what is a good marketing insight?

A marketing insight is to discover a penetrating truth about the consumers based on their behaviour, experiences, beliefs, needs and desires. These select secrets should be relevant to the business offering and should ring a bell with the targeted audience.

marketing insight

Marketing insights are not something which the consumers know. If they would know, that would be knowledge not insight. It’s not data or fact about the brand that you are promoting. These are thoughts, notions that the target audience have in their subconscious mind. A little secret hidden beneath the surface. Explaining the underlying behaviors, motivations, pain points and emotions of the consumers.

To bring out an insight is an art. They have to be brought to life in such a captivating way that makes the consumers stop and say “Hmmm, that’s exactly how I feel. I thought I was the only one who felt like that.” 

So, how do we judge what is a good insight?

A good insights needs to have 3 key ingredient :

TARGET SHARPLY – the targeted should feel addressed and get engaged. When looking for marketing insights it’s important to keep focus on the activity, narrow the research to a specific target

Have it REAL (PROBLEM) – at the core of every marketing insight there needs to be a true dilemma, as without a real problem no one needs your solution

Has to be FRESH – one should make sure it’s a new problem or at least an existing problem described, presented in a new way

The common mistake marketers make is, they consider a ‘fact’ as an Insight.

Look at the difference between Fact (s) and Insight (s)

  • Facts focuses on current and past processes while insights are focused on impact on future buying behaviors
  • Facts are factually oriented and insights are behavioral and attitudinal driven
  • Functionally orientated is a fact while an insight is situational
  • Win/loss interviewing in case of facts and qualitative research and observations for insights

A ‘fact’ is something that truly exists or happens; something that has actual existence. A true piece of information. An insight is the ability to understand people and situations in a very clear way. An understanding of the true nature of something.

It is rightly said, there is rarely a right or wrong insight in marketing, there are some powerful, better insights than others.

At themarketingthinking.com we help you with curated content about the human behaviors and their underlying motivations.

Visiting Professor
The singularity towards identifying and mining consumer insights is what drives him -- Seasoned Content Creator, Writer -- Built & nurtured powerful Global and Indian brands that have won consumer confidence & delivered outstanding business results
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