The best way to test your understanding of the consumer is to assess how powerful are the Consumer Insights11 you are using in your marketing strategies. Consumer Insights are neither testimonials nor catching phrases heard in focus groups; they are neither taglines nor advertising slogans. They are distilled thoughts coming from consumer information.
Consumer Insights
Finding strong and useful Consumer Insights, in my experience, is the result of a deep analysis and understanding of all information available about your intended consumer. There is a tool (among others) that I find useful and might help, the Consumer Insight Funnel, shown in Chart 4:
Chart 4: Consumer Insight Funnel
The funnel starts with The What, which includes the hard data, facts and relevant qualitative information. e.g. market share, penetration, top of mind, purchase frequency, purchase drivers, purchase barriers, consumer’s psychographic and demographic profile, plus other additional information that helps understanding better consumer’s attitudes and behaviors related to the category.
The Why is the process of linking and crosschecking the information available, finding explanations to causes and consequences, obtaining conclusions, “humanizing” and typifying the data, while generating stories related to the category around the consumers, based on the analysis of the information available.
Deep Consumer Insights are a summary of the key findings, expressed in consumer language from the consumer point of view. They bring consumer needs, wants and demands to life, and establish a connection to your product’s benefits. They are intuitive and become obvious when they come to life. It is recommended to use two or three insights, no more, the most important ones, to focus your strategies.
The 4 Rs are related to a brief checklist, easy to remember, to ensure strong and deep Consumer Insights are being built.
- Reality: the insights are deep truths
- Relevant: to the brand and business.
- Resonance: that strikes a chord to the consumer, an “aha” moment.
- Reaction: it calls to action, leads to a differentiated idea, powerful enough to change behavior.
Some Examples
Gerber’s Jar Baby food:
«There is no doubt that everything I do for my baby includes my love and special touch, but I know that there are certain things she needs that I cannot do alone.”
“It is important for me that my baby learns to eat all kinds of food as fast as possible, to get the nutrition she needs.”
“My food is an extension of my love.”
Its Applications
Most of the time they are used in brand communication, including Consumer Insights in an Advertising Campaign Brief to the agency is a must. But it goes beyond communication, it provides the lead to your Brand Architecture, Product Portfolio, therefore, it helps to develop your new products pipeline.
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11 Insight: an understanding of the motivational forces behind one’s actions, thoughts or behavior; self-knowledge.
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