Does Consumer Insight (CI) Research Stifle Innovation?
Good question!
A member of the audience asked us this following our workshop on ‘Energising an Iconic Brand through Strategic Design,’ with Hoover at the Engineering Design Show (EDS) where we demonstrated the importance of paying close attention to every ‘touch-point’ and using consumer insight to deliver an exceptional 5-star customer experience. The question seemed a fair challenge.
I can understand why many people may hold this belief. The root of the issue lies in the flawed application of research techniques. It is crucial to differentiate between effective design research and attitudinal market research.
We know too many innovation initiatives seek breakthrough innovation by merely probing consumers’ attitudes towards an idea or asking their audience what they want in the future – you’ll never get a new answer there.
When market research is misunderstood or misused, it can only yield marginal improvements to current performance. There is nothing inherently wrong with this if you are content with making mediocre and incremental changes. Consumer insight, contrary to popular belief, when done well, will not hinder innovation; instead, it ignites it.
Transformational innovation is all about being bold, taking risks and challenging the norm. It’s about creating something new and disrupting the market. So, how can consumer insights fit into this picture? By facilitating the discovery of transformational ‘star’ products. To mix metaphors, it’s about ‘horses for courses’ or ‘faster horses’. Eek! I know how bad that sounds.
Facing the relentless speed of change, the consumer insights methods need to be carefully orchestrated to ensure we are not just looking backwards but inspiring the future through a deeper understanding of the world in which the product will exist, and hence, opportunities to enhance the user experience. Often it can be more about observing than asking, and being inspired by the ‘what ifs’.
Today, so many teams are operating in overcrowded markets, uncertain how to take the pressure off. There are CI tools and techniques available to surface inspiration to identify the next ‘game changer’, so why aren’t they being applied?
We hear it all the time: “We need to diversify to take some pressure off, where do I go for inspiration?”
So, why isn’t it happening?
When budgets are tight, the obvious and easy way out is to revert back to the last study or mimic the process that appears to have been applied. Afterall, good research always looks simple if it’s done well. So simple that some confidently think they can do it easily and do it themselves. We get it! But we also know what happens. Doing what you’ve always done… what could possibly go wrong? There is a reason we have experienced design researchers to unearth these opportunities, they have the ability to spot what others don’t and directly apply the insight to design opportunities.
We know enough to know we don’t know enough.
We don’t pretend to know all the answers now; we do know how to go and find them. Knowing when to just observe and framing the questions to ask when appropriate, is paramount to sourcing the fresh inspiration that surfaces the ‘game changers’. We have repeatedly discovered insights that others have missed because our approach to structuring both exploratory and evaluative ‘design’ research is fundamentally different.
Inspiration is one thing, but executing it right first time is an essential element at launch. However, we believe it’s a pipe dream without a structured iterative process of consumer validation. Our approach aims to surface all the problems before your consumers find them. When you’re looking to leap from the ‘Shark Tank’ in to an apparent ‘blue ocean’, it is wise to do everything you can to ensure the water is hazard free.
While creating visually compelling concepts and ideas is exciting, it’s the practical execution with engineering finesse across all consumer touch-points that truly brings satisfaction – the real ‘delighters’! By seamlessly integrating this practical approach, exciting ideas don’t deviate from the original intent and go on to exceed customer expectations and drive business growth.
With research for significant impact, ‘the difference that makes all the difference’ is subtle and easily overlooked. The results are much more obvious. If you would like to explore how we might breathe life into your quest for game changing innovation, get in touch with us today, no obligation, and let’s start shaping a brighter, more successful future for your business.
Read more about Consumer Product Development
Read more about Consumer Insight Research
