Thinking differently about inputs

We’ve all sat through a presentation in which we were bombarded with facts, data and information that were loosely packed together but failed to tell a connected story. Often these sessions are characterised by the erroneous and interchangeable use of concepts like observations, insights, takeouts and human truths, where there is little connection between them and the absence of a useful “so what”.

The misuse of these concepts is problematic not only from a definition point of view; the biggest shortcoming is what is missed when they are not understood and therefore not applied appropriately for their intended purpose.

Let’s start by clarifying what these concepts are before we dive into how they can be useful to a brand looking to challenge the category, create a strong following and become distinct.

Observation, insight and human truth

An observation answers the question: what is happening? It’s an objective and factual account of what’s taking place in the operating context. This can be drawn from data, information, research or something that has been noticed. It describes what is occurring. For example, one could observe that shoppers are interacting with the platform but, at some point, do not complete the purchase. Observations are important as they provide a foundation from which we can establish an understanding of the operating context.

An insight answers the question: why is this happening? It’s the interpretation of what’s taking place in the operating context. While it should be informed by observations, it’s usually subjective, as it requires sense-making from what is being observed and provides the underlying answer to why something is occurring. In this example, the insight into why carts are being abandoned revolves around the payment process being too complicated or taking too long. Importantly, insights crystallise the actual challenge and reveal opportunities for action. So, if your “insight” does not provide a direction, you are probably still dealing with an observation.

A human truth answers the question: is it a bigger phenomenon? A human truth is a fundamental and enduring aspect of human nature that is true across different contexts and mostly true for different people. A human truth is connected to observation and insight but is also true beyond the category that is being considered. The example “the principle of least effort” says that people will naturally choose the path of least resistance or effort, which is true in the e-commerce category but just as true in fitness, nutrition and daily routines. Identifying a human truth not only broadens potential solutions — so that you can steal with pride from other categories that are faced with the same human truth — but also deepens the response by connecting to something fundamental to your target.

Observations are the starting point for any effort to generate knowledge and understanding. Methods to collect observations are vast and well-developed, so this concept can be parked. While insight provides direction within the context of a particular category, human truths open up opportunities to connect in multiple ways. Many teams are misaligned on these basic concepts.

Challenging path dependence

If the power of insight and human truth lies in the ability to provide direction, we need to understand how best to unlock that power, particularly for a challenger, who needs to be 10 times more effective than competitors to overcome inertia, because challengers have an ambition that far exceeds their resources. Therefore, a solid understanding and the application of these concepts inject a level of relevance that powers their marketing efforts to work harder. But the use of these concepts in the way we always have used them inevitably results in the same types of solutions we have always produced, and limits our effectiveness, because we are defining the issues in the same way, asking the same questions, analysing data in the same way and evaluating options in the usual manner.

We call this path dependence: locked-in self-reinforcing processes, mental models and solutions. While everyone may have similar sets of information and inputs, challengers view these through a different lens to break path dependence. For example, insights can be turned into opportunities by asking intelligently naive questions, those an outsider would, of the category. As a challenger, human truths help ground the progress they bring to categories and society, adding something real that people can connect with. By adopting an approach that seeks to break path dependence, challengers elevate observations, insights and human truths. This approach is useful in many ways; for example, it can provide direction to craft a clearer and compelling brand role or become more specific with target definition to build a tribe of like-minded people.

Crafting a compelling brand role

We helped Yoco articulate a compelling brand role that was not only true to its category but also relevant to people across multiple categories. Based on our insights and on human truth, we set out to define what Yoco would challenge and which monster it would take down. An enemy is an individual threat while a monster is a threat to the larger community, and naturally galvanises people. In this instance, the monster is institutional red tape. Bureaucracy and the politics of the system is a concept that resonates and is one that people can rally behind. It also provides a clear mandate for the brand in terms of the products, services and innovation it can offer small businesses to help them thrive.

When marketers double-click into insights and human truths, apply different tools and approach issues from a different perspective, they are able to gain a deeper understanding and identify broader opportunities that allow the brands in their care to thrive. Challengers succeed by establishing meaningful and unexpected connections, understanding the context and find innovative ways to engage with customers. When marketers understand the purpose of each tool and use all the tools at their disposal, they can establish a strong foundation for the brands in their care to drive progress within the category and beyond.

Tumisang Matubatuba is the strategy director at Delta Victor Bravo (representing eatbigfish in Africa).