Lessons in Gaining Customer Insights: Pros and Cons

There are many different attempts at gaining customer insight. Many marketers use the term so loosely that they may not even realize what exactly they are aiming to gain. It is important to determine customer insights in marketing because it is the process of learning why customers are behaving as they are. However, it seems that customer insight is, to some, such a vague subject and that being able to accurately gain the necessary insight may be a tricky thing.

In the “Kenna’s Dilemma” chapter from Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, Gladwell points out several important lessons that marketers should follow to actually have measurable customer insight. There were many tests that different companies tried out, but these tests did not yield representative conclusions. This proves that there is more than just simply asking customer if they like or dislike something. One must carefully choose how to formulate surveys, tests, etc. to determine how customers truly feel on the inside about a product. Nevertheless, I still feel that no matter how perfect a marketer is at gaining insight, all methods have their pros and cons.

In my opinion, a beneficial way to determine customer insight would be to actually observe how people react to your product in a natural setting. As Gladwell mentions with the Coke vs. Pepsi example, people were given a taste test and not actually given the entire product in a natural setting. This test returned false results. However, if the customer would have been observed drinking an entire Pepsi while watching TV or having dinner, etc., the marketers would have understood their true feelings.

Although this method would be ideal, it poses tremendous obstacles. The fact that it is extremely difficult to have the ability to observe customers in a natural setting is the most obvious threat. If marketers were able to offer products as samples to try out or in a store, or restaurant, etc. and could just watch the customers and their reactions they may be able to gain actual insight. On the other hand, it is very difficult to judge what exactly their reactions are relating to and what they liked or disliked. But, a marketer could use initial reactions to a product in a natural setting as a preliminary test of many in gaining customer insights.

Another lesson that I think is important to note is that of timing. I think it is very important to gain insights soon after customers have encountered the product. Reducing the time in gaining insight is crucial because customers are so fickle and quick to change. Sometimes, consumers will think one way about their experience with a specific product right after use, and then later when questioned about their experience may second-guess those initial feelings. People’s ideas change as time progresses, so it is especially critical to get feedback almost immediately.

On the other hand, immediate feedback on customer’s feelings can be challenging. It also limits the methods of testing that can be used. For example, if customers are sent a survey to fill out regarding their feelings about a product, they may return their results weeks later. This may lead to non-representative answers.

Overall, I believe Malcolm Gladwell does a very good job of addressing what concerns there are in gaining customer insight and the right and wrong ways to go about it. He cites specific examples that the reader can relate to in why certain methods may not have been ideal and vice versa. I understand why you are so interested in Gladwell, Professor Walls. He is a pretty smart guy!

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