How to be Insightful
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The document discusses the nature of insights, emphasizing their role as profound human truths about people, products, and businesses that enhance creativity and planning. It outlines principles for developing insights, such as focusing on observation, building networks, and leveraging trial and error. Ultimately, it stresses the importance of documenting insights and using them to create compelling narratives that resonate with audiences.
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
- 4. INSIGHTS IMPROVE OUR BATTING AVERAGE 4
- 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
- 10. INSIGHTS COME FROM ALMOST ANYWHERE 10 Source: Simon Law
- 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
- 14. CULTIVATING INSIGHTS MEANS KNOWING HOW AND WHERE TO LOOK 13
- 15. “Creativity is about what you take away, not what you put in.” -Pablo Picasso 14
- 16. PRINCIPLES OF BEING INSIGHTFUL 15
- 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
- 25. SEEK UNIVERSAL BELIEFS 24 Source: Simon Silvester YR
- 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
- 27. APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES 26
- 28. DETERMINE YOUR AUDIENCE Who is the insight for? •Client •Account •Creatives What is the best way to bring to life? 27
- 29. DON’T REFLECT REALITY “It’s illuminating & romantic” 28
- 30. CREATE REALITY 29
- 31. SAY ONLY ONE THING 30
- 32. TALK TO EVERYONE AND YOU TALK TO NO ONE Source:Simon Law 31
- 33. ALWAYS GET PEOPLE TO DO SOMETHING 32
- 34. KEEP IT SIMPLE 33
- 35. YOU CAN CREATE STATISTICS AS WELL AS REPORT THEM 34
- 36. IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING, ALL ROADS ARE EQUALLY GOOD 35
- 37. LINK SIMPLE OBSERVATIONS & BUILD SOMETHING BIGGER 36
- 38. ADMIT YOUR FAILURES 37
- 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
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- 44. THANK YOU 43
- 45. REFERENCES Simon Silvester - Y&R Gareth Kay - Modernista Simon Law - True Worldwide - http://www.simon-law.com/archives/13 APG - UK 44
Editor's Notes
- #2: telescope\nmoment of zen / clarity\n
- #3: \n
- #4: insights - capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a person or thing\n\n
- #5: \n
- #6: 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
- #7: \n
- #8: “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
- #9: 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
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- #11: 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
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- #13: 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
- #14: its rarely on the surface\nFinding insights means digging deeper and discovering more\n
- #15: BANKSY \n
- #16: not commandments, something squishy, fluid and flexible - playdough? / something fluid / pizza dough --> baking\n
- #17: sunglasses reflecting images\nsomething reflecting\nSpotlight image\n\n
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- #19: 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
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- #22: 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
- #23: 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
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- #25: DIRT IS GOOD\n
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- #28: what are the steps to get there and the best way to bring to life?\n
- #29: most marketing is just a reflection of existing consumer attitudes\n
- #30: most marketing is just a reflection of existing consumer attitudes\n
- #31: Came from a deprivation study, the insight was that milk is best with food\n
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- #33: End of 2010 Subway had more restaurants than mcdonalds\n
- #34: SMALL IS MORE FUN\n\n
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- #37: People like to listen to music when they run - (ok its an observation)\n\n
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- #41: came from a social scientist\n
- #42: 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
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