Primary research
Ethnography Alone Cannot Generate Transformative Insights
Consumer Anthropology offers such refreshing
insights into the marketplace, re-humanizing the relationship between people, things,
and stores in very profound and moving ways. This movement has also helped
stores to get their noses out of spreadsheet and theories and keep their eye on
the customer experience.
Whether in-store or online, this ethnographic
sensitivity has positively been leveraged to optimize the present experience or
redeem oversights and chokepoints of history. This type of insight begins by
taking an objective snapshot of the experience, detaching, and seeing how to
make them relatively immediately better.
sensitivity has positively been leveraged to optimize the present experience or
redeem oversights and chokepoints of history. This type of insight begins by
taking an objective snapshot of the experience, detaching, and seeing how to
make them relatively immediately better.
All of these good things come from the business
discipline of consumer ethnography. These changes make customers happier and
help drive more sales per square foot (or per pixel); a win-win.
discipline of consumer ethnography. These changes make customers happier and
help drive more sales per square foot (or per pixel); a win-win.
Yet, time and time again, we have seen clients who
tried to use a pure consumer ethnographic approach to their innovation programs
who fail. Why? What happened?
tried to use a pure consumer ethnographic approach to their innovation programs
who fail. Why? What happened?
The purpose of innovation and the job of pure
ethnography are at odds. The purpose of innovation is to generate new value.
You accomplish this objective with foresight, creativity, and fresh thinking.
The job of ethnography is to give insights about the past or present.
Therefore, innovation aims for the future, and ethnography strives to stay
rooted into either the past or the present. Simply put, it is a different lens,
different ways of seeing.
ethnography are at odds. The purpose of innovation is to generate new value.
You accomplish this objective with foresight, creativity, and fresh thinking.
The job of ethnography is to give insights about the past or present.
Therefore, innovation aims for the future, and ethnography strives to stay
rooted into either the past or the present. Simply put, it is a different lens,
different ways of seeing.
This is why organizations that first try Design
Thinking often ends up with mediocre results in a program. They approach the
first two phase of the process (Empathy and Define) with an academically
rigorous approach to consumer behavior. This primary field data is potent, but
only half of the story.
Thinking often ends up with mediocre results in a program. They approach the
first two phase of the process (Empathy and Define) with an academically
rigorous approach to consumer behavior. This primary field data is potent, but
only half of the story.
The other half revolves around a mix of intention,
strategic prowess, ambition, business acumen, a growth instinct, and the
ability to trend cast into the future. The data from secondary sources,
indirect competitive trends, and exercises around new channels, new markets,
and brand elasticity fuel the conversation, insisting that it is well defined,
vigorously focused, and ultimately measurable.
strategic prowess, ambition, business acumen, a growth instinct, and the
ability to trend cast into the future. The data from secondary sources,
indirect competitive trends, and exercises around new channels, new markets,
and brand elasticity fuel the conversation, insisting that it is well defined,
vigorously focused, and ultimately measurable.
This other half can be defined as the Project (or
Business) objective. Pure ethnographic work without this other half to temper
it lacks a forward thrust needed to truly innovate.
Business) objective. Pure ethnographic work without this other half to temper
it lacks a forward thrust needed to truly innovate.
What is needed for a successful innovation program
is a mix, a vital intersection of ethnographic field insights with an
overarching commercial objective. This marriage of openness to the full context
of history and the present moment to delivering new ways to solve old problems
under a specific banner is the archway of profundity, a vast pipeline of possible
solutions.
is a mix, a vital intersection of ethnographic field insights with an
overarching commercial objective. This marriage of openness to the full context
of history and the present moment to delivering new ways to solve old problems
under a specific banner is the archway of profundity, a vast pipeline of possible
solutions.
Pure ethnography alone will not get you to the point
of having a transformative business or organization or a wide-ranging portfolio
of value-generating concepts. On the flip side, having a business objective and
no deep context of the market also means having a limited sight of vision of
the opportunities. Together, at the intersection of human context and market
focus, exists the key that unlocks real growth.
of having a transformative business or organization or a wide-ranging portfolio
of value-generating concepts. On the flip side, having a business objective and
no deep context of the market also means having a limited sight of vision of
the opportunities. Together, at the intersection of human context and market
focus, exists the key that unlocks real growth.
Michael Graber is the
managing partner of the Southern Growth Studio, an innovation and strategic
growth firm based in Memphis, TN. Visit www.southerngrowthstudio.com to learn more.
managing partner of the Southern Growth Studio, an innovation and strategic
growth firm based in Memphis, TN. Visit www.southerngrowthstudio.com to learn more.