Most Insights are Just Observations - Uwe Hook

I was meeting with an advertising agency and one of the team members talked constantly about new insights After we explored his insight it seemed to me he was talking about an observation not an insightI39ve seen the word on job descriptions data aggregators claim to produce insights clients request them and agencies claim to produce themThe word 39insight39 is a case of overpromising and underdeliveringOne explanation for the insight inflation is organizational The executives responsible for producing insights are often located in the research and data aggregation department trying to find small gems that may affect marketing This can be on the client side or done through planners in the agency The other reason is that people believe everybody can observe but not many can be insightfulSo what39s the difference between an observation versus an insightDetermining that new homeowners are more likely to buy a new car is an observationUnderstanding that putting snacks at the checkout register will increase sales dramatically because parents want to calm downreward their kids is an observationAccording to Dictionarycom an insight is an instance of apprehending the true nature of a thing especially through intuitive understanding I39ve been working in advertising for more than 15 years and I haven39t encountered many insights I don39t mind it because I39d rather reserve light bulb moments for scienceI worked with a global airline the last two years and they wanted to understand why they had problems attracting business class customers We looked through all the data did focus groups interview prospects oneonone We had many observations and no insights The breakthrough came when we observed passengers in the business class lounge They were more concerned getting to the lounge than getting to the final destination Once you39re in the lounge you39re in the luxury bubble that protects you until you pick up your luggage This observation led to an insight If you can extend the luxury bubble from the usual airport to airport to home to hotel business class passengers will be more willing to buy your productObservations are rooted in data Insights are rooted in outside sources Insight is rare quotapprehending the true nature of a thingquot since we often have to find a different way of expressing similar ideas to the competition What39s the difference between Chase and Wells Fargo Toyota and Honda Goodyear and Pirelli There39s no insight that can make a difference the solution lies in how you say things the advertising idea Trust me a lot of brilliant people try to find insights for these brands and markets they are just as rare as hitting the 800 million jackpotThere are some extremely rare planners and creative39s out there hitting the jackpot once in a blue moon Millions wait for jackpots just to end up a few bucks poorer Maybe it39s time to elevate the importance of observations A great novelist makes a living with observations standup comedians do Just like observations bring a brand to lifeUwe Hook is the CEO and CoFounder of BatesHook Inc wwwbateshookcom and a veteran of the advertising and marketing industry with the goal of building connections between people and brands Uwe can be reached at uwebateshookcomRead all Uwe39s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at SubversionsCheck us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates MediaBizBloggerThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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Most Insights are Just Observations - Uwe Hook

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