insight, insight everywhere but not a drop to drink.

from a creative point of view, customer insight drives a proposition.

using traditional techniques to find it, like data and market research, you'll tend to find where a customer has been, but that’s only part of the story.

what many brands are seeking these days are leaps – a jump in understanding the customer. for this traditional techniques are simply not enough.

to get the breakthrough you need new techniques or perhaps, more importantly a new person to approach the challenge.

ideally this resource is in-house, someone who can approach the issue with an intelligent naivety that allows you to see where opportunities lie in the future, rather than how customers have behaved in the past.

as marketers we have to realize that the audience has moved on. they sussed the techniques of the past and know how to play the game. and marketers think they are so clever with their teaser campaigns, money-off vouchers and bland ideas. so while traditional techniques can be used to help define who and when you communicate, they won’t necessarily tell you with what.

the resource that produces this insight may not use ‘techniques’ at all. the really good ones are born or bred rather than trained. they are obsessive people-watchers who are prepared to go out on a limb to find the real fruit. by taking a leap they discover where they can lead a market, not follow.

this skill provides the space to engage with consumers in new and exciting ways – driven by insight.

examples include Virgin, Lush, Apple and Ikea.

and the cost? if you want insight that create leaps, reframes the market and gives you a competitive edge – employ someone who can make the jump or find a good agency to do it for you.

it should cost and you should be prepared to pay.