“Consumer Insight” – a phrase which has been commonly overused.

Throughout my past years in market research and consumer insights, I have always learned that “Consumer Insight” is critical when running a business.

I have always been asking: What is “Consumer Insight”?

Let’s listen to what experts say.

In defining insight as far as it applies to effective brand building, I think there are three ingredients:

• a profound evidence-based discovery about human motivations, behaviors, or attitudes;
• the potential to unlock the opportunity or threat the brand faces;
• the ability to inspire credible action leading to category or brand growth.

Andrew Geoghegan
Group CMO, William Grant & Sons
Author of “Effective Brand Building”

Consumer insights are little secrets hidden beneath the surface. They explain the underlying behaviors, motivations, pain points, and emotions of your consumers. Your consumers may not even be able to explain the insight until you play it back to them.

Graham Robertson
Founder and CMO of Beloved Brands

I always think of insights as something we use to inform our intuition or to inform an idea, but they can’t tell you what your business needs to become.

Andréa Mallard
CMO of Pinterest

According to what we have heard from experts, “Consumer Insight” is something latent. Through our market research data and observations, we understand how consumers behave and what they believe. But why? What experiences have shaped their behaviors and beliefs? What do they aspire to in life?

In the context of business, “Consumer Insight” should be able to inspire ideas or actions that drive the growth of a business.

“Consumer Insight” is vital for developing powerful brands.

Now let’s look at two examples: Volvo and Australian Lamb. Through these examples, we will see why “Consumer Insight” is vital for developing powerful brands. 

Volvo EX90 SUV

People work to protect their loved ones. They are concerned about risks that are outside their control, particularly reckless drivers. People desire cars that can protect them and those around them.

Byrå Studio, a Swedish advertising agency, states that “In a world where technology and innovation often overshadow human stories, the Volvo EX90 in its latest advertising campaign reminds us that the true value of technology lies in its ability to protect what matters most – life.”

This 2024 TV commercial does not specify the functions of the EX90 SUV whatsoever. However, it has gone viral and has been widely discussed.

Australian Lamb

In a world where people are divided by their opinions on everything, especially in the digital realm, individuals seek unity in real life.

Droga5, the agency for Australian Lamb, mentions that lamb is the most multicultural meat, enjoyed by a diverse range of people from different backgrounds. Droga5 seeks to use lamb as the hero to unite all Australians. As the commercial states, “Just get some lamb!”

Similar to the Volvo commercial, this Australian Lamb commercial has gone viral because of the use of consumer insights and humor.

How To Be More Insightful

What does these examples mean to us?

First, after gathering consumer feedback, never jump to conclusions quickly. Elma Antimano, former P&G R&D Director and current Co-founder of EVDrop, offers a good example in her blog article. Some consumers might claim they want a smaller shampoo bottle, but in reality, they could desire something different. It could be about convenience, portability, or minimizing clutter.

Then, be curious and always ask why. In the previous shampoo example, we need to ask why consumers prefer a smaller shampoo bottle. We should continue asking the question until we determine the root cause.

Remember that consumers prioritize their personal interests over product categories or brands. Treat consumers as human beings when addressing the “why” questions. If we concentrate only on our products, brands, or product categories, without any human insight, we will never address the root causes.

On the other hand, be observant. Instead of just observing how consumers use our products, we should also deeply understand how they live every day. Speak with our consumers and visit their homes, if feasible. Try to step into their shoes. Strong consumer insights should stem from a deep understanding of human beings. Before we develop our connections plan, a consumer portrait that outlines the behaviors, attitudes, and life ambitions of a representative from your target group is always beneficial.

In addition to consumers, we must also focus on what’s happening in politics, the economy, technology, and culture. These factors significantly influence people’s behaviors and beliefs.

Let’s be more insightful! Meanwhile, I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Vincent

I am Vincent Kwong, a seasoned consumer planner with nearly two decades of market research and business planning experience on both the agency and client sides. Currently, I am Director & Partner of Intuit Research, a research agency specializing in multi-country market research projects. Companies that I have served in my career include McDonald’s, Diageo, PepsiCo, Estee Lauder, Heineken, GSK, Pizza Hut, Lenovo and HSBC. I am also a part-time instructor at Schulich School of Business, York University in Canada.

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