Over the course of my near 40 year career in research, the way brand insights are generated has evolved significantly. While the tools and techniques have grown more complex, the core objective of understanding customers and driving better business outcomes remains unchanged.

This evolution aligns closely with what I call the five foundational pillars of brand insight: customer-centricity, brand positioning, integrated communication, data-driven decision making, and agility and innovation.

Customer-centricity: The heart of insights

In the early days of research, our methods were simple. Surveys and focus groups dominated the landscape, providing straightforward answers about what customers thought or claimed to do. It was a direct approach but limited in scope. Fast forward to today and the customer has become more central than ever, with insights drawn not just from what people say but from their behaviour. We now have a huge amount of customer data available in real time, from transactional records to ratings and review sites. The task for brands is not just gathering this data but making it meaningful, ensuring it deepens our understanding of the customer journey.

This shift is the cornerstone of modern brand insight: being customer-centric. Whether it's tracking how consumers interact with a brand online or understanding their motivations through psychographics, the aim is to place the customer at the centre of decision-making. Insights professionals now provide an all-round view, blending research with in-house metrics and publicly available data to create a deeper understanding of consumer needs and behaviours.

Brand positioning and differentiation: From demographics to personas

The way we segment and define audiences have changed significantly. Traditionally, we focused on demographics such as age, gender and social class for segmentations. This approach, while useful, often missed the nuance of real consumer behaviour. Today, brand positioning is far more sophisticated, with insights professionals developing personas that capture not only who the customer is but why they behave as they do.

These personas allow brands to differentiate themselves by understanding not just surface-level characteristics but the underlying motivations and values that drive consumer choices. By doing so, marketers can craft messages and products that resonate on a deeper level, creating more personal and relevant brand experiences. This move from demographics to personas has been one of the most significant shifts in brand insight generation and it's critical for strong brand positioning.

Integrated communication: The rise of data visualisation

As marketing becomes more multi-faceted, with brands communicating across a variety of digital and physical touchpoints, the role of insights has expanded to integrate multiple data sources. In my early years, we often worked with a single dataset, perhaps blending it with a secondary source. Today, integrated communication requires blending five, six or even more data sources in real time to create a full picture of consumer behaviour.

This integration goes hand in hand with the need for clear and engaging data visualisation. Decision makers no longer have time for dense, text-heavy reports. Instead, they require actionable insights presented visually and concisely. Effective insights storytelling, driven by visualisation, helps to cut through the noise, ensuring that the brand’s communication is clear and aligned across all platforms.

Data-driven decision making: From explanation to prediction

The rise of Big Data has revolutionised how brands make decisions. In the past, data was often used to explain past behaviours, relying on historical patterns to guide future actions. Today, the focus has shifted to predictive modelling combined with machine learning to forecast future trends based on a blend of real-time data and historical insights. This is where data-driven decision making takes centre stage.

So now, brands can forecast demand for new products by integrating a wide range of signals from social media sentiment to review sites and web traffic. This move from explanatory to predictive insights allows brands to act proactively rather than reactively, staying ahead of consumer trends and market changes.

Agility and innovation: Adapting to a rapidly evolving landscape

Perhaps the most exciting development over the past 40 years is the increasing need for agility and innovation. Technology continues to evolve at pace and insight generation has to be nimble to keep up. In my early career, the tools of the trade were static, with research often taking weeks or months to deliver. Today, brands demand real-time insights, powered by advanced analytics, allowing them to adapt quickly to changing market conditions.

This agility extends to how brands act on insights. No longer is it enough to simply gather data; brands must innovate in how they use it. From creating personalised customer experiences to launching targeted campaigns with dynamic messaging, brands that embrace this flexibility are the ones best positioned for long-term success.

Conclusion

In the rapidly evolving world of brand insight, the role of insights professionals has never been more important. By grounding our work in the five foundational pillars—customer-centricity, brand positioning, integrated communication, data-driven decision making, and agility and innovation—we help brands navigate the complexity of today’s marketplace.

The tools may change but the goal remains the same: to understand consumers and help brands make better decisions.