Stephen Few once said, “Numbers have an important story to tell. They rely on you to give them a clear and convincing voice.” This quote captures the essence of data storytelling—transforming raw data into compelling narratives that drive action and influence decisions.

Data storytelling combines data, visuals, and narrative to create a powerful tool that informs, engages, and persuades. As brands gather vast amounts of data, the real challenge lies in converting this data into actionable insights. Effective data storytelling bridges this gap by making complex data understandable and relatable, turning abstract numbers into stories that resonate.

The demand for data storytelling skills has grown significantly. LinkedIn reports that data analysis remains one of the most sought-after skills for recruiters. Despite this, there’s often a disconnect between those who can analyze data and those who can communicate the insights effectively. Many professionals with advanced degrees in economics, mathematics, or statistics excel at data analysis but struggle with the “last mile”—communicating their findings.

With the rise of self-service analytics and business intelligence tools, more people across various business functions are generating insights. This democratisation of data has led to an unprecedented number of insights produced. Yet, without the ability to tell a compelling data story, many of these insights fail to drive action.

Data storytelling is not just about creating visually appealing charts and graphs. It’s about weaving a narrative that highlights the significance of the data, provides context, and makes the insights memorable. Stories have always been a powerful way to communicate ideas and influence behaviour. In the context of data, storytelling can help transform complex information into an understandable but also compelling and actionable narrative.

The Importance of Data Storytelling

Historical Perspective

Back in 2009, Dr. Hal R. Varian, Google’s Chief Economist, made a prescient statement: “The ability to take data—to be able to understand it, to process it, to extract value from it, to visualise it, to communicate it—that’s going to be a hugely important skill in the next decades.”

Fast forward to today, and Varian’s prediction has proven remarkably accurate. As businesses amass more data than ever, the ability to analyze and effectively communicate this data has become crucial.

Current Trends

The demand for data storytelling skills is on the rise. LinkedIn’s recent Workforce Report highlighted that data analysis skills have consistently ranked among the top sought-after skills by recruiters over the past few years. Data analysis was the only category consistently ranked in the top four across all the countries analyzed. This surge in demand underscores the critical need for professionals who can bridge the gap between data analysis and decision-making.

The role of data storytellers is becoming increasingly vital within organisations. These individuals possess a unique blend of skills that allow them to not only analyse data but also craft narratives that make the insights accessible and actionable. As more organisations recognise the value of data-driven decision-making, the ability to tell compelling data stories is becoming a highly prized skill.

The “Last Mile” Problem

Despite advancements in data analytics, many businesses still struggle with what is often referred to as the “last mile” problem—the gap between data analysis and actionable insights. This gap exists because many data professionals are adept at uncovering insights but lack the skills to communicate these findings effectively. 

Without clear communication, valuable insights can remain hidden, and their potential impact is lost.

For example, a report by McKinsey & Company highlighted that while brands are increasingly investing in data and analytics, many are not realising the full value of these investments due to a lack of effective communication. The report emphasised the importance of translating data insights into clear, compelling narratives to drive action and change within organisations.

Moreover, as self-service analytics tools become more prevalent, the responsibility for generating insights is expanding beyond traditional data teams. This democratisation of data means that more people across various business functions are generating insights. However, without the ability to tell a compelling data story, these insights often fail to drive action.

Components of Data Storytelling

Data

At the heart of any data story lies the data itself. Valuable data is accurate, relevant, and timely. It is the foundation upon which insights are built, and without reliable data, the entire storytelling effort can falter.

Valuable data should be comprehensive enough to provide a complete picture and focused enough to address specific questions or problems. It’s not just about the quantity of data but the quality. High-quality data should be clean, well-organised, and representative of the phenomena it aims to describe. In data storytelling, data serves as the factual backbone, lending credibility and substance to the narrative being crafted.

Visuals

Data visualisation is a powerful tool in data storytelling. It transforms raw data into visual formats like charts, graphs, and maps, making complex information more accessible and easier to understand. Visuals help to highlight key trends, patterns, and outliers that might be missed in a table of numbers. 

According to a study by the Wharton School of Business, presentations using visual aids were 67% more persuasive than those that did not. Effective data visualisations clarify the data and engage the audience, making the insights more memorable and impactful. They act as the visual representation of the story, providing a clear and intuitive way for audiences to grasp the significance of the data.

Narrative

The narrative is the element that brings data and visuals together into a coherent and compelling story. A well-crafted narrative provides context, explaining what the data means, why it matters, and how it can be used. It guides the audience through the data, highlighting the key insights and their implications. Storytelling has been fundamental to human communication for thousands of years because it resonates emotionally.

According to neuroscientist Dr. Paul Zak, stories can trigger the release of oxytocin, a hormone associated with empathy and trust. This emotional engagement helps to make the data more relatable and memorable. In data storytelling, the narrative acts as the bridge between the logical and emotional sides of the brain, ensuring that insights are not only understood but also felt and acted upon.

Why Data Storytelling is Essential

Human Connection

Data storytelling is more than just a method for presenting information; it’s a way to forge a human connection. Neuroscientific research has shown that stories stimulate the brain in ways that pure data cannot.

When we hear a story, multiple areas of the brain light up, including those responsible for emotional processing. Dr. Paul Zak’s research on oxytocin reveals that this “trust hormone” is released when we engage with a story, fostering empathy and connection. We tap into this emotional response by weaving data into a narrative, making the information more relatable and impactful. This connection is crucial for influencing decision-making, as it helps audiences understand the data and feel its significance.

Memorability

Stories are inherently more memorable than raw data. A study by Stanford professor Chip Heath demonstrated that 63% of people could remember stories, whereas only 5% could recall individual statistics. This disparity is because stories provide context and meaning, making the information easier to recall. Heath’s research involved participants using an average of 2.5 statistics in their presentations, but only 10% incorporated stories. Despite this, the stories were what audiences remembered. By embedding data within a narrative framework, data storytelling enhances retention, ensuring that key insights stick with the audience long after the presentation is over.

Persuasiveness

The power of stories to persuade is well-documented. In a study comparing two versions of a brochure for the Save the Children charity, one featuring infographics and the other a story about a girl named Rokia from Mali, the story-based version significantly outperformed the infographic version in terms of donations. 

Participants who read the story donated an average of $2.38, compared to $1.14 for those who read the infographics. This stark difference underscores the persuasive power of storytelling. By humanising data and presenting it within a compelling narrative, data storytelling can drive more substantial and emotional engagement, leading to more significant action.

Engagement

Storytelling uniquely captivates audiences, drawing them into a trance-like state where they become less critical and more receptive. This phenomenon, described by mathematician John Allen Paulos, involves a suspension of disbelief that allows the audience to fully immerse into the narrative.

When people are engaged in a story, their intellectual guard drops, and they are more open to the message being conveyed. This state of engagement is crucial for data storytelling, as it helps to ensure that the audience is not just passively receiving information but actively connecting with it.

By combining data with a strong narrative, storytellers can maintain attention, foster deeper understanding, and inspire action. In essence data storytelling is essential because it transforms the way we communicate insights. By connecting on a human level, making information memorable, enhancing persuasiveness, and engaging the audience, data storytelling ensures that valuable insights are not only conveyed but also internalised and acted upon.

Challenges and Solutions in Data Storytelling

Common Challenges

While data storytelling can be a powerful tool, it is not without its challenges. Here are some common obstacles that practitioners often face:

  1. Data Complexity: One of the primary challenges in data storytelling is dealing with complex and voluminous data. Translating intricate datasets into a coherent and understandable narrative can be daunting. The more complex the data, the harder it is to extract and communicate key insights effectively.
  2. Audience Diversity: Different audiences have varying levels of data literacy and different preferences for how they consume information. What resonates with one group may not be effective for another. This diversity can make it difficult to craft a story that is both universally understandable and engaging.
  3. Maintaining Accuracy: Simplifying data to make it more digestible can sometimes lead to oversimplification, which can result in the loss of nuances and important details. Striking the right balance between simplicity and accuracy is a common challenge.
  4. Ensuring Engagement: Keeping an audience engaged throughout a data presentation can be challenging, especially when dealing with dry or technical content. It requires a careful balance of storytelling elements to maintain interest without sacrificing the integrity of the data.
  5. Technology Limitations: Not all organisations have access to advanced data visualisation tools or the technical expertise needed to create compelling visual stories. This can limit the ability to present data effectively.

Effective Solutions

Despite these challenges, there are several strategies and best practices that can help overcome these obstacles and improve the effectiveness of data storytelling:

  1. Simplify and Focus: Start by identifying the key insights you want to communicate. Focus on these main points and simplify the data as much as possible without losing its essence. Use clear and concise visuals to highlight these insights. Tools like dashboards and summary reports can break down complex data into more manageable pieces.
  2. Know Your Audience: Tailor your data story to the audience’s level of understanding and interests. Conduct a brief analysis of your audience beforehand to gauge their data literacy and preferences. This will help you choose the right level of detail and the most appropriate storytelling techniques.
  3. Balance Simplicity with Accuracy: While it’s important to make the data understandable, do not oversimplify it to the point of misrepresentation. Use annotations, footnotes, and supplementary materials to provide additional context and detail where necessary.
  4. Engage with Narrative Techniques: Use storytelling techniques to keep your audience engaged. This can include crafting a compelling opening, building a narrative arc with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and using anecdotes or case studies to humanise the data. Interactive elements such as live polls or Q&A sessions can also help maintain engagement.
  5. Leverage Technology: Invest in user-friendly data visualisation tools that can help you create professional and compelling visuals. There are many tools available, ranging from basic charting software to advanced visualisation platforms. Training staff in these tools can also enhance your data storytelling capabilities.
  6. Iterate and Improve: Data storytelling is an iterative process. Seek feedback from your audience to understand what works and what doesn’t. Use this feedback to refine and improve your storytelling techniques continually. Regular practice and iteration will help you become more adept at conveying complex data in an engaging and understandable way.

Final Thoughts

Data storytelling is not just a valuable skill but a fundamental necessity in today’s business landscape. As organisations continue to amass vast amounts of data, the ability to translate this data into compelling stories will distinguish the successful from the struggling. The true power of data lies not in its collection but in its interpretation and communication. Those who can weave data into engaging narratives will drive more informed decision-making, foster innovation, and create significant competitive advantages.

Looking ahead, the future of data storytelling is poised for exciting evolution. With advancements in technology, particularly in artificial intelligence and machine learning, the tools available for data visualisation and analysis will become even more sophisticated. These technologies will enable deeper insights and more dynamic storytelling, making data even more accessible and understandable to a broader audience.

As data literacy becomes a core component of education and professional development, we can expect a new generation of professionals who are not only data-savvy but also skilled storytellers. This shift will democratise data storytelling, allowing insights to flow more freely across all levels of an organisation and fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making.

In an increasingly complex and data-rich world, the ability to tell stories with data will become ever more critical. It’s not just about presenting numbers; it’s about making those numbers speak, engaging audiences, and driving meaningful action. As we move forward, the organisations that embrace and excel in data storytelling will lead the way, turning information into impact and insights into innovation. The future is bright for those who master the art of data storytelling, transforming data into a powerful narrative that can shape the course of businesses and industries alike.

Introduction

Have you ever been in a meeting where you felt everyone was on the same page, only to discover later that each person had a completely different vision of the idea? This common issue stems from the fact that we all have unique mental images and interpretations. A powerful solution to this problem is displayed thinking.

Displayed thinking, a concept popularised by Mike Vance from Disney, involves capturing and sharing ideas visually during discussions. This approach can significantly enhance communication and idea generation. In market research, clarity and collaboration are crucial; displayed thinking can transform how teams develop and refine ideas. By making thoughts visible and accessible to everyone, displayed thinking ensures that all participants have a shared understanding, leading to more effective and innovative solutions.

The Problem with Individual Mental Images

Diverging Perceptions

Imagine the word “chair.” For some, this might conjure an image of a plush, padded armchair, perfect for relaxing with a book. For others, it might bring to mind a sleek, modern office chair with wheels and adjustable height. Someone else might think of a simple wooden dining chair. This variation arises from our individual experiences and contexts. Our personal history, preferences, and environments shape how we visualise even the most straightforward concepts.

This divergence becomes even more pronounced with complex ideas. For example, when thinking about a “shop,” one person might imagine a small, cosy boutique, while another picture a large, bustling supermarket. These different mental images can lead to significant misunderstandings when discussing ideas or projects.

Communication Breakdown

These differing mental images can cause communication breakdowns in meetings. When everyone assumes that others share their vision, the results can be frustrating and counterproductive. For instance, during a project discussion, one team member might propose a “modern design” for a product, envisioning sleek lines and minimalistic features. However, another team member might interpret “modern design” as something entirely different, perhaps focusing on futuristic elements and bold colours.

This misalignment can lead to wasted time and resources as the team struggles to reconcile their differing visions. According to a study by the International Journal of Project Management, miscommunication is one of the leading causes of project failure, contributing to 56% of projects not meeting their original goals. This highlights the critical need for clear and shared understanding in collaborative work.

Displayed thinking addresses this issue by making ideas visible and concrete. Everyone can see the same thing when ideas are drawn out or otherwise visually represented. This reduces the chances of misinterpretation and ensures that all team members are aligned in their understanding.

The Concept of Displayed Thinking

How It Works

Displayed thinking involves capturing and sharing ideas visually during discussions. This method utilises visual aids like whiteboards, flipcharts, and digital tools to make ideas visible to everyone involved. Here’s how it works:

  1. Visual Aids: In a meeting, participants use whiteboards, flipcharts, or digital screens to write down or draw their ideas. This can include sketches, diagrams, bullet points, and flowcharts.
  2. Interactive Discussion: As ideas are presented, others can add their thoughts, make modifications, or connect related concepts directly on the visual aid. This creates a dynamic, interactive discussion where everyone can see the development of ideas in real time.
  3. Digital Tools: With technological advancements, digital tools like interactive whiteboards and tablet apps facilitate displayed thinking. These tools allow for easy saving, sharing, and editing of visual notes, making them accessible even in remote or hybrid meetings.

For example, in a brainstorming session about a new product design, one team member might draw an initial sketch on a whiteboard. Others can then suggest changes or additions visually represented on the same board. This collaborative approach ensures that everyone’s ideas are visible and can be built upon collectively.

Transition from Remote to Direct Memory

Psychologists refer to our individual memories and mental images as “remote memories” because they are private and inaccessible to others. Displayed thinking transforms these remote memories into “direct memory,” which is shared and accessible to all participants in a discussion.

Here’s how this transition happens:

  1. Making Ideas Visible: When ideas are visually displayed, they move from being private thoughts to shared, concrete visuals. This allows everyone to see and understand the same information.
  2. Shared Understanding: As participants contribute to the visual representation of ideas, a collective understanding is built. This shared direct memory ensures that all team members are on the same page.
  3. Enhanced Communication: By making thoughts and ideas visible, displayed thinking reduces misunderstandings and ensures more transparent communication. This is particularly important in complex projects where precise understanding is crucial.

Displayed thinking bridges the gap between individual perceptions and collective understanding. Making mental images visible and tangible enhances collaboration and helps teams develop more coherent and aligned ideas. As a result, projects are more likely to succeed, and communication becomes more effective and efficient.

The 7 Benefits of Displayed Thinking

Contextual

Displayed thinking provides context and clarity by visually arranging ideas. When ideas are laid out on a whiteboard or flipchart, their relationships and hierarchies become apparent. This visual context helps participants understand how concepts fit together and their relative importance. For example, a project timeline on a whiteboard allows everyone to see the sequence of tasks and deadlines, making it easier to grasp the project’s flow and dependencies.

Inspirational

Seeing ideas visually can spark new thoughts and enhance creativity. Visual representations can trigger associations and connections that might not emerge through verbal discussion alone. For instance, a mind map on a flipchart can reveal connections between concepts, inspiring team members to build on each other’s ideas. A study published in the Journal of Business Research states that visual brainstorming techniques can significantly boost creativity and idea generation.

Editable

One significant advantage of displayed thinking is the ease of refining and editing ideas. Visual aids like whiteboards and flipcharts allow for quick modifications. A line can be redrawn, an idea can be moved, or new information can be added seamlessly. This flexibility ensures that ideas can evolve dynamically during discussions, leading to more precise and polished outcomes.

Referential

Visual ideas make referencing and discussing concepts more intuitive. Instead of relying on memory or lengthy descriptions, participants can simply point to specific elements on a whiteboard or screen. This ease of reference allows for more detailed and focused discussions. For example, during a product design meeting, pointing to a specific feature on a sketch facilitates a clear and concise conversation about that feature.

Constructive

Visual representation leads to more specific and constructive conversations. Concrete visuals eliminate ambiguity, enabling participants to address particular aspects of an idea. This specificity fosters deeper analysis and more productive discussions. As noted in a study by the Harvard Business Review, teams using visual tools for problem-solving generated more actionable solutions compared to those relying solely on verbal communication.

Collaborative

Displayed thinking promotes collaboration. When ideas are visually represented, participants are encouraged to engage more actively. Writing or drawing on a shared surface fosters eye contact and interaction, reducing distractions from personal devices like notebooks or laptops. This collaborative environment enhances mutual understanding and team cohesion.

Concrete

Finally, visual ideas are concrete and permanent. Once captured on a whiteboard, flipchart, or digital tool, they do not need to be remembered and can be easily referred to later. This permanence not only aids in reducing cognitive load but also serves as a valuable reference for future discussions. According to research by the Cognitive Science Society, visual memory is more robust than verbal memory, making displayed thinking a powerful tool for retaining and recalling information (Johnson-Laird, 2013).

By leveraging these seven benefits, market researchers and professionals can enhance their communication, idea generation, and collaborative efforts, leading to more effective and innovative outcomes.

Practical Applications in Market Research

Internal Meetings

Displayed thinking can transform internal team meetings by enhancing idea generation and problem-solving. Here’s how to implement it effectively:

  1. Set Up Visual Aids: Ensure every meeting space has visual aids like whiteboards, flipcharts, or digital screens. These tools should be easily accessible and ready for use at any time.
  2. Encourage Participation: Invite all team members to contribute visually. Everyone should feel encouraged to participate actively, whether it’s writing down ideas, drawing diagrams, or mapping out processes.
  3. Structure Discussions Visually: Begin meetings by outlining the agenda visually. This could be as simple as writing the key topics on a whiteboard. As the discussion progresses, add notes, diagrams, and other visual elements to capture the flow of ideas.
  4. Facilitate Real-Time Editing: Use the visual aids to refine and edit ideas in real time. For example, if a team member suggests a change to a process, illustrate the change immediately. This ensures that everyone can see and understand the modifications instantly.
  5. Summarise Visually: At the end of the meeting, summarise the key points visually. This helps reinforce the discussion and provides a clear reference for future actions.

Example: During a brainstorming session for a new marketing campaign, the team can use a whiteboard to list potential ideas, draw connections between related concepts, and outline a preliminary plan. This visual approach ensures that everyone’s ideas are visible and can be built upon collaboratively.

Client Meetings

Using displayed thinking tools in client meetings can significantly enhance understanding and collaboration. Here’s how to make the most of these tools:

  1. Prepare Visual Materials: Before the meeting, prepare visual materials that outline crucial points, data, and proposed solutions. This could include charts, graphs, and diagrams that clearly present your research findings and recommendations.
  2. Engage Clients Visually: During the meeting, use these visual aids to guide the discussion. For instance, point to a relevant graph or chart as you explain a market trend. This helps clients visualise the data and grasp the information more effectively.
  3. Interactive Discussion: Encourage clients to interact with the visual materials. If they have questions or suggestions, invite them to annotate the visuals or add their own ideas. This interactive approach fosters a sense of collaboration and ownership.
  4. Clarify Complex Concepts: Use displayed thinking to break down complex concepts into more understandable visual elements. For example, if explaining a complicated market segmentation, use diagrams to show the different segments and their characteristics.
  5. Leave Behind Visual Summaries: Provide clients with visual summaries of the meeting. These can be printed handouts or digital files that capture the key points discussed. This ensures that clients have a clear and concrete reference to review later.

Example: In a meeting to discuss a new product launch, the research team can use a digital whiteboard to present survey results, highlight consumer preferences, and sketch out potential marketing strategies. Clients can see the data in context and participate in refining the proposed strategies, leading to more effective and mutually agreed-upon solutions.

By implementing displayed thinking in internal and client meetings, market researchers can improve communication, foster collaboration, and ensure a clear and shared understanding of ideas and strategies. This approach enhances the effectiveness of meetings and leads to more innovative and successful outcomes.

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Tools for Displayed Thinking

Physical Tools

  1. Whiteboards:
    • Description: Whiteboards are versatile, reusable writing surfaces commonly found in meeting rooms. They allow for easy writing, drawing, and erasing, making them ideal for dynamic discussions.
    • Benefits: They encourage participation, are easy to update in real time, and provide a large surface for collaborative brainstorming.
  2. Flipcharts:
    • Description: Flipcharts consist of large pads of paper mounted on an easel. Pages can be flipped over as needed, allowing for a sequential presentation of ideas.
    • Benefits: They are portable, provide a permanent record of discussions, and help create structured lists and diagrams that can be referenced throughout the meeting.
  3. Corkboards:
    • Description: Corkboards are bulletin boards made of cork material, allowing users to pin up papers, notes, and other visual aids.
    • Benefits: They are excellent for displaying and rearranging ideas, visual aids, and other documents. Corkboards provide a tactile way to organise information and encourage hands-on interaction.
  4. Markers and Sticky Notes:
    • Description: These are essential accessories for whiteboards and flipcharts. Markers allow for colourful writing and drawing, while sticky notes can be used to jot down individual ideas and move them around easily.
    • Benefits: They enhance the visual appeal of the discussion and make it easy to categorise and reorganise ideas.

Digital Tools

  1. Tablets with Stylus Support:
    • Examples: Apple iPad with Apple Pencil and the Microsoft Surface with Surface Pen.
    • Description: Tablets with stylus support allow for digital drawing and note-taking, simulating the experience of writing on paper.
    • Benefits: They are portable, provide a paperless option for displayed thinking, and make it easy to save, share, and edit visual notes.
  2. Digital Whiteboards:
    • Example: Google Jamboard, Microsoft Whiteboard.
    • Description: Digital whiteboards are interactive screens that can be used for drawing, writing, and collaborating in real-time, both in-person and remotely.
    • Benefits: They facilitate collaboration among geographically dispersed teams, allow for easy integration of multimedia elements, and provide a permanent digital record of the session.
  3. Drawing and Note-Taking Apps:
    • Example: Procreate, Notability, OneNote.
    • Description: These apps provide platforms for digital drawing and note-taking, offering a variety of tools for creating visual aids.
    • Benefits: They offer advanced features like layers, text integration, and export options, making it easy to create professional and shareable visuals.
  4. Mind Mapping Software:
    • Example: MindMeister, XMind.
    • Description: Mind mapping software helps create visual representations of ideas, showing the relationships between different concepts.
    • Benefits: They are handy for brainstorming sessions, enabling users to quickly organise thoughts and see connections that might not be immediately obvious.
  5. Project Management Tools:
    • Example: Trello, Asana.
    • Description: While primarily used for project management, these tools often include features for visualising tasks and workflows, such as boards and cards.
    • Benefits: They help teams track progress visually, assign tasks, and ensure everyone is aligned on project goals and timelines.

By integrating these physical and digital tools into their workflows, market researchers can leverage the benefits of displayed thinking to enhance communication, collaboration, and creativity. These tools provide various options to suit different meeting styles and needs, ensuring that ideas are effectively captured and shared.

Final Thoughts

Displayed thinking isn’t just a proper technique; it’s a game-changer for market researchers and professionals. If you’ve ever felt the frustration of misaligned visions in meetings, adopting displayed thinking can transform those experiences. Industry experiences back this up. According to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, teams that used visual tools for problem-solving reported higher levels of creativity and efficiency—by making ideas visible, displayed thinking bridges the gap between individual perceptions and collective understanding, fostering a more collaborative and innovative environment.

Consider integrating displayed thinking into your workflows. Start by equipping your meeting spaces with essential physical tools like whiteboards and flipcharts. Explore digital tools that offer flexibility and accessibility, such as tablets with stylus support and interactive whiteboards. Embrace the power of visual communication to enhance your meetings, making them more engaging and productive.

By adopting displayed thinking, you will improve communication and idea generation and create a shared vision that aligns team efforts and drives success. Take the first step today and transform how you and your team brainstorm, discuss, and implement ideas. The benefits are clear, and the impact on your projects will be profound.

We live in a “post-factual” world, where facts often take a back seat to emotions and personal beliefs. Ralph Keyes introduced this concept, known as the “post-truth era,” highlighting how emotional appeal can overshadow factual accuracy. Social media and alternative news sources have accelerated this shift, making it a significant force in society today.

This shift poses a unique challenge for market research. The industry relies on data and facts, but in a post-factual world, simply presenting the truth isn’t enough. Researchers must find ways to blend facts with emotional and contextual delivery to communicate their findings effectively.

Understanding the Post-Factual Era

The term “post-truth era” describes a time when emotional appeal and personal beliefs overshadow factual accuracy. In this era, people often value what feels true over what can be proven true. The rise of social media, alternative media, and satirical news sites like The Onion has significantly contributed to this phenomenon. These platforms spread information quickly, often prioritising sensationalism over accuracy, which shapes public perception and reinforces the post-factual mindset.

Key Examples

The UK’s Leave campaign and the 2016 US Presidential Election are prominent examples of post-factual politics.

  1. UK’s Leave Campaign: During the 2016 Brexit referendum, the Leave campaign claimed that the UK sent £350 million a week to the EU, suggesting that this money could fund the National Health Service (NHS) instead. Despite being debunked, this message resonated with voters and played a crucial role in the campaign’s success. The emotional appeal of reclaiming control and funding the NHS overshadowed the factual inaccuracies.
  2. 2016 US Presidential Election: The US election saw an unprecedented level of misinformation. Donald Trump’s campaign frequently made statements that were later proven false. According to Politifact, 80% of Trump’s remarks were false, half-true, or outright lies. Despite this, he won the election, illustrating how emotional resonance and strong messaging can prevail over factual accuracy in a post-factual world.

These examples highlight the growing trend where facts are secondary to compelling narratives, a shift researchers must understand and adapt to in their work.

The Role of Emotion Over Facts

Emotional appeal and personal beliefs often overshadow factual accuracy. This shift is evident in various public and political arenas. For instance, during the 2016 Republican National Convention, actor Antonio Sabato Jr. insisted that President Obama was a Muslim, despite being proven wrong. Sabato’s defence was, “I have the right to believe that [he is], and you have the right to go against that.” This incident underscores how deeply held personal beliefs can persist even in the face of contrary evidence. People increasingly prioritise what aligns with their emotions and preconceptions over verified facts.

Impact on Politics and Society

This shift has profound implications, particularly in politics. Figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage have capitalised on the emotional appeal, using strong, often misleading messages to garner support. Trump’s campaign resonated with many voters, and it was marked by frequent falsehoods.

Similarly, Nigel Farage’s role in the Brexit campaign leveraged emotional appeals about national sovereignty and immigration, overshadowing factual debates. The Leave campaign’s misleading claim about EU contributions swayed many voters, demonstrating the power of emotion over fact.

This trend extends beyond politics, affecting broader society. When emotional appeal trumps factual accuracy, public discourse shifts and extreme views gain traction. Relying on emotionally resonant but factually weak narratives undermines informed decision-making and fuels polarisation. For market research, this means presenting data in emotionally resonating ways, ensuring the truth is heard and understood.

Implications for Market Research

The post-factual era poses significant challenges for the market research industry, which is built on the foundation of factual accuracy. Researchers must contend with an environment where clients may prioritise their personal beliefs and emotional responses over objective data. This shift can lead to scepticism, as clients might question or dismiss findings that conflict with their preconceived notions.

For instance, researchers might face resistance when presenting research results that contradict a client’s internal narrative or business strategy. This resistance is not necessarily based on the validity of the data but on the emotional discomfort it causes. Convincing clients to accept and act on data-driven insights becomes more complex in this context.

Need for Edutainment

To navigate these challenges, market researchers need to adopt the concept of “edutainment,” blending education with entertainment to engage and inform their audiences effectively. Edutainment transforms the presentation of facts into a compelling narrative that captures attention and resonates emotionally.

Steve Jobs was a master of edutainment. When introducing the iPod, he didn’t just talk about its technical specifications, like “1GB of memory.” Instead, he framed it as “1,000 songs in your pocket,” creating an emotional and memorable impact. This approach made the information more relatable and exciting, ensuring the audience remembered and valued the message.

Market researchers can learn from Jobs’ example by dressing their stats to appeal to logic and emotion. Instead of merely presenting cold data, researchers should weave in stories, analogies, and visual aids that connect with the audience’s existing knowledge and emotional landscape. This approach can help bridge the gap between factual accuracy and emotional resonance, making the data more compelling and persuasive.

By adopting edutainment strategies, market researchers can ensure their insights are understood, appreciated, and acted upon, even in a post-factual world.

Strategies for Dressing the Stats

Connecting facts with a client’s existing knowledge and business context is crucial in the post-factual world. Here are some strategies to build these emotional connections:

  1. Understand Your Audience: Before presenting data, understand the client’s priorities, challenges, and goals. Tailor your presentation to align with their business context and address their specific needs.
  2. Relate to Their Experiences: Use examples and analogies that resonate with the client’s experiences. Relating data to familiar situations can make the information more accessible and engaging.
  3. Visual Aids: Incorporate visuals such as infographics, charts, and images that evoke emotions. Visuals can simplify complex data and make it more appealing.
  4. Use Testimonials and Case Studies: Highlight real-life examples and success stories demonstrating the data’s practical impact. Testimonials from other clients can add credibility and emotional weight.

Storytelling Techniques

Storytelling can transform raw data into compelling narratives that engage and persuade. Here are some techniques to make data more relatable:

  1. Create a Narrative Arc: Structure your presentation like a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Introduce the problem, present the data as the solution, and conclude with the impact or outcome.
  2. Use Characters: Introduce characters in your story, such as customers or employees, to humanise the data. Describe how the data affects these characters, making the information more relatable.
  3. Highlight Conflicts and Resolutions: Identify conflicts or challenges and show how the data provides resolutions. This technique can create a more engaging and dynamic presentation.
  4. Incorporate Emotions: Use language that evokes emotions. Describe how the data can alleviate pain points, create opportunities, or drive success. Emotional language can make the data more memorable and impactful.

Examples of Transforming Raw Data into Compelling Narratives

  1. Customer Satisfaction Survey Results:
    • Raw Data: “85% of customers are satisfied with our product.”
    • Narrative: “Imagine Sarah, a long-time customer, who recently shared how our product has improved her daily routine, saving her time and effort. Sarah’s story is just one of many, with 85% of our customers reporting similar satisfaction. This overwhelmingly positive feedback underscores our product’s impact on users’ lives.”
  1. Market Trends Analysis:
    • Raw Data: “The market for eco-friendly products has grown by 20% in the last year.”
    • Narrative: “Picture a young family making a conscious decision to switch to eco-friendly products, driven by their desire to contribute to a healthier planet for their children. This sentiment is becoming increasingly common, as evidenced by a 20% growth in the market for eco-friendly products over the past year. This trend highlights a significant shift towards sustainability that your business can capitalise on.”
  1. Employee Engagement Survey:
    • Raw Data: “70% of employees feel engaged at work.”
    • Narrative: “Meet John, an employee who once felt disconnected at work but now finds purpose and motivation in his role. John’s transformation mirrors the experiences of many others in our company, with 70% of employees reporting high levels of engagement. This positive shift in engagement is driving productivity and fostering a more vibrant workplace culture.”

By integrating these strategies, market researchers can present data in a way that informs, captivates, and persuades their audience, ensuring the insights are understood and valued.

Practical Applications

Case Study 1: Tech Product Launch

Situation: A tech company was preparing to launch a new smartphone and needed to present market research findings to stakeholders.

Approach: The research team combined quantitative data with user stories. They highlighted key statistics, such as “90% of beta testers reported increased productivity,” and paired this with user testimonials explaining how the new features helped them in their daily lives. Visual aids, including graphs and videos of user experiences, were used to make the data more relatable.

Outcome: The presentation was well-received, leading to increased buy-in from stakeholders. The emotional connection made through user stories and visual aids helped convey the product’s value beyond raw numbers.

Lessons Learned: Integrating personal stories and visuals with data makes presentations more engaging and persuasive.

Case Study 2: Retail Customer Insights

Situation: A retail company needed insights into customer preferences to refine its marketing strategy.

Approach: The researchers presented their findings using a narrative arc, starting with the problem of declining customer loyalty. They then showed survey results indicating that personalised experiences could boost loyalty. The team included case studies of other retailers who successfully implemented personalisation strategies, using customer quotes and sales data to support their points.

Outcome: The company adopted the recommended strategies, leading to a 15% increase in customer retention over six months. The narrative approach made the research findings more compelling and actionable.

Lessons Learned: A well-structured narrative helps stakeholders understand and act on research insights.

Best Practices

By following these best practices, market researchers can effectively communicate their findings, making them more engaging and impactful in a post-factual world. This approach ensures that data is presented, appreciated, and acted upon by clients and stakeholders.

  1. Know Your Audience: Tailor your presentation to your audience’s specific interests and needs. Understand their priorities and concerns to make your data relevant.
  2. Combine Facts with Stories: Blend quantitative data with qualitative stories to create a compelling narrative. Use real-life examples, testimonials, and case studies to humanise your data.
  3. Use Visual Aids: Incorporate charts, infographics, and videos to make data more engaging. Visual aids can help simplify complex information and make it more memorable.
  4. Create a Narrative Arc: Structure your presentation with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Introduce the problem, present the data as the solution, and conclude with the impact or outcome.
  5. Highlight Emotional Impact: Use language that evokes emotions and connects with the audience’s values and beliefs. Describe how the data can solve problems, create opportunities, or drive success.
  6. Engage Your Audience: Encourage interaction by asking questions and inviting feedback. Make your presentation a dialogue rather than a monologue.
  7. Simplify Complex Data: Break down complex data into simple, digestible insights. Avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information at once.
  8. Practice and Refine: Rehearse your presentation multiple times to ensure clarity and confidence. Seek feedback from colleagues to refine your approach.

Final Thoughts

In a world where emotion often trumps facts, market researchers must rise to the challenge of making data resonate on a deeper level. It’s not enough to present the truth; we must craft it into compelling narratives that engage and persuade. This requires a shift in how we approach our work, emphasising the integration of emotional appeal with factual accuracy.

Market researchers are critical in bridging the gap between raw data and meaningful insights. By adopting techniques that connect with clients’ emotions and contextual realities, we can ensure our findings are heard, felt, and acted upon. Continuous innovation in our presentation methods is essential. We must be storytellers as much as we are statisticians, blending hard facts with engaging delivery to maintain relevance and impact.

The call to action is clear: evolve or risk becoming obsolete. Embrace edutainment, master the art of storytelling, and always seek new ways to make your data come alive. In doing so, we can thrive in this post-factual era, delivering insights that truly matter.

Strategic decision-making based on data is key to achieving competitive advantage in global business. Yet, the journey from raw data to actionable insight is often fraught with challenges, especially when ensuring these insights resonate with and engage key organisational stakeholders. 

Drawing from my experience working with brands across various industries, I’ve observed a common hurdle: the traditional methods of data presentation, while informative, frequently need to captivate or inspire the intended audience. This understanding has propelled us at Kadence International to pioneer an innovative approach, blending our deep market research expertise with the transformative power of visual design to bridge this crucial gap.

The Art and Science of Visual Storytelling: Crafting Engaging Narratives from Data 

The norm in many organisations relies heavily on text-heavy PowerPoint slides to communicate research findings and insights. While this method serves its purpose, it often needs more dynamism to engage and motivate internal stakeholders. 

In my journey of collaborating with diverse teams, the power of visual communication to elevate data into compelling, memorable narratives has become unmistakably clear. By stepping beyond the traditional confines of presentation software and embracing a more creative, multidisciplinary approach, we’ve crafted stories that inform and emotionally resonate, ensuring that vital insights are not merely shared but felt and remembered.

Visual storytelling transcends the mere presentation of data; it involves threading insights into a narrative that captures the essence of the information and its implications. This narrative approach is grounded in the understanding that humans are inherently drawn to stories. We find stories more engaging, memorable, and persuasive than abstract data. The challenge and opportunity for market researchers and strategists lie in harnessing this natural inclination toward stories to make complex data accessible and compelling.

The process begins with identifying the core message or insight that needs to be communicated. This is not merely about summarizing data points but about distilling the core of the research into a central theme that can form the backbone of the narrative. From there, it’s about building a story that guides the audience through the data, highlighting key findings and drawing connections to the broader business context. This structure makes the information more digestible and more impactful, as it situates the data within a relevant and meaningful framework to the audience.

CASE STUDY 1

Client: Bloomberg

Background: An infographic for social media use containing key findings and data from a research study conducted by Kadence Singapore. The study explored how business priorities were evolving and adapting to new ways of working during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Insights for Bloomberg


The core objectives of this study were: 

  1. To explore the shift in business decision-makers’ attitudes and behaviours 
  2. To understand how business priorities evolved during the pandemic 
  3. To examine what types of news content decision-makers consumed to help devise their business plans 
  4. To assess which markets in APAC were perceived to be handling the pandemic well or were equipped to restart the economy

CASE STUDY 2

Client: Ovum

Background: How the Smart Home will develop by 2022 – an infographic produced for Ovum as part of a series of thought leadership pieces.

Insights for: Ovum (now OMDIA)

Integrating Design Thinking into Data Presentation

Design thinking plays a crucial role in visual storytelling, particularly in the context of data presentation. This approach emphasises empathy with the audience, creativity in problem-solving, and an iterative process of testing and refining ideas. By adopting a design thinking mindset, researchers and strategists can explore innovative ways to present data, moving beyond traditional charts and graphs to more dynamic and interactive formats.

One effective strategy is to employ visual metaphors and analogies that make abstract data more concrete and relatable. For example, if the goal is to communicate the growth trajectory of a product, one might use the metaphor of a journey, with different milestones representing key achievements or challenges along the way. This makes the data more visually engaging and embeds it within a narrative context that enhances understanding and retention.

Another aspect of design thinking is the emphasis on user experience. Data presentation means considering how the audience will interact with the information. This could involve interactive digital reports that allow users to explore different facets of the data at their own pace or immersive presentations that use augmented reality to bring data and products to life in new and engaging ways.

The Role of Emotion in Data Communication

While the importance of clarity and accuracy in data communication is undeniable, the role of emotion should not be underestimated. Emotional engagement is a powerful driver of attention, retention, and motivation. By tapping into the emotional dimension of data, visual storytellers can create a more profound connection with their audience that goes beyond intellectual understanding to inspire empathy, curiosity, and action.

This emotional engagement can be achieved through various means, such as using colour, imagery, and narrative elements that evoke specific feelings or reactions. For instance, a presentation on customer satisfaction could use visual themes and stories that reflect the customer’s experience, highlighting not just the numbers but the human stories behind them. This approach makes the data more relatable and persuasive, as it connects the insights to the emotional drivers of decision-making.

Tailored Impact: Understanding and Meeting Audience Needs

Each organisation, and indeed each department within, has unique needs and communication preferences. When you work with innovation teams, sales departments, and strategic planners, you realise the importance of customizing the format and medium of your deliverables to suit these varied audiences effectively. 

From creating immersive digital 3D models that bring new product concepts to life to designing infographics that simplify complex data for easier consumption, the goal has always been to ensure maximum engagement and impact. This tailored approach ensures that insights are presented and aligned with the audience’s specific needs and preferences, facilitating clearer understanding and stronger motivation to act.

CASE STUDY 3

Client: Asahi Europe and International

Background: Asahi partnered with Kadence International on a pilot designed to explore the applications of augmented reality to pack testing. The pilot was focused on one of Asahi’s flagship brands: Fuller’s London Pride.

Kadence visualised the London Pride bottle by creating a three-dimensional model and optimising it for augmented reality. The AR model of the London Pride bottle was then shared with respondents across the UK as an augmented reality experience that could be accessed via a smartphone. 

Find out more about the Asahi AR study here.

We developed product visuals for various formats and sectors – product visuals can be used for testing and refining concepts.

A Holistic Design Philosophy: Bringing Ideas to Life

The scope of visual communication extends far beyond the screen; it encompasses a wide array of physical and digital mediums. Tangible assets, such as booklets, posters, and even newspaper-style prints, are crucial in keeping strategic insights and plans at the forefront of an organisation’s consciousness. 

These physical reminders, strategically placed within a business environment, serve as constant prompts for discussion, reflection, and action, reinforcing the insights’ relevance and urgency.

Embracing Print Design in Data Visualisation

While digital mediums dominate modern communication, print design is invaluable in presenting market research insights. Its tangible nature ensures that key data and strategies are seen and physically interacted with, fostering deeper engagement and retention. 

From detailed reports to visually striking infographics, print materials serve as constant reminders of strategic insights, encouraging discussion and action. Incorporating interactive elements like QR codes bridges print to digital, enhancing user experience and allowing for a multifaceted data exploration. 

Moreover, personalised print designs can cater to the unique needs of various stakeholders, making insights more relevant and compelling. As sustainability becomes a priority, eco-friendly practices in print production reflect a commitment to environmental responsibility, resonating with stakeholders’ values. In the era of information overload, print design stands out by offering a memorable, engaging way to navigate complex insights, proving its enduring value.

Data from the Front Line: An Exploration into Research in APAC

Produced and printed by Kadence.

Printed booklet covering key data sets across nine markets in APAC, 2018

The Power of Video: Engaging Audiences on a New Level

In a digital age where video content dominates consumer attention, leveraging this medium has become a cornerstone of effective internal communication strategies. Through my work in producing videos for a variety of purposes—from enhancing stakeholder engagement to enriching internal conferences—I’ve witnessed first-hand the profound impact that well-crafted video content can have. It’s not just about presenting data; it’s about storytelling, creating an emotional connection that drives deeper understanding and commitment among viewers.

For a deeper dive into our innovative approaches and to see our insights come to life, visit the Kadence Vimeo channel. Explore our collection of projects, including detailed case studies and our dynamic showreel video, to witness the powerful impact of visual storytelling on market research and strategic decision-making. 

Unlock the potential of visual communication with Kadence International, where data meets design to inspire action and drive change.

Watch Now on Kadence Vimeo | View Our Showreel

Collaborative Storytelling: Engaging Stakeholders in the Narrative Process

One of the most critical lessons learned through my collaborations with clients is the value of a partnership approach. Understanding each project’s unique context, goals, and challenges allows designers to create visual content that truly resonates. It’s about marrying our expertise in design and insights with the client’s deep knowledge of their brand and market, resulting in visually captivating, strategically aligned, and impactful outputs.

One of the most effective ways to ensure data narratives resonate with their intended audience is to involve stakeholders in the storytelling process. This collaborative approach allows for a deeper understanding of the audience’s needs, perspectives, and decision-making processes, which can inform the development of the narrative.

Engaging stakeholders early on, from the initial stages of data collection and analysis to the final presentation of insights, fosters a sense of ownership and investment in the narrative. It also provides valuable feedback that can refine the story, ensuring it is aligned with the audience’s interests and business objectives.

This collaborative process can take many forms, from workshops and brainstorming sessions to iterative reviews of the narrative and visual elements. The key is to create a dialogue around the data, inviting diverse perspectives and insights that can enrich the narrative and enhance its impact.

Examples of Bringing Theory to Life

To illustrate the principles outlined above, let’s consider a few hypothetical case studies demonstrating visual storytelling’s power in transforming data into actionable insights.

  • Innovating Product Development: A technology company used 3D models and interactive simulations to present research on customer needs and market trends, enabling the innovation team to visualise potential new products and features. This immersive approach made the data more engaging and sparked creativity and collaboration, leading to the development of groundbreaking new offerings.
  • Driving Organisational Change: A non-profit organisation embarked on a major strategic shift, using a documentary-style video to share internal and external research insights with its stakeholders. The video combined data visualisations, employee interviews, and stories from the field, creating an emotionally compelling narrative that galvanised support for the change initiative.
  • Enhancing Customer Insights: A retail brand developed an interactive digital report to share findings from its customer satisfaction survey, incorporating video testimonials, infographics, and interactive charts. This approach allowed the marketing team to explore the data in depth, uncovering new insights into customer behavior and preferences that informed targeted marketing strategies.
9-fashion-buyer-personas

The Future of Data-Driven Storytelling

As we look to the future, the role of visual communication in business insights is poised to grow only more significantly. With the advent of new technologies and the increasing demand for data-driven decision-making, the ability to translate complex data into compelling narratives will become an invaluable skill.

The journey from data to insights to action is complex, fraught with challenges but also ripe with opportunities. By embracing the principles of visual storytelling, design thinking, and collaborative engagement, businesses can unlock the full potential of their data, transforming it into a powerful tool for strategic decision-making and organisational growth.

In an era of information overload, the ability to communicate persuasively is more critical than ever. The future belongs to those who can gather and analyse data and tell the stories that lie within, inspiring action and driving change. As we continue to navigate the vast seas of data, let us remember that there is a story waiting to be told at the heart of every number, trend, and insight.

Drawing from several projects across sectors, one thing remains clear: the transformative power of visual communication in translating data into action cannot be underestimated. Whether through the immersive experience of augmented reality, the apparent visual storytelling of infographics, or the compelling narrative of video content, the ability to convey complex insights in an engaging, memorable manner is critical to driving informed decision-making and strategic action within any organisation.

The journey from data to decision is multifaceted and challenging. Yet, through innovative visual communication strategies, it’s possible to illuminate the path, making insights not just accessible but genuinely impactful. 

As we continue to explore and expand the boundaries of what visual design can achieve in the context of business insights, the potential to inspire change, drive action, and shape the future of organisations worldwide is immense.

For those seeking to harness the full power of their insights, embracing the art and science of visual communication is not just an option—it’s a necessity.

Consumer behaviour is shifting more rapidly and drastically than ever before. Brands are trying to keep up with massive changes in consumer behaviour and preferences in virtually every sector, from groceries and fitness to banking and finance. Consumers continue to pivot their preferences and priorities with uncertainty, inflation, and an economic downturn. 

In the early days of the pandemic, an uncertain and dismal picture caused anxiety and depression, which led to panic buying globally. Those were short-term behaviours and did not last. However, many massive shifts due to the pandemic have stuck, including online shopping and the need for speed, efficiency, and convenience. 

The pandemic has changed certain habits for the long haul, with many consumers going to stores less frequently than before. Buyers are now more comfortable shopping online, and most consumers prefer a hybrid shopping experience combining the physical and digital worlds as convenience becomes paramount.

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With the growth of online shopping and technological advancements making online shopping as personalised as a store visit, consumers are exploring options beyond traditional brick-and-mortar stores and looking for a complete experience, be it physical, online, or hybrid. Businesses must adapt quickly to these changes and shifts in consumer preferences to remain competitive in a dynamic and ever-changing market. These changes have been taking place for some time, but the pandemic accelerated the rate of change unexpectedly. 

Some of the consumer behaviours that have drastically shifted post-pandemic are food and grocery delivery services. In the U.S., consumers did not regularly use grocery delivery services. According to some reports, about 15 percent of U.S. consumers tried grocery delivery services for the first time due to the pandemic, about 80 percent of those first-timers liked the service, and 40 percent said they would continue using it post-pandemic. 

While convenience and safety were the two reasons delivery services skyrocketed during the pandemic, the price will likely supersede convenience as we enter a time of out-of-control inflation. Consumers will try to make their money stretch further because savvy consumers know the premium they pay for using delivery services like Instacart. 

In this new economy, will they still be comfortable paying a premium and missing out on discounts for fuel when they don’t shop in person? 

Food delivery services also became more popular worldwide, and the takeout and delivery trend was rising. However, as people returned to in-person dining, food delivery apps took a hit. These apps will also follow the same path as grocery delivery services because when consumers buy from DoorDash, the prices are higher, and they cannot use vouchers. 

Many big retailers like Walmart are following shifts in consumer behaviour by offering pick-up and delivery with no markup on prices. Other delivery apps are double-dipping on price, and the consumer pays more than they would in the store. 

Brands need to understand that just as convenience and safety were top priorities during the pandemic, consumers prioritise value and price over everything else, given the current economic environment. 

The fitness market is also seeing massive shifts, and consumers now want an omnichannel approach to fitness, where they use at-home gym equipment and online classes and apps in combination with in-person classes. 

Many e-commerce brands capitalised on creating connections with their consumers by using hand-written-style notes to add to the unboxing experience.

Beauty and fashion brands made it easier for consumers to shop online by using machine learning and artificial intelligence to offer personalised suggestions, experiences, and Virtual try-on sessions using Virtual Reality to mirror an in-store experience. 

Brands need access to high-quality consumer data, insights, and business Intelligence to stay in the game, meet customers’ demands, and outpace the competition.  

In any business environment, enterprises need to clearly understand the psychology behind why consumers behave the way they do. Consumer behaviour is the study of consumers and analyzes how consumers decide what to buy, when, and how to buy. It seeks to understand the psychology behind consumers’ needs, wants, and desires and how they purchase, use and dispose of products and services. 

This study is critical because it helps brands understand the motivations and influences behind their purchases. It allows brands and marketers to develop the right products for the right audiences and market the product with the right messaging to convert prospects into buyers and retain them over time. 

Several factors come into play during the purchase decision stage, and these may include personal (age, culture, values, beliefs), psychological (brand perception), or social (friends, family, influencers, social media).

There are four types of consumer behaviour:

  1. Complex buying behaviour

This type of buying behaviour is associated with big-ticket purchases, like buying a home or a car, where consumers invest a lot of time and energy. 

2. Dissonance-reducing buying behaviour

This type of consumer behaviour is often seen when a consumer is highly involved in the buying process but takes longer than usual because they do not want to regret the decision. This happens when multiple brands are very similar, and choosing one is tricky.

3. Variety-seeking behaviour

This behaviour is exhibited by consumers who opt for a different brand, even if they were happy with their previous purchases because they value variety. 

4. Habitual buying behaviour

Consumers that purchase the same brand because of habit rather than brand loyalty are in this category. 

A grasp of the type of consumers your brand attracts will allow you to segment your market based on consumer characteristics.  

Marketers also need to understand buying roles and who is the decision maker regarding their specific product. In a family, for instance, the parents make major buying decisions; however, in some cases, young children are highly influential in the decision. In fact, unlike in the past, the younger cohorts, Generation Alpha (those born after 2010) and Gen Zs (those born between 1995-2010), make many important buying decisions regarding what they wear, eat, or travel. 

There are six major buying roles brands need to take into consideration:

  1. Influencer(s): Several people may be involved in the purchase decision in many cases, but they may not all be consumers. Influencers are those who can exert influence in the final decision. These could be bloggers in today’s world or friends and family whose advice commands weightage in the purchase decision. 
  2. Gatekeepers are usually family members who control the information flow regarding a product within a household. 
  3. Initiator: This is the person who first initiates the purchase idea. 
  4. Decider: This person has the final say in the purchase decision and decides whether or not to buy the product. He also may determine how and where to buy it. 
  5. Buyer: This is the person who ends up buying the product.
  6. User: This is the person who consumes or uses the product purchased. 

Consumer behaviour helps with market segmentation, as it goes beyond the essential demographic elements like age, gender, and location to explore the behaviour patterns customers exhibit when interacting with a particular product, brand, or website. This concept is instrumental in e-commerce and online shopping environments. 

Here’s how e-commerce brands use consumer behaviour to segment customers and users based on their level of engagement with the website, app, or product page. 

They segment or group their customers by their attitude toward their brand, level of brand recognition, usage, frequency and timing of purchase, and purchasing patterns or tendencies, like special occasion buying behaviour. 

This allows them to tailor their marketing messages and create compelling campaigns to achieve their goals. 

By utilising behavioural segmentation, brands can get a complete picture of their customers and filter them by the highest levels of engagement. For instance, brands can track those who regularly open their emails or visit their product pages. Marketers can also target ads with the most appealing messaging to customers based on their needs. For instance, an online shoe store can show those interested in athletic wear more running shoes and sneaker ads, and at the same time, serve ads with formal shoes for those interested in evening shoes. 

Another significant shift in consumer behaviour is related to a demand for personalised and customised products, especially amongst the younger cohort of Gen Zs. Using behavioural segmentation, brands can provide more refined personalised experiences to win business. Brands can gain deep insights into their consumers’ needs, wants, desires, challenges, preferences, and concerns to gain a competitive advantage. Upselling and showing complementary products and replenishment reminders based on customer history and interests can reduce cart abandonment and boost brand loyalty. 

The use of behaviour segmentation beyond the purchase also helps provide a high level of customer service to cement the relationship with the customer, leading to higher retention rates, more repeat business, referrals, and brand loyalty. 

Using behavioural segmentation, brands can unearth invaluable data and insights that may otherwise never have been discovered.

Understanding consumer behaviour comprehensively helps brands improve performance across channels to diversify their marketing efforts. Brands can use these insights to adjust brand messaging, packaging, design, features, pricing, and more to stay ahead of the competition and boost brand equity

Kadence International helps leading brands make game-changing decisions. If you are looking for a research partner to help better understand your customers, we would love to help. Simply fill out our Request for a Proposal here.

India is a diverse country having 29 States and seven Union Territories covering more than 600 districts, roughly 8,000 towns, and more than 0.6 million villages. The villages are spread over 3.2 million square kilometres supporting 65% of India’s total population. There is vast heterogeneity in population characteristics due to socio-cultural factors, caste-based divisions, and religious and linguistic diversity. 

Specifically, in the Indian context, ensuring data capturing, and research methodologies are amenable to different languages, literacy levels, and differentiated access/familiarity with the internet is critical. 

For the above reasons, research and data collection become a challenging task and calls for a robust and representative methodology to mirror India’s diversity.

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Key Challenges in Research & Data Collection

Given India’s cultural and geographical diversity, some of the critical challenges for marketers and researchers in designing a survey for rural India are listed below:

1.   Reach: As per Census 2011, nearly 58 percent of India’s rural population resides in 115,080 villages having a population of 2000+. This effectively means that roughly 80% of the total villages in India are small or very small in size, inhabiting less than 2000 people. Looking at tapping rural markets, last mile connectivity with end consumers is a big challenge for FMCG players. Similarly, reaching the vast network of 33 million retail outlets in rural India is a challenge for companies, given the high distribution cost. Therefore, focused, and targeted reach is a priority in accessing rural markets. The survey design needs to factor in this critical consideration when designing the scope of research and sampling methodology.  

2.   Commercial Viability: It is estimated that 85,000 large villages in India account for 40% of the total population and 60 percent of the total consumption of FMCG categories. The skewness in demographic profile and purchasing power further limits the scope to cover the whole of Rural India for reasons of commercial viability. 

3.   High degree of heterogeneity: “A one size fits all approach” does not work well when designing a survey or methodology for rural India. For example, poor and backward States like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh have more than 75-80% of their total population living in rural areas, whereas urbanized States like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Telangana and more equitable in terms of distribution. Therefore, each State has its unique demographic and socio-cultural profile, which must be kept in mind while designing the sampling methodology in any primary research survey. 

4. Gender Inclusivity: Females are vital consumers and influencers of product categories in Rural India, but men are likely to be key purchasers. Therefore, “whom to interview” becomes a pivotal question to answer while designing a survey. 

5.   Linguistic Diversity: India has 22 official languages besides numerous local languages, dialects, and colloquial words. Therefore, linguistic compatibility becomes essential for survey administration in Rural India. 

 Methodologies for Rural Research 

Some factors merit consideration while designing a methodology representative of the diversity of Rural India and are listed below:

  1. Regional Representation
  2. Adequacy of Sample Size
  3. Defining “Rural” and therefore a selection of villages 
  4. Other Imperatives

1.   Regional Representation 

In a vast and diverse country like India, robustly researching rural consumers requires reflecting heterogeneity and ensuring representativeness. For example, people in the North have attitudes and behaviours that are distinctly different from the population in the South. Similarly, other regions also have socio-cultural nuances that often colour their opinions and attitudes, especially on sensitive issues. 

Therefore, selecting Socio-Cultural Regions or SCR-s is often the starting point to decoding rural consumer behaviour. The regions make it easier to contextualize people and their behaviour for prevalent agrarian practices, social and cultural nuances, and crop-season-driven income and consumption patterns. 

2.   Adequacy of Sample 

The population spread for different States in India varies a lot. For example, the most populous State, Uttar Pradesh, accounts for almost 15% of India’s population. On the other hand, the tiny State of Goa accounts for less than 0.5% of India’s population. Therefore, in a pan-India or multi-State survey, stratification of a sample by State becomes essential. Generally, States are categorized into different population bands such as high population states, medium population states, and low population states. The sample is then fixed for each band in terms of their population size to ensure adequate representativeness. 

The sample size would also depend on other factors such as the granularity of data required within a State, and heterogeneity of population characteristics within a State et al.  

3.   Defining Rural 

The Census of India defines a rural village as a settlement that has the following three characteristics:

  • A population of fewer than 5,000 people
  • <75 percent of the male population employed in non-agricultural activities and 
  • Population density of fewer than 400 people per square kilometre

However, for commercial purposes, this vast and huge area coverage is logistically challenging to cover for any marketing company. Therefore, for practicality and feasibility, different definitions of rural are followed. For most companies, the “hub and spoke model” defines rural coverage as mapped to their distribution channels. They consider villages in the immediate vicinity or within a defined radius of the feeder towns. Last mile connectivity is a challenge for most companies in Rural India. Covering interior or remote parts of rural is not considered to be a viable option. Villages at the periphery of small towns/feeder towns that can be accessed easily become the “immediate” potential for targeting Rural India. This is also called the “Ringing Method” of village selection. 

The above has a profound implication for researchers in terms of designing a suitable methodology and, more importantly, for deciding on an appropriate sampling methodology for the research.  

4.   Other Imperatives: There are a few other imperatives that one must be cognizant of while designing rural research methodologies: 

o  Permissions: Before any fieldwork in villages starts, it is crucial to approach the village head called the “Sarpanch” to apprise them of the survey and its objectives and take approval to conduct fieldwork. This is a formal authorization from the village head that they have been informed about the study and grant their formal permission. 

o   Village Map: You are required to draw a rough map of the village before the start of fieldwork to understand the village’s layout and the critical physical structures —like the hospital, school, panchayat office, temple, or any other place of worship. The team supervisor generally does this exercise with the help of a local person from the village, such as the sarpanch/ schoolteacher or any other elderly person. As the rural dwellings/ households in a village are not structured or follow a pattern (unlike the urban dwellings), the maps also help sample and select clusters/households in that village. 

o   Use of colloquial terms: Given the linguistic diversity of Indian States, specific phrases or words have colloquial interpretations. Therefore, for ease of understanding and comprehension of questions by the respondents, it is generally recommended that local phraseology is inserted into the instrument basis inputs from an informed local person such as the schoolteacher. 

With the focus of multinational companies and marketers now shifting to rural consumers, rural market research in India will likely increase spending in the near future. It augurs well for market research companies to actualize this opportunity to sharpen their research methodologies with rural consumers in mind. At the same time, researchers should be mindful of some of the challenges of rural research, such as low literacy levels, low tech savviness, poor connectivity, and a heterogeneous population, while designing research methodologies for this group. 

Kadence International helps leading brands make game-changing decisions. If you are looking for a research partner to help better understand your customers, we would love to help. Simply fill out our Request for a Proposal here.

You’ve likely heard the term “agile decision making” in the business world, but what does it mean with reference to market research?

Agile market research is gathering consumer feedback quickly by utilizing technology at any point so you can discover, experiment, understand, and make decisions with more reliable and quick data. 

An agile market research methodology is a strategic approach that aims to address the continuous change in consumer behaviour and market trends as quickly as possible to deliver fast growth and improve Return On Investment (ROI). 

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Agile research is an approach to market research where feedback is collected continuously and quickly. This allows brands to test, iterate, and adapt their concepts using data and facilitates innovation. 

Brands leverage agile market research methodology to create products and messaging that resonate with consumers and have a customer-centric approach. 

Traditional Market Research vs. Agile Market Research

Traditional market research includes stages such as project kickoff, design, review, analysis, and reporting. Every step in the process has a time limit before moving on to the next phase.

On the other hand, agile market research starts small and proceeds in steps that build on the previous one. With agile market research, researchers gain more insightful consumer experience (CX) feedback faster and at a lower cost. 

Moreover, the research tasks are not time-bound, and consumers are free to respond as they like and on their own time. The seamless integration makes agile market research a shorter process, improving overall CX.

While traditional research methodology has its place in assessing customer feedback, agile market research helps move teams faster because they receive responses quickly across design stages. It also allows brands to pivot rapidly and will enable teams to act upon the data and insights quickly. That way, teams are not wasting time and effort on something that will fail when released. 

How to get the best out of your agile market research

For brands to get the most out of your agile market research, they need to be mindful of a few points detailed below:

  1. It is critical to always begin with strategy and first understand the objectives of your agile market research methodology. This will help you utilise consumer feedback and insights more effectively. 
  1. Ensure your team has the skill set for the agile research tasks that need to be done. 
  1. Utilise an efficient, fast, and user-friendly software that empowers you to conduct, analyze, and report data that supports your agile market research methodology effortlessly.

Three Ways Agile Market Research is helping brands obtain the rich insights they need

Faster Insights

The number one advantage of using agile market research is speed. Agile market research removes the friction that can slow traditional research studies to provide quick, helpful feedback that allows iterative improvement. 

With agile intelligence, brands can anticipate consumer behaviours faster and more accurately. This allows the data team to focus on more innovative efforts that help grow the organisation.

All the time spent creating a questionnaire is reduced, sampling is automated, and fieldwork is done quickly. The analysis is presented rapidly, and the process is efficient and seamless. 

Smarter Insights

Artificial Intelligence helps provide smarter insights in a fraction of the time taken by traditional research. 

Since it provides immediate data sets, agile intelligence offers brands powerful insights, answering critical questions like how to segment buyers, which products are likely to perform best, and which locations to open or close physical stores.

Greater accessibility

Another benefit of agile market research is how it makes insights more accessible. Agile market research allows results from a series of similar projects to be shared with your teams worldwide. Other team members can learn what was done and worked, which helps inform future brand decision-making. 

It democratises data and helps create seamless connections to various organisational functions, allowing for collaboration so each department can achieve its individual and overall business goals.

For example, for physical stores, marketing teams can work with real estate teams to identify areas where they should decrease or increase their presence based on store performance and other factors. 

With agile market research, brands can test concepts with a target audience, generate a prototype and get feedback, or gauge consumer response to an ad campaign much faster than if they followed the traditional research process.

Agile market research seamlessly integrates various data collection tools, offering a shorter response process and improving the overall experience. 

Agile market research helps brands invest in the right tools for decision-making to adapt quickly to market changes. It allows brands to transform data into an actual business asset. When armed with the correct data faster, brands can keep up with the speed of change.

At Kadence we believe insights must be communicated clearly in order to generate maximum impact. We also believe that demonstrating the value of these insights, and embedding them across stakeholder groups, is vital. With this in mind, we pride ourselves on producing design output that is easily and effectively shared across organisations to inform, add value and drive critical business decisions.

But the designers at Kadence are not only responsible for creating diverse outputs at the end of research studies to embed insights within businesses, they also produce stimulus and workshop collateral, and visualise concepts and products for testing. 

The global design team works closely with teams across the Kadence group to tell powerful visual stories, and includes design talent covering digital and print mediums, as well as video production and animation. 

We asked our designers in Singapore, Jakarta and London to tell us about a typical day in their roles at Kadence, so let’s go ahead and meet the global design team.

Meet the design team

From left to right, Myra Lafrelle (Singapore), Widyo Prakoso (Indonesia) and Katrin Scheibert (UK).

What kind of work are you responsible for at Kadence?

Katrin
“I’m responsible for all things design and video at Kadence UK, but I also work with the global marketing and design teams across the Kadence group. The design outputs and disciplines I work across vary from project to project – one day I could be visualising concepts or products for testing, other days I might be creating an infographic or digital report summarising the data and findings at the end of a study, or I might be producing video content to bring a segmentation to life. Recently I have been exploring augmented reality and how this can be used for visualising and testing products in qualitative and quantitative studies, which I think is really exciting and has a lot of potential across a variety of sectors.”

Myra
“I lead the execution of a wide array of dedicated outputs including infographics, videos and interactive whitepapers. I work closely with the insight team to create content that brings to life an idea, solves a problem, or relieves a pain point in an innovative way. Essentially, I translate consumer and business insights into absorbable and engaging data visualisations and marketing initiatives.”

Widyo
“I create visually engaging, innovative and functional design outputs that typically include infographics, reports and product mock-ups. These outputs are produced for clients, for marketing initiatives and also for internal use here at Kadence Indonesia. Most recently, I completed the design of an online community platform that we use for local research here in Indonesia.”

Why do clients typically look to include design and video as part of their research projects?

Katrin
“The design and video outputs we typically produce for clients at the end of studies are used in a variety of ways – both internally within their businesses and externally in a more public facing capacity – but often our clients work with us to produce digestible, actionable and visually engaging outputs to inform and drive decision making within their businesses. In some cases, we also work with our clients to produce outputs that are used for marketing purposes. 

Design outputs that are produced at the start or during the early stages of a study typically include producing stimulus for testing – this mainly includes visualising concepts and products, which are then revised and refined based on the results from the study. These visuals are then used by our clients’ internal teams for further development.”

Myra
“The key thing that our clients are looking for is to be able to communicate insights effectively. The right data visualizations and messaging can help explain insights so they are more easily understood and interpreted correctly. A clearly communicated insight creates a strong message that is hard to ignore, preparing the pathway for action to occur. If an insight isn’t understood, the chances of affecting change are limited.”

What does a typical day look like for a designer at Kadence?

Widyo
“There’s no such thing as a typical day as a designer. Some days I may be focusing on animation, video and sound editing, others I might be producing an infographic for clients or marketing purposes. I make time to stay up to date with the latest design trends and developments in the creative world, so that I am continuously learning.”

How do you determine which design outputs to produce?

Katrin
“The purpose of an output and the preferred communication channels within a business are the main factors that will drive the format or type of output we produce for a client. For a recent segmentation study, we developed various pieces of collateral for a series of personas – this included digital and print outputs that all served different purposes. We developed printed materials in the form of hand-outs and posters for internal workshop sessions, as well as short, animated videos and interactive PDFs that could easily be shared with internal teams via email and an intranet platform.”

Myra
“The output is very much dependent on the type of research study. Data from quantitative studies can be crafted into infographics that tell a compelling visual story, or if we’re filming interviews or running an online community where video content is being generated by respondents, then this can lend itself to producing a video that brings the findings to life using this footage.”

What are your top tips for clients looking to land insights within a business?

Katrin
“Keep it short, visual and to the point – consider how much time relevant teams and individuals may have to engage with a topic (or study) and how much detail they may find useful, and tailor the format and length of your output to fit this. Using visuals to tell part of the story, or communicate key insights, can be really helpful for this and keep the core messages top of mind.

In some cases, it can also be beneficial to produce short visual ‘teasers’ that clearly and succinctly communicate key points and direct the relevant team members to more detailed reports or outputs. For example, a short video summarising the key insights from a study can be easily shared across local and global teams and can help drive interest and engagement around a topic or study.”

Myra
“My top tip would be to remind clients of the importance of taking the time into articulate insights correctly before converting them into visuals. We approach insight like peeling an onion, going deeper and deeper to draw out drivers, motivations and values. This provides a wealth of information, which we then sift through, identifying the key points for inclusion in the design output.”

Where do you go, or what do you do when you need creative inspiration?

Katrin
“I think that inspiration can sometimes be found in the most unlikely places. I often find inspiration when I’m shopping for groceries – the abundance of new, innovative products and brands competing for our attention on the shelves of supermarkets can be really fascinating.”

Widyo
“One of the best sources of inspiration for me is my colleagues. I find that “ngobrol” (chit chat) with the team after receiving a new brief or a client meeting can be a booster to creativity and generating ideas.”

Myra
“I draw creative enlightenment from random places, things and scenarios within my surroundings: moments of inspiration I’ve coined design inspos.”

Finally, tell us what the best part of the job is for you?

Myra
“Creating something that did not previously exist is really exhilarating. Solving people’s problems is also very rewarding for me. When you’re starting a new project, you’re trying to solve a new problem for a specific client. From research to interviews to kick off meetings, we take a number of steps to make sure we’re solving the right problem. Then, once we’ve nailed it down, I get to start brainstorming all of the billion ways of solving that problem, until I find the magic one. That’s always something exciting to look forward.

Another thing I love is learning new tips and tricks and finding new tools every single day. Trends change, new tech is created, new languages are written, tools are enhanced, tools disappear, you definitely have to enjoy being a lifelong learner in this profession.”

Katrin
“The best part of my job is working across such varied projects and outputs at Kadence. I’ve been able to continuously develop my skills and knowledge in new areas, from UX and dashboards to commercial agriculture and animal health. We’re also lucky to have such diverse teams across the Kadence group – I’m constantly learning from others and there’s always the sense that we’re working towards delivering the best possible outputs.”

Find out how you can use design in your business to land insights and inspire change

Learn more about our design and data visualisation services or get in touch with our team if you have a project you’d like to discuss.

Trusted by

Head of Global Research and Strategy, Phil Steggals, shares his top tips on running workshops that translate research findings into business action.

Stay ahead

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Keep up to date with the latest insights from our research as well as all our company news in our free monthly newsletter.