Most strategists get it backwards. They go hunting for a "fresh insight" first, then try to reverse-engineer a goal to justify it. This rarely holds up. Because the “insight” was never solving anything the audience actually cared about. People have wanted the same things since long before your category existed; Mastery. Belongingness. Safety. What changes is the obstacle (consumer problem) that culture puts in front of them. Here’s an example forPlayStation. For years, gamers wanted mastery. But culture made it uncool to show excitement about being good at gaming. They reframed that the pride of winning a game is just as real as winning anything else. Another example forDove. People want to feel good about themselves. Dove's Real Beauty platform got reactivated with "Courage Is Beautiful" Same consumer goal (self-respect), same problem (media's narrow view of that goal), new cultural trigger (pandemic isolation, frontline workers). COVID stripped away every prop of "looking" beautiful, and the obstacle changed overnight. Courage and steadiness became the standard for beauty. Human goals don't change. Culture does. Find what culture is currently doing to block it. The order matters: 1. Lock the consumer goal. 2. Find what’s in the way of the goal. 3. That gap is where your insight lives. 👉 I’ll be breaking down some more campaign insights at a free upcoming workshop. How To Find Consumer Insights - sign up here:https://lnkd.in/egVDUUuX
Most strategists get it backwards.
They go hunting for a "fresh insight" first, then try to reverse-engineer a goal to justify it.
This rarely holds up.
Because the “insight” was never solving anything the audience actually cared about.
People have wanted the same things since long before your category existed;
Mastery.
Belongingness.
Safety.
What changes is the obstacle (consumer problem) that culture puts in front of them.
Here’s an example for PlayStation.
For years, gamers wanted mastery.
But culture made it uncool to show excitement about being good at gaming.
They reframed that the pride of winning a game is just as real as winning anything else.
Another example for Dove.
People want to feel good about themselves.
Dove's Real Beauty platform got reactivated with "Courage Is Beautiful"
Same consumer goal (self-respect), same problem (media's narrow view of that goal), new cultural trigger (pandemic isolation, frontline workers).
COVID stripped away every prop of "looking" beautiful, and the obstacle changed overnight.
Courage and steadiness became the standard for beauty.
Human goals don't change. Culture does.
Find what culture is currently doing to block it.
The order matters:
1. Lock the consumer goal.
2. Find what’s in the way of the goal.
3. That gap is where your insight lives.
👉 I’ll be breaking down some more campaign insights at a free upcoming workshop.
How To Find Consumer Insights - sign up here: https://lnkd.in/egVDUUuX