Article 1 of 3 about transforming research into insight. Published Jan 2012 in the Market Research Association's Alert! magazine. Part 2: Qualitative Data http://www.slideshare.net/tpulliam/marc-halertmarketingresearchinsightsqual Part 3: Quantitative Data http://www.slideshare.net/tpulliam/making-the-leap-from-market-research-to-insight-part-three-quantitative-data

1. Alert!
Marketing research association January 2012 · Vol. 52 · no. 1
The New Gen Pop
What’s his
Generation Y Meets MR demographic,
Do Demographics really?
Make Us Irrelevant?

2. Keeping Informed
Making the Leap from Market Research to Insight
Part One: The Four Places Insights Hide
By Thom Pulliam
Don’t Mess With Texas. Rarely have so few words communicated so much to
so many so effectively.
The line was conceived by Tim McClure on the word “litter.” McClure did not like him about his messy room when he was
25 years ago when he went out for a walk. the word “litter” because to him it evoked a boy, and four simple, powerful words
McClure, a partner at advertising agency images of kittens. As he walked, he struck him like a bolt: Don’t Mess With
GSD&M, was preparing a presentation noticed something that shocked him out Texas.
to the Texas Highway Department of his daze. His own neighborhood was Where did this stroke of genius come
for an anti-litter campaign. McClure strewn with all manner of debris. If this from? Was it just the observation the
had not come up with a slogan for the is not litter, he thought, what is? He then neighborhood was a littered mess? No.
presentation. Most of his ideas focused remembered how his mother would scold Was it just a childhood memory? No.
28 MRA’s Alert! Magazine – January 2012

3. Was it just McClure’s knack for lateral campaign for 12 years, with commercials To get to an insight, start with an
thinking? No – well, maybe. It was the featuring musicians Willie Nelson, Joe observation derived from one of the four
amalgamation of all three, plus whatever Ely, Lyle Lovett, Marcia Ball, Ian Moore, areas. Something like “many students fail
market research McClure had sifted LeAnn Rimes and Little Joe y Familia; to complete school assigned readings.”
through prior to this moment. If we sports stars George Foreman, Mike Scott Observations are easy to come by. I
could step inside McClure’s head at the and Warren Moon; Shamu the whale; and bet you could think of 100 right now.
moment of his awakening and work even the Texas Confederate Air Force. To turn observations into insights look
backward to understand where the slogan (Dromgoole, 2006) beyond the observation and ask, “Why
hatched from, what would we find? An Don’t Mess With Texas is a great is this?” Why do many students not do
insight. A powerful nugget of an idea that example of how an insight is born from their reading? The key is to find the root
arose from McClure’s interpretation of market research. And, for today’s modern cause of the event by laddering down
market research. His thinking might have marketers, a seemingly infinite amount and always asking why something is the
gone a bit like this: Why do people litter? of research is available. Gathering data way it is. In this case, the insight behind
Litter is everywhere. When I was young, can be as easy as taking a walk through the observation that students fail to
Mom told me to pick up the litter in my the neighborhood. Sometimes all it takes complete school readings is that people
room. Why is litter everywhere? Why is a mystery shop, a Simmons run, or are afraid of embarrassing themselves by
do we do it? Do we not think we will be results from a Qualtrics survey to attain failing, but it is impossible to fail if you
caught? Do we not see the harm of it? Are information. The challenge is not in the do not participate, thus students will not
we just lazy? Is it complete school
because we do not readings. Now that
care about public
property and the
“Where did this stroke of genius come from? we understand
what an insight
environment? Kind
of. It is because
Was it just the observation the neighborhood is and where they
hide, let us delve
when keeping
the environment
was a littered mess? No. Was it just a into what insights
at the consumer,
clean is everyone’s
responsibility,
childhood memory? No. Was it just McClure’s brand, category
and competition
there is no
motivation for
knack for lateral thinking? No – well, maybe. level look like.
any one person to
act, even when
It was the amalgamation of all three, plus Consumer Insight
Consumer
it is your own
neighborhood that
whatever market research McClure had sifted insights hide
in the behavior
is littered. Eureka.
There is a human
through prior to this moment.” and feelings of
people. They are
insight. An insight, which birthed the sources from which to garner data, but in human truths that
Don’t Mess With Texas campaign. making the information you have useful. either are a part of local culture or are
For the campaign, GSD&M targeted The value of research is not in number universal. What is the consumer insight
major litter offenders -males 18 to 24 sets or reams of transcripts. It is in the in the following observation: Why do
who tossed trash out of their pickup implications they hold and our judgment many men like spicy food? Withstanding
windows –and used personalities, music of them. As market researchers and brand the intensity of spicy food is a sign
and images they would identify with to strategists, we hunt for insights – unique of toughness. Why? It is an area of
position littering as a personal slight to combinations of information that give competition and esteem. Bingo! That is
every Texan with state pride. The first meaning to the marketplace. How can we the insight.
commercial featured blues guitarist Stevie act like Tim McClure and pull insight from Brand Insight
Ray Vaughan and aired during the Cotton simple observational research? How do Brand insights speak to what is true
Bowl on Jan. 1, 1986. Some other early we move beyond collection and analysis about a product, service, or brand. It
commercials had Johnny Dee and the of qualitative and quantitative data and works best if it is a truly unique feature
Rocket ‘88s, football stars Randy White make the leap to insight discovery? or benefit of the brand. Although it does
and Ed “Too Tall” Jones, the comedy This is the topic of a three-part series not have to be unique, as long as no
troupe Greater Tuna, boxer Mike Williams, that looks at where insights hide and one else is leveraging the same insight.
and singer Jerry Jeff Walker, all making how to derive them from qualitative and What is the brand insight for Snickers, a
strong pitches for “Don’t Mess With quantitative research. chocolate bar filled with nougat, caramel,
Texas.” Where do insights come from? and nuts? First look at the brand truths.
A researcher named Dan Syrek literally Insights are based on the analysis and Yes, Snickers is a rich candy bar. Yes,
counted litter to check on the campaign’s interpretation of information. Information people consume it quickly. Yes, it has
success. The first year, trash on Texas can come from primary or secondary the same ingredients found in one
highways dropped by 29 percent. Within research into the consumer, brand, combination or another in most candy
five years, it was down 72 percent. category or competition. Insights hide in bars. So why would someone pick a
GSD&M continued to manage the these four spaces.
MRA’s Alert! Magazine – January 2012 29

4. Snickers over a Milky Way? Snickers has Competition Insight is possible. That insight, the idea of
nuts. And, it does not just have nuts – it is Insights that come from investigating consumers not expecting more from
packed with them. Why is that important? competitive products and services uncover fans because they do not know what is
Because it adds protein and crunchiness meaningful differences that separate a possible, spurred the Dyson company to
to a rich, convenient candy bar. Why is brand from the pack. A lucrative insight innovate in a tired space filled with parody
that important? Snickers can really satisfy in this area is an opportunity to flip products. The sameness of the category
someone’s hunger. This is Snickers brand the competition on their heads. The was Dyson’s inspiration to figure out a
insight. Dyson Air Multipler is a good example. better way to make a fan.
Its competition is the everyday blade- Good marketing is based on insight
Category Insight and the strategy that leverages it.
Category insights speak to why a spinning fan. Dyson, a company known for
innovation, uncovered an insight within Insight is derived from research into
specific commonality four areas: consumer,
exists between a set of company, category, and
“Insights that come from investigating
competitors. It is useful competition. It is brand
in understanding what strategists, researchers,
competitive products and services uncover
is expected from certain and marketers’ job to
groups of products and unearth these insights
services. Consider the
observation that major meaningful differences that separate a by using creative
interpretation and
casinos display large
water fountains outside brand from the pack. A lucrative insight judgment, which makes
the research meaningful
their doors. Why is this?
Is it for entertainment? in this area is an opportunity to flip the in a marketing sense.
We do this by actively
No, people go to shows
to be entertained. Is it competition on their heads.” observing the world
and research around us
for aesthetic appeal? and continually asking
No, casinos are not in the business of its product’s competitive set and produced
a machine that amplifies air without “why”. Next time you are looking for
providing public art. So, what is the insight, remember that an insight is simply
purpose behind it? A water fountain is a blades. It started with the observation that
every fan on store shelves works the same an observation waiting to be decoded.
great display of resources. Why? It shows Seek to understand the why behind the
that someone came in, captured water way - by moving blades that chop the air.
Why is this significant? The technology action, use creative interpretation and you
and transformed it into a spectacle. Why is might have your own Don’t Mess With
this significant? Water fountains symbolize that drives personal fans has not changed
since the late 1800’s. Why? Manufacturers Texas eureka moment.
great wealth. Here comes the category
insight: grand water fountains outside do not see consumer demand for new
Thom Pulliam is an independent
plant the idea that people become wealthy technology. Why? Because consumers
strategic communications professional in
inside. do not know that another type of fan
Atlanta, GA.
30 MRA’s Alert! Magazine – January 2012