Finding consumer insights.
This is not really the best way to ask the question. Given that a consumer insight is a juxtaposition of various components (a subject, a motivation and a tension), there is no single source of ready-to-use insights.
A consumer insight is the culmination of a process of understanding that serves in the end to offer in a clear sentence a clarifying look at “what is at stake” in a given situation. This sentence often requires that several different sources be used, each offering certain clues.
It is useful to vary these sources – points of observation and understanding – and to avoid getting stuck on one single type of source. Among the sources, some involve behavioral observation (ethnography, transactional data analysis) and others interactions (surveys in particular). This combination helps reveal both conscious and unconscious motivations.
Here are a few sources that can usefully nourish thinking about consumer insights:
- Market studies,
- Social watch,
- Digital watch,
- Data from your CRM,
- Ethnographic observations,
- Press reviews,
- Field feedback,
- Listening to your customer relationship channels.
The best insights arise from combining these sources.