Insight has become almost a cliché in contemporary marketing and research. There are many different definitions and, even worse, an assumption that the word will mean the same to one individual as it will to the next. This paper aims to cut through the confusion showing that insight is an extremely valuable concept and one that should not be debased by sloppy thinking or methodological over-claim. Instead, a simple model of thinking can be used to ensure that the outcome of a project or process has a powerful influence and is highly valued by the end users.
The premise of this paper is that the use of a single qualitative research methodology - especially one which searches for understanding and insights away from the context in which behaviour is taking place - can result in misleading recommendations and is therefore professionally irresponsible. The paper will argue that the nature of the window through which human behaviour can be interpreted differs depending on which methodology is used.
The theme of this paper is that qualitative research, as it travels through the world exploring new terrain, is now in serious danger of falling into a foul smelling swamp and remaining stuck there. There are, however, challenging peaks to climb which give a different perspective of the way forward - a direction that is exciting and inspirational to all who wish to follow it. The second section of this paper discusses some of the other factors that have undermined the effectiveness of qualitative research in the marketing context of the 90's.
The focus of this paper will be on retail brands of the first type - the kinds of retailers who may be termed FMCG retailers (supermarkets, fast food outlets, fashion chains, petrol stations, toiletries/drugs, off-licences etc) where customers have repertoires of brands/own label within categories as well as repertoires of retailers rather than automotive, IT, communications, financial services where lifetime customer management concepts are the topic of current strategic thinking.
This paper starts by discussing the nature of brands. Brands appear to have human-like characteristics. This is now reasonably well-known and accepted by professionals, and the authors briefly refer to earlier work adapting and applying concepts exploring the human-like brand from academic and other sources, and developing new measurements. The concept of a 'toolkit' for measuring brands, christened BrandWorks©, is then described, with its concentration on different facets of brand perception. After examining data interpretation issues - particularly the need for several stages of analysis and a holistic approach to the data - and data collection, where the ideal of replicating respondents' own mental processes and expressivity is stressed, the authors list and describe the most important facets of brand perception. Case studies are interspersed. The paper ends with a review of further areas for enquiry in progress, and in emphasising the practical applications of the approach in building brand communication and marketing programmes.
This paper discusses a number of issues critical to the development and evaluation of creative press advertisements and campaigns. It begins with the information gap that currently exists regarding the influence of context on the perceptions of the content of an advertisement and how this has led to the development of a mythology - a set of unchallenged assumptions - which guide professional publication choice and placement within a title. The paper then describes how press advertisements are read and why so few are spontaneously remembered. This leads onto the issue of the lack of rule-breaking press advertising and the consequent loss of branded distinctivity. Different types of branding used in press advertisements explain why some campaigns require longer to establish than others. Finally, the implication for research methodologies at all stages of development and evaluation closes the paper.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a phrase that can be very off-putting, yet it sums up three very simple ideas that form the core of the insights and discoveries Grinder and Handler made. The 'Neuro' part of NLP recognises the fact that all human behaviour is neurologically based. We experience the world through sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch - the five senses - and then make 'sense' of the information. This neurological process is both invisible and visible, occuring as electro-chemical transmissions in our nervous systems as well as constantly changing physiological responses. The 'Linguistic' component of NLP refers to the fact that we use language to order, classify and communicate these sensory experiences, whilst 'Programming' encapsulates the idea that we we all develop patterns of behaviour that we use (and re-use again and again) to achieve particular results. Thus NLP provides a model of understanding about subjective experience; how we organise it so we can make sense of the scramble of stimuli we receive; how we use language to share our unique experience with others; and how we act in response, either intentionally or unintentionally. The relevence of NLP to marketing, advertising and research lies in the fact that the early founders of this model spent a great deal of time trying to understand how excellent communicators achieve success whilst others do not. They began by studying three famous people - Virginia Satir, a famous family therapist; Gregory Bateson, a high profile anthropologist; and Dr Milton Erikson, a hynotherapist. Through processes of minute observations and careful listening, they found for example that Virginia Satir paid close attention to both the body posture and the linguistic patterns of her clients. Handler and Grinder found that poor communication and misunderstanding occurred when two people (or a person talking to a group) 'mismatched' i.e. diplayed different patterns of behaviour from another person, so breaking rapport. By copying their example and analysing what these excellent communicators were doing instinctively and unconsciously, Bandler and Grinder found that they could improve their communication skills without years of trial and error or intensive personal tuition. They went on to model all sorts of people such as athletes, business people, dancers, teachers and politicians, all the time becoming consciously aware of the processes involved in excellence. This paper will discuss two NLP models which have direct direct application to an understanding of brands and brand communication. These are: Representational systems and Hierarchical levels of communication.