Why empathy is key in market research

🗣 VoC Wednesday: An interesting read today in an article that discusses the advantages of using conversational surveys versus traditional numbered-response formats. On one hand, these open-ended questions can reveal much richer insights- customers can share details that a 1-5 scale will never capture. But the trade-off? Response rates. I know I’ve personally skipped surveys that were too long or too open-ended because I didn’t feel I had the time or the encounter wasn’t impactful enough to justify the effort. That’s where I see a potential risk: you might only hear from the outliers; the very unhappy or over-the-moon happy and lose touch with the majority in the middle. 💭 What do you think? Are more specific responses worth the risk of fewer responses? 🔗 https://lnkd.in/enum3yd2

𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵.  At Southpaw, we lead human-centered research to reveal 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵𝘀, the kind found when you see "participants" as people. Everyone claims they do insight, but we uncover the deeper emotional and contextual truths behind behavior. By centering real people in our research, immersing in their stories, contradictions, fears, and hopes, we don’t just get data. We surface the lived experiences and “aha” moments that help brands and organizations make better decisions. Why it matters (in a changing world): 🔸 Per Research Collective, organizations that invest in human-centric methods avoid costly missteps. A dollar spent in early usability or design research can save $10–100 in downstream fixes. (http://bit.ly/4hlymtL) 🔸 Listening to lived experiences helps outsmart initial assumptions. What seems obvious often hides what’s real.  🔸 It builds trust, connection, and resonance. Messaging grounded in truth endures.  🔸 In times of complexity and change, human insight provides the guardrail.    The work we do for clients is not just better research. It provides human understanding as a strategic advantage. 👉 Swipe the carousel below to see one of our own human-centered case examples where better listening reshaped a campaign’s foundation and outcomes.  #Marketing #ConsumerInsights #MarketResearch #TruerTruths

Do your proxy metrics reliably predict business outcomes or do they drive clickbait? In our blogpost, Miha Gazvoda and I are proposing ways to estimate the true correlation between metrics from past A/B experiments — and avoid the pitfalls of naive approaches. Check it out and leave your comments: https://lnkd.in/dbfnHzXn

The Power of Right Here, Right Now: Why Face-to-Face Research Captures Truth 💪 In market research, memory is often the enemy of accuracy!! When we ask consumers to recall experiences from days or weeks ago, we're not just fighting forgetfulness; we're battling recall bias. Emotions fade, details blur, and our brains unconsciously reshape memories to fit our current narratives. This is where face-to-face data collection shows its true value. Immediate feedback changes everything. When we intercept shoppers as they exit a store, interview attendees right after an event, or engage consumers in the moment of experience, we capture authentic reactions before memory has a chance to distort them. The difference is striking: 🧠Raw, unfiltered emotional responses rather than reconstructed feelings 🧠Specific details that would be forgotten within hours 🧠Honest assessments before hindsight bias creeps in 🧠Context-rich insights from the environment itself At TKW Research, our face-to-face methodologies are designed around this principle of immediacy. We meet people where decisions are made, experiences are fresh, and truth is unvarnished. Because the best data doesn't come from what people remember - it comes from what they're experiencing right now. #MarketResearch #DataCollection #ConsumerInsights #ResearchMethodology #FaceToFaceResearch #QuantitativeResearch #TKWResearch

If you're obsessed with insights like I am, Then here's 4 of my favourite resources for finding insights: 1. Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More Than We Think https://lnkd.in/gZpP2QHr  Written by Tasha Eurich, Learn how to develop self-awareness and use it to become more fulfilled, confident, and successful. 2. Insights are revelations https://lnkd.in/eHQYYXd  New Year’s Revelation by Richard Huntington 3. What is an Insight? https://lnkd.in/gUMV6CP8  Danish Chan and I discuss what an insight is 4. Insight Vs. Observations https://lnkd.in/gev4WtKF  Mat Shore explains why one of the simplest and most frequent mistakes we make when generating insights is to mistake facts about the customer for insight into the customer. 👉Next week I have a free workshop on Finding Cultural Insights. Don’t miss out! Click the blue “Visit My Website” link above to sign up.

Imagine unlocking the true voice of the public without ever having to guess what they really feel or think. Sounds powerful, right? But in the vast landscape of the public sector, understanding sentiment isn't just a nicetohave. It’s a necessity. Especially when decisions impact millions of lives. Today, I want to show you how AIdriven customer sentiment analysis is transforming governance, policymaking, and citizen engagement. Are you ready to harness the potential? Here's the thing. Traditional feedback methods—surveys, public meetings, comment boxes—are often slow, biased, and incomplete. They give a snapshot, not the full story. AI, particularly sentiment analysis, offers a way to tap into realtime, authentic emotions and opinions from vast amounts of data—social media, public forums, call centers, and more. This technology can sift through millions of comments and posts to detect patterns, emotions, and trends. Why does this matter? Because understanding public sentiment in the moment empowers officials to respond proactively, craft better policies, and foster trust. It turns reactive governance into proactive leadership. And here’s the actionable part: →↳ Implement AIpowered sentiment analysis tools that monitor social media and online platforms continuously. →↳ Integrate these insights into your decisionmaking dashboards for realtime feedback. →↳ Train your teams to interpret sentiment data and adapt policies swiftly. →↳ Use sentiment insights to identify emerging issues before they escalate into crises. →↳ Regularly review sentiment metrics to measure the impact of policies and initiatives. The goal is simple: transform raw data into meaningful insights that guide your actions. Think of it as giving your team a kind of ‘emotional GPS’—helping you navigate the complex landscape of public opinion with clarity and precision. In a world where citizens expect transparency and responsiveness, leveraging AI sentiment analysis can elevate your public sector leadership from good to great. It’s not just about technology; it’s about building trust, improving service delivery, and making smarter decisions. So, ask yourself—are you ready to listen to your citizens in a way that truly counts? Because the future belongs to those who understand sentiment before it turns into a crisis. And with the right tools, that future is well within reach.

Every journey tells a story, but the best ones lead to understanding. Our latest white paper, Journey Mapping: From Mapping to Meaning, explores how emotion transforms data into insight — and how brands can build connection through empathy, not efficiency. From psychology to design, from feeling to action, it all leads here: The Human Arc of Insight. Because where data ends, understanding begins. #TheCovariateTruth #CustomerExperience #JourneyMapping #BehavioralScience #HumanCenteredInsights #PsychologyOfDesign

After writing and analyzing thousands of surveys (and tens of thousands of questions) to ensure the research delivers insight for our clients, I can confidently say: landing on a great survey is significantly more difficult than most people expect. There is no one-size-fits-all method and while AI tools can help, the best results still come from thoughtful design grounded in your specific research goals. Great surveys share these features: ✅Structure: Your survey should flow logically for the survey taker. 🔄Order: Question order matters. You need to balance what you ask early vs. later while balancing a range of factors. 🎯Specificity: Be crystal clear about what you're asking. Vague questions = vague data. 💬Language Choice: Speak their language - not your internal jargon. ⏳Length: Length is always a tradeoff and there’s always more you want to ask. Prioritization is paramount. My advice: There are plenty of tools on the market that promise to save time and cost in survey design. But just like with respondent recruitment, it’s important not to confuse efficiency with quality, or the ability to uncover real insight. Survey design may look simple — but doing it well takes real experience and specialization. If you’re aiming to make confident, high-stakes decisions based on the results, it's worth investing in getting the design right. #B2BResearch #PrimaryResearch #CorporateStrategy #PrivateEquity

Your employees are already giving you feedback—are you really hearing it? 👂 Discover how AI-powered listening tools are helping companies spot hidden issues and turn insight into impact. 🔗 https://bit.ly/3WjadKo

In consumer psychology, the real unlock isn’t more data. It’s connecting micro-level insights (a user behavior) with macro-level forces (IPO plans, competitor moves, cultural shifts).