Beyond findings to true insight - Pampers

Here's the next post on stories from the Where's the Sausage? book. This one on true inisght, that we define as:

'A discovery about your consumer that opens the door to an opportunity for your brand.

Many so-called "insights" in marketing are really findings or observations. They don't really "open the door to an opportunity", as they don't go deep enough.To get a true insight nugget, you need to dig a bit deeper and keep asking "why?" like an inquisitive toddler till you hit gold. The word "discover" in the definition captures the idea of really probing and exploring. And definitely doing a lot more than watching a few focus groups.

Pampers is a great example of how powerful a true insight can be. They have re-positioned the brand quite significantly since the days I was a wet-behind-the-ears brand assistant at P&G. Back then, the brand appealed to the fear of parents being crap and letting their baby get wet. It worked well, but was a bit preachy. And very in-your-face on the product story. (Weekly email readers, the ad is here)

The new insight that was the srpingboard for a highly successful re-launch came from talking to researchers into child behaviour. They explained that by being dry and getting a good night's sleep babies were better able to play, and that this in turn was key to their development. This lead to an insight of: 'Babies with healthy, dry skin are happier....and so better able to play, learn and develop'. The finding that babies are happier when they have healthy skin rather than nappy rash was not that new. The trick was unocvering the deeper emotional significance.

The brand's idea is now around "Being with you every step of the way with your baby's development". This brand idea has inspired a range of innovation including Active Fit diapers for young babies on the move, and Kandoo moist toilet tissues kids can use themselves. And this ad shows Baby Dry diapers that flex as the baby sleeps.

Comments

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[David MacGregor]

A belated happy birthday. I recently discovered your blog and find it useful. Can't really think of more flattering word than that.

I've added it to my blogroll so that I can share it with readers who visit ThoughtSpurs.

I have to say there must be a category of consumers who have graduated from the paraphernalia of infancy with a huge sigh of relief. I brought my son up alone after his mother's death and hoped I'd never see another diaper or wipe. But life has a funny way of offering lessons and surprises. My daughter is seven now and runs free of the nappies and wipes - but, curiously, second time round it was a breeze.

But I must confess, if I was was to win a baby product account - I'd hand it on to someone else. I've done my time - free at last ... free at last...;-)

[Lee]

Totally agree with your definition David.

I've always talked about an insight as being any information that unlocks an opportunity.

To identify an insight you need to be open to the potential opportunities ahead.