THE BIG IDEA
WHY CAPTURING THE MESS OF REAL LIFE BUILDS BETTER BRANDS
In an era of head-spinning change, Americans are more willing to spend for brands they connect with
THE BIG IDEA
WHY CAPTURING THE MESS OF REAL LIFE BUILDS BETTER BRANDS
In an era of head-spinning change, Americans are more willing to spend for brands they connect with
As the modern world accelerates, people are grasping for connections everywhere they can find them.
A turbulent economy, polarizing politics, and the prospect of massive change driven by artificial intelligence: All these factors are making people feel uncertain about their lives.
of Americans say the world is changing too fast
of Americans feel technical progress is destroying our lives
of Americans say the world is changing too fast
of Americans feel technical progress is destroying our lives
Yet amid these major shifts, Americans are not retreating into their shells. Instead, they are escaping to individualism.
Compared to their global peers, Americans are much less likely to have choice fatigue in modern life. While 61% of people in 43 markets around the world say they feel overwhelmed by the number of choices available to them, only 49% of Americans say the same.
And as society has evolved over the past decade-plus, Americans are leaning into that choice more than ever – especially brand choice.
The number of Americans who say “I am willing to spend extra for a brand with an image that appeals to me” has risen 15 points in the past decade-plus.
I am generally willing to spend extra for a brand with an image that appeals to me
So how can brands take advantage of Americans’ keen interest in individualism amid the rapidly changing modern world?
The answer is twofold:
Capture the real reality of society by talking to real people, with all the messy imperfections that make them fascinating
Turn that real human data into authenticity that drives your products and outreach, breaking through the fragmented market
Capture the real reality of society by talking to real people, with all the messy imperfections that make them fascinating
Turn that real human data into authenticity that drives your products and outreach, breaking through the fragmented market
Capturing real reality isn’t rocket science: Since humans invented commerce, brands have been talking directly to people to figure out the best way to sell a product. But in the era of AI, it’s important for brands to realize that talking to humans is still a crucial step.
The large language models powering the AI revolution are no better than the data on which they’re trained. Ask an AI tool a question without giving it any new data — particularly one that could drive a crucial business decision — and it’s likely to fall short of the task. Even at its most effective, AI works off public historical data — creating answers that are dated or generalized.
That off-the-shelf AI data is also available to all your competitors — depriving you of any unique selling points to use to connect with your customers.
For AI to be truly effective and reliable in research, humans need to be a part of the process to balance history with the dynamic realities of present human behaviors, preferences and sentiment. Real people don’t answer questions perfectly consistently, based on their demographic profiles — they have their own interests and quirks that you can’t always predict with a model.
The more unique human insights you capture, the more you’ll be able to craft unique products and services catering to your existing customers or new ones — catering to those Americans hungry for individualism.
So how do you take those products out to the world and connect them with audiences? By turning that real human data into authenticity in your products and the messaging around them, connecting with your customers in the fragmented world we live in.
As the media and cultural landscape has fractured over the last two decades, with people increasingly spending time in algorithm-tuned silos, the context in which people connect with brands is more important than ever. In fact, Ipsos research shows that context accounts for over 50% of brand choice.
That means success may look different on different channels. What works in a successful influencer campaign will be different than a winning Super Bowl ad. But across mediums, one thing holds true: Human insights power creative campaigns that genuinely connect with audiences.
While bold creative, a focus on distinctive assets, or emotional storytelling can be highly effective, these strategies are at their best when that creative is also forging a genuine connection with the audience.
Ads that are seen as highly creative AND empathetic deliver 30% greater effectiveness vs. ads that are highly creative, but lack empathy.
% Difference vs. Average Performance on Creative Effect Index
Source: Ipsos Global Ad Testing Meta-Analysis (n=1,734 cases)
So how good are advertisers at delivering empathy? Answer: Not great.
Everyone sets out to be on that high green hill, highly creative and empathetic. But per an analysis of nearly 5,000 ads in the Ipsos U.S. ad testing database, only 10% of ads make it into that bucket.
The right research helps identify the meaty areas relevant to both the brand and consumers’ lives. This involves going beyond desk research, chats with AI, or a one-number stat on a dashboard.