that complement Huszarik’s strengths. Marinaccio is a master of design and has extensive experience using visuals, charts, and graphics to illustrate the importance of data.
During his time at Warner Bros., “we had unlimited budgets[for data sources]but they told fewer and fewer stories,” Husaryk said. “At Nielsen, we were dragging all of these multiple sources together because the amount of viewing we were capturing was getting smaller and smaller.”
Huszarik’s focus in getting Maverix off the ground was “identifying the data sources. And we really wanted to focus on emotional insights, because media, entertainment… , tractors, retail, insurance, phones, we believe it’s for all businesses.” In other words, you have to make the consumer feel something. They need to message and connect on an emotional level, whether it’s comfort, empowerment, excitement, or connection. ”
The company’s previous clients include 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 compressing TV ratings and viewing the market primarily through the lens of age and gender demographic categories, the overall perspective of what excites consumers is Something new for the trio. Raven argued that understanding the emotional undercurrents that cause consumers to choose one product or service over another is critical to long-term growth.
“Every brand, in every industry, is a storyteller,” Raven said. “They’re telling stories today on all different platforms: social media, podcasts, Slack channels, YouTube, etc. They have to emotionally tell and connect with people.
Raven cited the success of Liquid Death, a bottled water brand not affiliated with Mavericks.
“They are great storytellers about brands,” she said. “At a time when we are experiencing unprecedented technological change and generational change across all generations, it has never been more important to truly understand human behavior as well as explore culture and help businesses evolve. It never happened.”
Huszarik emphasized the importance of bringing additional context to every question a company faces, from pricing to launch date. Mavericks’ work is rooted in entertainment, but extends outside the Hollywood bubble. “We look at product analysis, concept evaluation, piloting, testing, go-to-market strategy, growth strategy. Especially today, as we know the pace of change is only accelerating, Context is important,” Huzalyk said.
The trio enjoys the contrast between the agility of a startup venture and working for a large studio. For the first time in their careers, the trio has the power to set the company’s agenda. Maverix has launched many products to pique the interest of potential customers. In particular, the Media Identity Graph (also known as MIDG), which allows you to see what people are buying and why they are buying it every day.
“Collaboration and empowerment are cornerstones of our philosophy,” Marinaccio said. “Maverix Insights fosters a community united by a shared vision to drive positive change and create lasting impact.”
Huszarik has been studying business activities and outcomes for more than 30 years. She said the process of planting the entrepreneurial flag, launching Mavericks, growing it and finding customers was both gratifying and daunting. The company currently has six employees. The three principles have so far been operating remotely in various states, with Huzalyk leading the charge from his home base in Los Olivos, a suburb of Santa Barbara.
“One of the great things is that you get to work with like-minded partners who want to be with you,” Huzalyk said. “There’s no more politics than within a large organization because we’re all coming together to build the business. So that’s a good thing.”
Huzalyk points to the turmoil roiling Hollywood as solid evidence that the industry needs insight beyond ratings and box office revenue. The WarnerMedia-Discovery merger that brought together Maverix partners is just one example of the pressure to do more with less. “There’s a lot of pressure on the bottom line,” she says. “That’s why we’re in this position, so it’s nice to be on the other side.”
(Photo: Mavericks partners Liz Fusaric, Alexia Raven and Kathleen Marinaccio)
