Repurposed OLD insight deck for new planning blood. Purpose was to incite conversation on what good work is, how we get there, and what its like on they way. Attempted to attribute all appropriate folks.
The McKinsey 7S Framework: A Holistic Approach to Harmonizing All Parts of th...
How to be Insightful
1. HOW TO BE INSIGHTFUL
Ross Cidlowski 9.15.2011 1
2. CONTENT
I. Insights?
II. Principles of being insightful
III. Application
2
3. Insights are profound human truths
specific about people, categories,
products, businesses, and brands
that are presented in a fresh
stimulating way.
3
5. INSIGHTS ARE ULTIMATELY WHAT PLANNERS
ARE JUDGED BY
better insights better creative ideas better business
Nice try.... but how
planning creative about another round
of development?
5
6. Insights are ways to demonstrate that
we planners make stuff, what a
campaign/engagement is built on and
out of, and reinforce why clients pay for
planning
6
7. PLANNERS SAY INSIGHTS ARE...
•“ A great revelation that produces great work”
•“Not merely an observation, it explains why rather than just observing that people do something”
•“It must be cause AND effect - insights prompt effect”
•“Insights....they’re the things that other people think of, then you immediately wish you had”
7
Source: Simon Law
8. GOOD INSIGHTS DO SOMETHING
At least 1 of 2 things, ideally both:
•Uncover a new way of thinking
•Make connections where there previously weren't any
8
9. ISN'T / IS
ISNT
Kids like to build stuff. Parents like when
their kids build things because it keeps kids
busy and teaches them how to problem
solve.
IS
Parents believe that children who are
creative problem solvers will do better and
achieve more in their personal and
professional lives.
9
11. AND ANYONE
Creatives Significant other
Overheard on the
Account “paper pusher”
street
The front desk Mom
11
12. GOOD INSIGHTS CAN LEADS TO GREAT WORK
(When talking about convertibles) “everyone thinks beach and sun, but at night its like you’re in a
space ship” - Lance Jensen
12
13. GOOD INSIGHTS CAN LEADS TO GREAT WORK
(When talking about convertibles) “everyone thinks beach and sun, but at night its like you’re in a
space ship” - Lance Jensen
12
17. FOCUS ON OBSERVATION
Observations are the starting points for insights
More obvious than insights
Sometimes more applicable than insights
Simple ways to start conversations
16
18. BUILD A NETWORK
The best way to develop
observations is to talk with others.
Create a network by talking to a
new person each week about
your observations. Go outside
your discipline or account.
17
19. TRIAL & ERROR BEATS THE LONG GENIUS
>
BEST CASE SCENARIO WORST CASE SCENARIO
•Finding observations and insights is journey •Even the Lone Ranger had a partner
that takes patience, time & persistence
•One must embrace failure & fail harder •Working solo encourages swinging for fences
•Kindergarteners can beat the MBAs •The most dangerous idea is the one not shared
18
20. CATALOG EVERYTHING
Insights can sell the planning journey, but first it
must be documented
•Creating a living breathing document (or space) can
capture the essence of the problem, thoughts & more
developed thoughts
•Cataloging helps us avoid under & overcooking things
•Allows us to quickly step back and see resonant
thoughts
•Quickly bring others up to speed
•Sometimes need to see all the things you could have
done to know where to go next
19
21. USE PROVOCATIVE STIMULUS
>
You shouldn’t be
using this sort of
…But that’s the
…zzzzzz… world we live
…yeah right… argument. It’s not
ethical… in…
20
22. LEVERAGE OBSERVATIONS IN YOUR OWN LIFE
Talk to the people you know. Thats Books don’t just furnish a room -
the way good copywriters have they form persistent memories,
always done it. (blasphemy) determine imagination, and display
our connection to histories and
cultures.
Source:Paragraph Project 21
Source: Simon Silvester YR
23. CREATE OBSERVATIONS WHEN NEEDED
Insights don’t have to be expensive or come with 8-week
timelines
To understand the meaning of
beauty today, one agency simply
asked women to tell them.
To understand the personalities of different luxury car
owners, one agency simply photographed and analyzed
their personal license plates.
Source:Paragraph Project 22
24. THE HIDDEN TRUTH SPEAKS LOUDEST
“Americans really prefer big, yet
sporty cars. They like quality made,
large cars that have strong engines
and big bodies to help them feel
safe.”
Americans have a love affair with driving.
While they put safety first for their families,
what they really want is vehicle that can
own the road. Its really about feeling in
Source: Simon Silvester YR
control in a way that matches your 23
26. PRINCIPLES OF BEING INSIGHTFUL
1. Observations are more plentiful and actionable
2. Create a network to stress test thoughts
3. Trial & error always beats a lone genius
4. Catalog everything as looking back is equally important
5. Provocative stimulus leads to better insights
7. Leverage insights in your own life
6. Create observations if you must
7. The hidden truth always speaks the loudest
8. Seek universal beliefs that are simple and resonant
25
39. DIG DEEP FOR FACTUAL SUPPORT POINTS
90% OF FOOD GROWN
IN ETHIOPIA DOESNʼT
FEED ETHIOPIANS
38
40. NO ARMY IS AS POWERFUL AS AN IDEA
WHOSE TIME HAS COME
39
41. TEST IT
Write the insight on a blank sheet of paper with no
supporting words.
IS IT STILL INTERESTING?
40
42. SOME PARTING THOUGHTS...
•Observations are the starting points to insights
•Its crucial to use evidence to track and share thoughts with others as you build insights
•Never rest on an observation, use growing evidence to continually validate insights
•Trial and error always leads somewhere better
•Determine the real audience when considering presenting insights
•Keep it simple, say one thing
•Create reality rather than just reflecting it
•Get them to do something (creatives and consumers)
41
45. REFERENCES
Simon Silvester - Y&R
Gareth Kay - Modernista
Simon Law - True Worldwide - http://www.simon-law.com/archives/13
APG - UK
44
Hinweis der Redaktion
telescope\nmoment of zen / clarity\n
\n
insights - capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a person or thing\n\n
\n
Insights are important!!!!! because strong insights often lead to great work.\nNot all the time, but enough to make them worthwhile\n\nAnd if we dont, it often comes back on the creative, or the planner\n\nevidence is crucial\n\n
\n
“A penetrating observation about consumer behavior that can be applied to unlock growth” - Diageo\n\nNot an observation, it explains why rather than just observing that people do something\nAt must be cause and effect - insights prompt effect\nInsights... they’re things that other people think of, then you immediately wish you had\n
And its not just for us or the clients its for creatives\n\nits something that needs a degree of ‘perceptive’ in there, can’t be too obvious - it just cant be an observation\n
\n
This is by no means an exhaustive list, and may contain some areas that dont make for particularly good insights, but hey you never know\n\nConsumers - Behaviors, attitudes, emotions, archetypes\nCultural - collective human intellect, analogs, cultural trends\nFuture - Trends, and emerging thoughts, behaviors and themes\nProduct - Usage, truths or design\nBrand - perceptions, truths around a brand\nMarket - competitive dynamics, category sciences, \nPurchase - buying habits\nUsage - engagement & usage patterns\nOwner - characteristics of ownership\n\nCan have a combination of both of these\n
\n
An insight is a great revelation that produces great work\n\nNo one understands or particularly cares about IT oursourcing. Bringing together information, ideas and technologies is a bit like herding cats.\n
its rarely on the surface\nFinding insights means digging deeper and discovering more\n
BANKSY \n
not commandments, something squishy, fluid and flexible - playdough? / something fluid / pizza dough --> baking\n
Kindergarten building experiment, About doing more with more at hhcc, the lone ranger is dead, its a journey that takes patience and time\n\n
\n
\n
Books furnish a room. They form persistent memories, determine imagination, provide enriching narratives and display of connecting with histories and cultures. Its a snapshot of one’s interests.\n
create observations to find insights\nGet out there and observe (hint: research)\nFind out when people use the product, and talk through their usage\n\nInsights don’t have to be expensive or come with 8-week timelines. To understand the personalities\nof different luxury car owners, we simply photographed and analyzed their personal license plates.\n
\n
DIRT IS GOOD\n
\n
\n
what are the steps to get there and the best way to bring to life?\n
most marketing is just a reflection of existing consumer attitudes\n
most marketing is just a reflection of existing consumer attitudes\n
Came from a deprivation study, the insight was that milk is best with food\n
\n
End of 2010 Subway had more restaurants than mcdonalds\n
SMALL IS MORE FUN\n\n
\n
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People like to listen to music when they run - (ok its an observation)\n\n
\n
\n
\n
came from a social scientist\n
WHAT THEY DO< HOW TO APPROACH IT, HOW TO EXPRESS THEM\nrue or false: insights could be considered as a way for planning departments to demonstrate that they too make stuff, that the campaign is built on and out of this stuff and that therefore clients should pay for planning?\nCultivating insights - investigation, interrogation, experience\nHow do we judge insights? \nEvidence is crucial (use data) in validating insights for clients\n\nOne key insight or as many collectible objects as possible? Good work often comes from a collection of insights\n\nWe talked about finding insights, but presenting insights is often just as undervalued\n\nDon&#x2019;t get too hung up on them, make sure the briefs are really clear and contain SOMETHING useful to creatives.\n\n