[The Human Truth behind the Trend] Part 1: The importance of consumer insights

Following a certain pattern, habit or having a way of doing things at a particular time or place does not constitute an insight but rather as a trend or an observation. When new buzzwords, key terms and phrases arise and consumers begin the use thereof in popular culture or their everyday lifestyles, these again are not insights but trends and our observations thereof.

The key to finding an insight lies in unlocking the human truth behind the trend, i.e. the real human motivation behind a particular set of activities or attitudes that consumers may be engaging in during these activities. A human truth is the instinctive actions, beliefs and set of values that are the core reason for people to engage or behave in a certain way. These actions, beliefs and sets of values are brought to life through a common human action and consumer attitude, which in this case will result in the discovery and observation of a trend.

We always need to stay cognisant of the fact that consumers are human beings. Therefore, their motivations, lifestyles, attitudes and even buying behaviours stem from a core human instinct, which usually is the key influence behind what they do on a daily basis: "The human truth".

When a brand unlocks a human truth, it not only unlocks the very purpose of why people do what they do, but also uncovers the purpose behind human emotions and thoughts.

There are very clear benefits to this:

Stronger brand connections - These are connections beyond consumer and brand relationships. They are authentic and create a true human bond between the consumers and your brand, to the point where your brand is seen as a part of the community and society. This is how strong brand personas develop and the connection with your consumers is thus far beyond that of 'buyer and seller' but instead that of two personalities that understand each other's purpose.

Localisation - This is very important for global brands seeking local relevance, because uncovering the human truth will get you closer to understanding societal and cultural norms in your targeted regions. This turns your brand into a local brand; where consumers understand that as much as your brand may have international expertise, it actually is local because it has relevance within their society.

Consumer conversations - With relevance comes understanding. The more consumers understand your brand on a human level, the more stories are shared about your brand. Stories shared about your brand can create exponential and organic growth because true human stories touch people on a human level.

Unlocking the human truth moves your brand beyond trying to keep up with the latest trends and people's changing lifestyles and instead becomes a part of that lifestyle and forming those trends together with consumers, as opposed to trying to follow them. It provides the opportunity to connect not just on an emotive level (as marketers would define it). It is now beyond a two-way conversation stream between consumer and brand, and more on a human level connection where the collaborative effort of reaching a common goal with the consumer takes precedence over a mere back and forth conversation.

Tomorrow: [The Human Truth behind the Trend] Part 2: A deeper look into what an insight is - the brand truth