Bold ideas are thrilling. Who wouldn’t want to create the next viral marketing campaign, standout product, or brand strategy? But excitement alone doesn’t guarantee success.
Before you leap into action, whether you’re building a new product or campaign, you need to look at your audience. What do they want? What do they care about? What are their needs and behaviours? Without answers to these questions, you’re taking a shot in the dark.
Here’s why insight should always come before action, and how a little consumer market research can save you from ending up on the wrong side of a headline.
What happens when brands skip audience research?
Let’s start with the cautionary tales. Time and again, brands have launched products or campaigns without understanding how their audience would respond – and the results have been painful.
Nivea’s “White is Purity” campaign
Nivea thought they were promoting the benefits of clean, healthy skin. But the tagline struck entirely the wrong chord, leading to massive backlash because of its racial connotations.
Burger King’s mouldy Whopper
What’s grosser than a whopper left to rot in a time-lapse video? Apparently, not much. Intended as a brave statement on the evils of preservatives, it instead grossed people out. Context matters – customers don’t want to be reminded of decay while thinking about lunch.
BrewDog’s pink “beer for girls”
BrewDog released a limited-edition “Pink IPA” beer as part of a campaign to highlight gender pay inequality. The product, branded as a “beer for girls,” aimed to mock sexist marketing but ended up being perceived as patronising and tone-deaf. A few focus groups amongst women would have revealed that their target market felt that this was reinforcing stereotypes instead of championing gender equality.
Research saves the day: how insight shapes strategy
That’s not to say that big ideas are bad. They’re often the start of something great. But here’s the thing – those big ideas need refining before they see the light of day, and research is the critical step to make that happen.
At Definition, we’ve worked with brands who understand this and have seen firsthand how research gives them an edge. Here are a few examples:
Thorpe Park’s new rollercoaster, Hyperia
When Thorpe Park came to us, they wanted to build the ultimate thrill ride. They had three USPs to focus on: weightlessness, height, and speed. Initial thoughts focused on creating a sense of weightlessness – a novel concept for many. But through our research with thrill-seekers, we found something unexpected. The biggest draw wasn’t the feeling of weightlessness, it was the promise of Hyperia being the tallest and fastest ride. By testing the USPs directly with the target audience, we found out what mattered most – allowing Thorpe Park to push the right message from the start.
A luxury care home client
A luxury care home client came to us looking to define “luxury retirement living.” But what exactly does ‘luxury’ mean in this context? You might imagine a hyper-catered experience, but our research revealed that their audience wanted independence. Simple conveniences, like having someone do their shopping for them, were seen as undermining the autonomy which their residents valued. Insight into their audience’s true desires helped the client avoid launching services that, while well-meaning, wouldn’t be well received.
An Italian spa company
An Italian spa came to us looking to launch in the US. We saw how deeply cultural context can shape perceptions. Food is a key part of the spa experience, and in Italy, buffets are seen as social and relaxing. But in the US? Buffets are often viewed as informal or cheap. That cultural nuance was a deal-breaker for their positioning. Thanks to well-rounded research, we helped identify a dining experience that better aligned with American expectations.
When you map customer behaviours, beliefs, and perceptions, you can shape everything – your product, your campaign, your messaging – around what will work, instead of gambling on what might.
Good research = better decisions
So, whether you’re crafting a new product, campaign, or brand strategy, don’t skip the research. It’s the difference between guessing what your audience might like and knowing what they actually want. Investing a little time in insight can save you enormous headaches (and costs) down the line.
If you want to find out what your audience is really thinking, and how to use that insight to guide your business, we’re ready to help. At Definition, we make sure every move you make is backed by research. Insights that define more than just your strategy—they define your success.
Need help with your consumer market research? We can help.
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Written by Amy Graham, Head of Research at Definition.
