A simple, intuitive approach for Planners who want to develop strong consumer insights from research. Extracted from a full-day training course in Consumer Insights. Contact me for training programs and workshops that provide strategic solutions to vexing marketing problems.

1. A CUP OF T
Extracting Insights from Research
RP Kumar :: March 4 2013

2. The Planner’s Dilemma, Circa 1990
“WHERE IS
THE DATA
FROM WHERE
I CAN DRAW
INSIGHTS?”

3. The Planner’s Dilemma, Circa 2010
“THERE’S JUST
TOO MUCH DATA!
WHAT DO I DO?
WHERE DO I
START?”

4. Introducing the 4T Model
Extracting Insights from Research
TRIAGE TRENDS TENSIONS TALES

5. 1. Triage = Organizing The Data
Clearly Useful: “Clean”
data, that either provides
surprising or new
information OR clearly
supports or refutes your
hypotheses
Looks Promising:
partially proves or
disproves
hypotheses OR
opens up the door to
further investigation
Not Useful: irrelevant
to our challenge, “nice
to know”, not
actionable, tells us
what everyone already
knows

6. 2. Trends = Looking for Patterns
Step 1: Assimilation
• At this stage, resist the temptation to dive
into the data
• Don’t look at the data directly…look across
the data

7. 2. Trends = Looking for Patterns
Step 2: Connecting the Dots
Think of data not as a series of
static snapshots, but as a movie.

8. 2. Trends = Looking for Patterns
Step 2: Connecting the Dots
• Heuristic Rule: when creating trends, look across at least
three data points (in most cases you will need more)
• Latitudinal Trends:
– Same data point across time or across geography or across
segments
– Example: Sales of Budweiser Beer across months, across
regions, across Millennials and Gen X
• Longitudinal Trends:
– Keeping time /geography/segment constant, examine different
data points that pertain to our challenge
– Example: Sales of different brands of beers in NYC on New
Year’s Eve among Millennials

9. 3. Tensions = Looking for Interplay of Trends
Do the trends
reinforce each
other?
Do the trends
contradict each
other?
Do the trends
qualify each
other?
Each of these interplays tells a tale…

10. 4. Tales = Telling The Story
Harness the tensions; use them to tell
compelling stories

11. Introducing the 4T Model
Extracting Insights from Research
TRIAGE TRENDS TENSIONS TALES