Leger and Plus Company partner to advance market research with Smart Persona. February 18, 2026 Leger, Canada's largest Canadian-owned polling, market research and analytics firm, has partnered with Plus Company to integrate Smart Persona into its research practices. This tool, powered by artificial intelligence and Leger data, is designed to engage in real-time dialogue with customized synthetic personas. Smart Persona simulates real-time interactions with synthetic representations of target audiences and analyzes their behaviours in less time than traditional methods. By integrating segmentation research, Smart Persona delivers precise, actionable insights at unmatched speed, providing decision-makers with reliable, data-driven information to support informed decisions. Developed by Plus Company and powered by Leger's data, this innovative technology provides faster access to consumer reactions and enables teams to test ideas, concepts and marketing scenarios more efficiently and cost-effectively. By combining Plus Company's technological innovation with Leger's methodological expertise and rigorously validated data, Smart Persona brings together speed and rigour while maintaining high quality standards. "Integrating Smart Persona enhances our offering while remaining true to our approach and methodological rigour," said Sarah Mottet, Vice-President, Transformation and AI, at Leger. "This innovation is a natural extension of our research work and enables our clients to fully maximize the value of their studies." This partnership reflects Leger's vision of AI as a way to strengthen the research process without compromising its methodological rigour or recognized expertise. "Our objective is to integrate artificial intelligence in a practical, meaningful and complementary way, and we have found the ideal partner in Plus Company to achieve that," said Jean-Marc Leger, President and Founder of Leger. "By combining our complementary expertise, we are pushing the boundaries of research and delivering augmented intelligence to our clients. For us, AI is not just artificial intelligence, it is augmented intelligence." Smart Persona: an ally for segmentation research. As the research industry continues to modernize its practices, synthetic populations offer a valuable complement to traditional methods. Through this partnership, Leger and Plus Company aim to provide organizations across North America with tools designed for today's realities. "Our partnership with Leger marks an important milestone in the rollout of Smart Persona," said Karine Courtemanche, Vice-President at Plus Company, and Chief Executive Officer at Plus Media. "Together, we are demonstrating that artificial intelligence can be integrated into research processes responsibly and strategically. Our objective is clear: to help organizations make better decisions, faster, with a tangible competitive advantage." About Leger. Leger is the largest Canadian-owned survey, marketing research and analytics firm, with more than 300 employees across its eight offices in Canada and the United States. Founded in 1986, Leger has been a trusted partner to leading clients for nearly four decades. About Plus Company. Plus Company, founded in 2021, is an entrepreneurial network of forward-thinking creative and technology agencies, each bringing its own expertise and empowered by the collective capabilities of the network representing 15 countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Brought together by the unabashed belief that anything is possible, this unique partnership delivers creative magic fueled by an innate understanding of culture, technology, and data. In Canada, Plus Company agency brands include: All Inclusive Marketing (AIM), Aperture1, Citizen, Cossette, Cossette Media, Eleven, Impact Recherche, Jungle, K72, Level Eleven, Magic Circle Workshop, Mekanism Canada, Mekanism Media, Middle Child, Munvo, Septième, Visionnaire, Leger360 is Social, and 55rush. Plus Company has more than 3,000 employees across 12 countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. According to a new national survey conducted by Leger, a majority of Canadians (61%)... As British Columbia moves into 2026, its political landscape is shifting. The latest... As separatism in Alberta overshadowed the Conservative Party's convention, support for... Get the latest in your inbox. Stay up to date on cutting-edge research, news and more.

Former MSI and KJT healthcare specialist joins Leger. Long-time MSI researcher Katy Palmer has joined Canadian polling and insights firm Leger as SVP, Health. Leger employs more than 300 people in eight offices across Canada and the United States, making it 'the largest Canadian-owned market research and polling firm in the country.' In November it announced its fifteenth acquisition to date, that of fellow Canadian insights firm Element54, a specialist in advertising research. The firm has in-depth experience in healthcare and medical studies as well as health and wellness products, and powers the Leo Medical community of healthcare professionals. Palmer (pictured) worked until recently as SVP Strategic Accounts at evidence-based healthcare consulting firm KJT Group, which she joined in 2023. She brings more than two decades of experience in life science commercial insights, including nearly eighteen years at MSI (Market Strategies International), latterly as Chief Solution Officer and Managing Director, Health. Since leaving its parent company Escalent in mid-2020, she has worked at Phoenix MI and Reach3 Insights, between spells as a consultant. She earned a PhD in immunology and infectious disease from Washington University in St. Louis, and a BA in Biology from Lake Forest College. Web sites: www.leger360.com. All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.