As strategy professionals and trend watchers, we’re continuously fascinated by the way people respond to external forces. One thing we know is that during times of uncertainty, people often follow an intuitive reaction to pull back and take fewer risks, to seek out what’s known and comfortable over change and progress.
So, we were surprised when, throughout the pandemic, we witnessed companies invest in and embrace their consumer insights teams to connect and deeply understand people. As an industry, insights and analytics professionals rose to the occasion and helped guide strategy, communication, and business impact.
We find ourselves in yet another period of economic and social uncertainty that hasn’t been experienced in decades, but once again, consumer insights are being called upon. While there are many stories of companies scaling back on spending, we are proud to see our clients double down on innovation, brand strategy, and more, continuing to aggressively pursue the type of understanding that makes a real difference in the lives of their consumers.
In chaotic times, we have to listen, we have to learn, and we have to help people make progress in their lives. As an industry, we have another opportunity to make sure we don’t just talk about consumer-centricity, but we live and deliver on it.
Together, we can partner to move past the historical tendency to pull back on consumer centricity during stressful times. Together, we can identify consumer narratives and breakthrough strategies that lead to business impact. Together, we can help consumers make progress in their lives!
