Our industry has leaned a little too heavily on storytelling to communicate customer insights to stakeholders and decision-makers. Now, there is nothing wrong with storytelling. It is a fantastic tool in many ways, but it lacks dimension. In insights, researchers typically use storytelling to report findings, deliver them, and move on. The customer‘s voice doesn’t infiltrate the organisation’s decision-making, and insights often go unused. Point and case, the 2023 UK Customer Satisfaction Index shows that customer satisfaction has been the lowest it’s ever been since 2014. According to Forrester study, while 74% of companies want to be ‘data-drive’, only 29% actually are.
So we need a better way to raise the profile of insights, to get the visceral experiences of customers into the heart of organisations to drive informed decisions.
It’s my view that we are sitting on a treasure trove on exciting, inspiring customer content, but it’s not sparking the actions it should. So, how can we change that? At the Customer Salience Summit, organised by FlexMR, I had the pleasure of diving into this very topic: how our industry can take a page from Hollywood’s playbook to make customer insight famous.
It’s worth noting, that despite Hollywood’s famed glitz and glamour, in 2023, the revenue of the insights industry in the US was US$77 billion – more than double the $33.4 billion from Hollywood’s box office. Yet, somehow, our industry doesn’t have nearly the same level of visibility. The answer? Fame.
So, what would the dudes over in Hollywood do in our shoes? Run a campaign.
A campaign is a constant, intentional effort to control the narrative—keeping the conversation going around your content, the information you’re sharing, and the customer’s relationship with your organization. And there are six things the insights industry can do to build this approach.
The star: There are no movies without a star. When you think of iconic films, the actors come to mind first. So, when presenting your findings, think about who’s the best person to deliver and represent your message. It might not be the researcher who did the work – you need someone inspiring to captivate, sell the story and bring it home. Find your star, whether that means hiring someone, training a current employee, or incentivising your team.
Better titles (and one-liners): We all judge a book by its cover, even when we claim not to. A brilliant title and one-liner stick to your mind (see: Ghostbusters – “who you gonna call?”). In insights, we’re famously bad at this. Is it any wonder our insights don’t stick when decisions are being made? A 2015 study analysed 69,907 news headlines and found five key elements that grab attention: surprise, curiosity, questions, negativity, and — wait for it — numbers! Lucky for us, we’ve got plenty of those, so let’s use them!
Trailers: These are quick engaging videos which get you excited for the films. With insights, they can spark curiosity amongst stakeholders and help convey key points you want to highlight. For instance, a testimonial or interview with a customer can humanise your data and emphasise the importance of customer voices. It’s time for us to start putting faces (or even animations) to the data.
PR: Internal public relations help you maintain control of the ongoing insights narrative. To ensure that we are driving action from insights, we must leverage all channels and carefully curate messages that will resonate with our audiences. Constant sharing of insights, nuggets or snippets, will help elevate the insights team, as well as keeping customer voices in the forefront of decision-makers’ minds.
Targeting: Just like films, different audiences have different needs – identifying and targeting them is crucial to designing your campaign. Each stakeholder audience will use your findings in unique ways, so tailoring your materials to their requirements will help them better integrate the insights into their day-to-day decision-making.
Premiere: The premiere is where all your hard work comes together. Don’t let it be dull – engage your audience by encouraging them to think about and interact with your insights. This is how you bring your findings to life and make them resonate with the people who need to understand their importance and put them to use. As a researcher it’s all too easy to work flat out until the debrief, and then sigh with relief and walk away afterwards. Remember, for everyone else, the premiere is only the beginning.
Implementing this fame model will not only boost traffic to your platforms or start provoking more strategic questions from your audiences – it will raise your team’s profile and increase awareness within your organisation. You’ll create lasting impressions that bring insights front and centre in your company’s decision-making.
So, why not go Hollywood on your insights? And if all else fails, give us a shout 😉 We’re keen as mustard to help bring fame to your insights.