2021/10/shopper-pov-1080.jpg 22838775 - closeup of woman with shopping cart.
22838775 - closeup of woman with shopping cart.

Understanding Consumers Through Their Eyes

Glenn Staada, Radius Insights, Radius Global Market Research 2021/10/glenn-staada-bio.jpg

by Glenn Staada

Senior Vice President

We live in an on-demand, 24/7/365 culture where the job of understanding consumers is getting more complex. This new reality underscores the critical importance for marketers and executives to tap into a holistic, in-the-moment understanding of consumer experiences and perspectives.

Market research has traditionally been based on consumer recall of an event, at a point in time after it occurs, or on verbal affirmation of preferences and attitudes. Now, however, in-the-moment insights are possible due to the proliferation of smart phones, big data and social media monitoring systems.  Videos and pictures taken by the consumer, for instance, allow us to see and hear what they are doing and experiencing throughout the purchase journey — adding depth, color and context to how they view and engage with brands.

There is no better way to illustrate this paradigm shift than by considering recent airline scandals. Firsthand traveler experiences, captured and shared in-the-moment via social media, generate a crisis point that can has severely damage a brand. The ability to capture and reveal raw emotion in real time can represent a PR disaster for brands, but also gives companies an opportunity to respond effectively to any situation.

The power of receiving an unvarnished, firsthand perspective from customers. If you want to get ahead of possible problems or, better yet, solve problems to make your customers’ lives better (and, as a result, your brand more successful), then you should be thinking about how to take advantage of these techniques today.

Videos and pictures taken by the consumer, for instance, allow us to see and hear what they are doing and experiencing throughout the purchase journey — adding depth, color and context to how they view and engage with brands.”

There are several options for helping you see the world through the customer’s eyes:

  • GPS-assisted, mobile research allows you to intercept real consumers in the moment of making a decision or having an experience – thus quantifying tangible and emotional triggers that drive choices.
  • Mobile ethnography and cam-based research allows you to see what the customer is experiencing physically and emotionally as they perform specific tasks.
  • Utilizing web-cam video in place of typed open-ended responses allows customers to share views on what is important and what is behind the answers they’re giving.

These all lead to a clear, unobstructed view of the world — through the eyes of the customer. The result is your ability to build better experiences and solutions with the consumer perspective front and center.

Need help seeing your customer’s perspective?

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