When it's time for strategic planning, it's tempting to dive right in with our own ideas and assumptions. After all, we know our business best, right? But this approach can lead down a dangerous path, one where personal biases and limited perspectives shape crucial decisions about the company's future. Enter strategic planning research. It can help get the strategic planning on the right track – with real knowledge.
By grounding strategic planning in solid consumer research, companies set themselves up for success. They move from guessing what customers want to knowing it, from assuming market trends to understanding them. This research-driven approach doesn't just improve chances of success—it fundamentally transforms businesses to find their place in a market and in the consumers' narratives.
But how exactly do we turn mountains of consumer data into actionable insights that drive the business forward? We discussed strategic planning research on this episode of "Insightful Inspiration."
The evolution of consumer insights in business
Kerry-Ellen Schwartz, Director of Consumer Insights, Predictive Intelligence and Platform Innovation at PepsiCo, has witnessed a significant shift in how businesses use consumer insights over the past two decades.
"When I started in insights, it was very much like, 'Oh, we need a data point. Oh, we need to confirm something,'" she explains. "Now it's very much front and center."
This change reflects a broader trend in business: the move towards consumer-centricity. Isabelle Landreville, President and Chief Insight Seeker at Sylvestre & Co., emphasizes this point:
"Being consumer first is vital. It's not a question of whether it's a push or pull, and it's your strategy. It needs to be done for you to survive and thrive in today’s marketplace."
Identifying impactful insights for strategic planning
But how do you identify the right insights to inform strategic planning? Kerry-Ellen offers a simple yet powerful criterion:
"What I'm looking for is something that sparks something. There's a thread of something here. There's going to be broader implications that can be sown beyond just the consumer insight."
The best insights for strategic planning are those that make you stop and think, "Wait, there's something here." They're the insights that have the potential to change behavior across your organization, from marketing to innovation to sales.
Qualitative research: Uncovering deep consumer truths
To find these golden nuggets of information, it's crucial to look beyond the numbers. While quantitative data is important, it's often the qualitative insights that provide the "aha" moments.
"Nothing is more insightful than understanding actual consumer nuance, than being in their home, being in their kitchen, doing a three-hour ethnography with consumer and kind of walking through their pantry and their refrigerator and seeing what's in their cabinet," Kerry-Ellen said.
These in-depth observations often reveal surprising truths.
"We had a woman who was like, 'I'm very healthy. I'm super into organic food,'" Kerry-Ellen said. "We get to her house, and she has some of that stuff, but she also has all the snacks, all the chips, all the cookies, all the soda, kind of shoved in a corner, kind of like hidden in a way."
This disconnect between what consumers say and what they actually do is where real insights lie. It's not about catching people in lies but understanding the complex realities of human behavior.
Building relationships with consumers is key to uncovering these insights.
"Consumers are people, and they're looking for things from you as a company, as a brand," Kerry-Ellen said.
This relationship-building approach can lead to deeper, more meaningful insights. It's about creating an emotional connection, not just a transactional one.
Innovative approaches to presenting insights
Once you've gathered these insights, how do you present them in a way that resonates with your organization? Gone are the days of 100-slide decks. Today, insights professionals are getting creative with how they share information.
Isabelle mentions creating podcast channels for personas and using video documentaries to bring insights to life. These innovative presentation methods can help make insights more engaging and accessible.
Short video documentaries, which we often produce here at Sylvestre & Co., can be powerful tools. After all, making insights stick involves bringing consumers directly to your stakeholders.
"Whenever I have an opportunity to say, 'Hey, this is a brand fan, and they're going to talk to you about how they feel'... that's so rewarding," added Kerry-Ellen.
This direct connection can make insights more impactful and memorable.
Integrating consumer insights across the organization
Integrating consumer insights across the organization is crucial. It's not just about marketing anymore – it's part of R&D, supply chain, and sales.
"If you don't put your consumer at the center of everything that you're doing as a business, you're going to fail," she said.
This integration requires a shift in organizational culture. It's about creating a shared understanding of the consumer across all departments and using that understanding to drive decision-making at every level.
Balancing the need for speed and cost-effectiveness with quality research can be challenging. The key is to focus on asking the right questions from the start.
"Sometimes you need to ask the question in order to know if there's something there or not," Isabelle said. "Asking the question doesn't mean that you're reporting back on the question."
This approach allows for flexibility in the research process, ensuring that resources are focused on the most valuable insights.
The future of consumer insights in strategic planning
Looking to the future, the world of consumer insights is constantly evolving. Staying curious and open to new methods and technologies is crucial.
This curiosity drives innovation in research methods and helps insights professionals stay ahead of changing consumer behaviors and market trends. Consumers have endless choices, understanding and responding to their needs isn't just good practice – it's essential for survival. By putting consumers at the heart of your strategy, you're not just planning for the future – you're shaping it.
And leveraging consumer insights for strategic planning isn't a one-time event – it's an ongoing process of learning, adapting, and evolving. Keep your consumers at the center, stay curious, and don't be afraid to challenge the status quo.
"Your consumer doesn't need you," Kerry-Ellen said. "You need them."
What insights do you need for your next strategic planning? Tell us.
