Through the SIVO, Inc. “Modern Ways of Working” Mini Chat series, we spoke with a strategic consumer insights leader, Helen Kurtz, Chief Marketing Officer. In this conversation with Marilyn Weiss, Helen discusses her experience with SIVO’s On Demand Talent solution. She has hired SIVO’s fractional Insights talent in two different companies that she has led, with the intention of introducing consumer insights to the organization, working with the marketing team to prove out the value of insights. Watch this insightful video or read through the transcript below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDTSN-vB8jA
Video Transcript:
DOING MORE WITH FEWER PEOPLE:
I mean, for sure, budgets are getting squeezed and I think it's more and more the case that headcount is getting squeezed and there's a desire to do more with fewer people and to be really smart about what choices we're making on staffing.
BRING IT IN AND PROVE IT OUT:
I left General Mills and went to a sort of billion dollar company, Foster Farms and it was clear to me as I came in as CMO that we needed to absolutely elevate our sort of consumer touch points and I needed to get that consumer insight function established at the company but I didn't have the headcount to do that and so that's where I reached out to you Marilyn and we dreamed up this idea of this fractional support.
I left the company, I'm now CMO at another company, and very quickly brought Sevo in with me again for the same reason. It wasn't a function that was established in the company, again about a billion dollars in revenue. And so it was a real opportunity to bring in and prove out the capabilities of consumer insights at the same time knowing I was going to get a fantastic, no questions asked, I was going to get the best talent at the right time.
CONCENTRATED EFFORT & TEAM INTEGRATION:
I think what you're getting with this fractional talent, because SIVO is the best at weeding it out. You guys are the experts themselves. It's like you’re going to a great college. You've already been filtered through. You're picking out the best talent.
I think there's also a little bit of a mindset of a fractional talent that's really important that who we've brought in doesn't need to be pitching in front of the C -suite.
They can, but they don't need that recognition. They they're not gunning for promotions within. They're really just there to do a job. They integrate really well with my team. But again, there I can have them sort of play in the background or bring them to the forefront. It's just a much lower lift for me and my team. I would say they're really there to do the job. And in many cases to educate my team on what consumer insights excellence looks like because that was not a function that was in either of the two companies.
So I guess, again, to be more succinct, this combination of excellence and expertise in their field, as well as this ability to work very seamlessly with the team and again, not being in it to win it for promotions. They're really there to do the job. So it's just sort of very concentrated effort.
CONSUMER-CENTRIC THOUGHT LEADERSHIP:
I think it's just thought leadership first and foremost. I think most companies are, if not there already, are wising up to consumer-first and consumer-led and that's sort of like in their DNA. So if you have a declaration like that happening in your company, it's like well, what do I do with that? and who helps me execute that? So I think you know both of the individuals I've worked with have really brought that to the fore helping educate on what that looks like. How to get close to the consumer, driving education, training, and facilitating.
Again, it's not just like executing the research, but interrogating:
THE ECONOMICS ARE FANTASTIC:
Like just the economics have been really fantastic. I didn't hire a full -time person. I use a fractional person at 30 hours a week. So like, that's worked out really well. I have no turnover because this person is here and they're very committed to us. I don't have to worry about them leaving. I've got a great backup from SIVO in that, you know, the resources are there. The thought leadership is there behind my individual. I know that she consults with SIVO on questions that are beyond her scope.
Then, just this sort of seamlessness of having someone who works well with a team. You filter out for people who are really exceptional at what they do and are used to an experience with working on a team. When you're out there interviewing, you don't really know what you're gonna get. So it's just like, it's almost like a stamp of approval, I think, coming from SIVO. I have found that through and through.
TALENT CURATION & INSIGHTS EXPERTISE:
I think the biggest compliment to SIVO is that my team doesn't really know about SIVO. Like they just know Jill. They know the person with whom they work. I am the behind the scenes working with SIVO and I've found that to be extraordinarily easy. I think that the team at SIVO like really listens to what I need. When I start a project or when I moved companies, they were quick to sort of like curate who would be a good match. They get to know me as a client and what my demands are.
My team would say it's a godsend. I think my team loves in both places, loves working with this talent, and would sacrifice a lot of other things before they would give up this talent, which happily we didn't have to do.
By Natasha Weith
As someone who’s passionate about the power of insights to drive business growth, I was thrilled to host our recent SIVO Insights Forum, “Bridging the Gap: Translating Insights Into Meaningful Business Results.” It was an inspiring conversation with some of the best minds in the insights industry, and I’m excited to share the experience with you.
At SIVO, we believe consumer and marketplace insights are the foundation for business growth. But let’s be honest, while all insights professionals understand this, turning those insights into actionable business strategies can be a real challenge. That’s exactly why we brought together this incredible panel of leaders to share their expertise and experiences.
I had the honor of facilitating this discussion with:
• Eliana Wahnon (VP of Consumer & Market Insights, General Mills)
• Khary Campbell (VP of Consumer Research & Insights, Comcast)
• Elizabeth Oates (Book Author, Former VP of Consumer Insights, Ulta Beauty)
Together, we explored how to bridge the gap between data and meaningful outcomes. Whether you watch the session on-demand (linked here) or continue reading for some highlights, I think you’ll find this forum both interesting and actionable.
Aligning Market Research with Business Priorities
In a world filled with data, the ability to convert that data into actionable insights sets successful businesses apart from the rest. Insights professionals must not only translate data into insights, but also deliver those insights in a way that inspires ideas and guides business strategies.
Insights teams need to be strategic about where they focus their time and resources. More specifically, it is vital to align research projects with business priorities. Elizabeth Oates posed these questions to consider during The SIVO Insights Forum:
Navigating through the business questions and issues that arise and honing in on those with the highest business priority offers the greatest chance of making a meaningful impact with your research findings.
Navigating Leadership Reluctance
One common challenge that Insights teams face is leadership reluctance to act on the research findings. This hesitation may stem from personal biases or not understanding the potential benefits. Forming alliances with key stakeholders and truly understanding the business from their perspectives will help insights teams address real business needs and inspire colleagues to act. This can take the form of getting early buy-in on research objectives and designs or previewing the findings and recommendations with colleagues to ensure alignment with broader organizational goals.
To this point, Khary Campbell advised insights teams to “be consumer first, but not consumer only,” during our panel discussion. “Consider the research implications to all the functions. After all, every function is working in an orchestra to drive business growth.”
Making a Bigger Impact
Insights teams can expand their influence by highlighting the strategic value of their work. Sharing success stories, aligning insights with organizational goals, and fostering a culture of consumer-driven decision making are crucial steps toward amplifying the impact of insights.
Great storytelling with a clear narrative, executive summary, intuitive visual aids and consumer quotes can simplify complex data and enhance understanding. These tactics ensure that research results will grab attention, persuade, and motivate key stakeholders and drive action.
Eliana Wahnon shared a 3C’s framework for driving impact when reporting research results:
The Evolving Role of Insights
The SIVO Insights Forum also gathered perspectives on the rapidly evolving role of insights professionals, inspired by the advancements in AI and the increasing complexity of consumer behavior. Despite suggestions that automation may replace traditional roles, the leaders in the panel believe insights professionals will remain indispensable for managing AI, distinguishing truth, and uncovering the “why” behind consumer actions. As Eliana Wahnon emphasized, “While AI offers tools to streamline tasks like drafting questionnaires and analyzing unstructured data, it cannot replicate the nuanced understanding of human behavior, or the creative spark needed to inspire ideas.”
Elizabeth Oates underscored the importance of balancing historical insights (the rearview mirror) with a forward-looking perspective (the windshield) to navigate future challenges. The discussion highlighted “scenario thinking” as a vital skill for anticipating multiple possibilities in an uncertain world.
Ultimately, AI is a tool to enhance efficiency and free up time for strategic thinking, but the human role in connecting dots, navigating contradictions, and driving innovation remains irreplaceable. As Khary Campbell noted, “Insights professionals must stay curious and adaptable, leveraging technology while preserving the core skills that drive business impact.”
This balance ensures the field of insights not only survives but thrives, enabling businesses to navigate an ever-changing future with clarity and purpose.
Conclusion & The SIVO Insights Forum
As I reflect on the conversations we had during the SIVO Insights Forum, one thing is clear: insights professionals play such a critical role in shaping decisions that drive growth, via consumer insights, but our real challenge lies in ensuring those insights are acted upon.
The panelists shared so many practical strategies and thought-provoking ideas that I believe can truly help us build trust, credibility, and impact within our organizations. From navigating leadership reluctance to making a bigger organizational impact, these insights resonated with me—and I hope they will with you too.
If you want to dive deeper into these topics, I highly recommend watching The SIVO Insights Forum “Bridging The Gap: Translating Insights Into Meaningful Business Results”. You’ll hear directly from our incredible panelists about:
Let’s keep pushing forward, bridging the gap, and making an even bigger impact together.
About SIVO Insights
SIVO, Inc. is a market research and strategy firm specializing in helping businesses understand people. We partner with world-class brands to answer key questions and identify opportunities that unlock business growth. Our team of insights market research professionals are masters at designing custom research plans, executing with excellence, identifying strategic insights and then helping client teams translate those insights into action. Our On Demand Talent solution places fractional insights experts into client companies to temporarily fill open roles, complete projects or expand team capabilities.
Contact us at Contact@SIVOInsights.com or visit SIVOInsights.com to schedule a Research or On Demand Talent discovery call so we can help you make an impact!
By Natasha Weith
Market research is often designed to answer specific business questions, such as how a product compares to the competition or what new features consumers desire. While this information helps guide important business decisions, it does not really help brand teams to truly know their consumer target. To connect with consumers on a deeper level, brand teams must move beyond understanding what is in their consumers’ heads (how they think) and delve into what is in their hearts (how they feel and their underlying motivations.)
The Importance of Empathy
Empathy is the key to unlocking this deeper understanding. It is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It involves not only recognizing what someone else is going through but also being able to emotionally connect with their experience, as if you were in their situation. Empathy fosters compassion, support, and meaningful relationships.
In a business context, it is about going beyond data points or demographic segments to genuinely connect with consumers’ experiences and feelings. By building empathy, marketers and R&D teams can cultivate a more intuitive grasp of consumer needs, enabling them to make decisions that not only meet consumer expectations but anticipate them.
Building Consumer Empathy
Most of the time, marketers are not their own target consumers so they must spend time with them to truly understand their lives, values, hopes, challenges, and behaviors. The goal should be to move through the following spectrum to genuinely empathize with your consumer target.
The Empathy Trek: Walking in Your Consumer’s Shoes
Building consumer empathy requires more than traditional research methods. It calls for what we like to refer to as "empathy treks." Unlike typical market research, which is focused on specific business objectives, an empathy trek is a more immersive and observational approach focused solely on getting to know the consumer. The goal is not to gather data for immediate business decisions but to develop a profound understanding of the consumer target.
An empathy trek involves spending time with your consumers in their natural environments. It means observing how they live, understanding what they value, exploring their beliefs, and witnessing their behaviors firsthand. This exercise helps brand teams to “walk in their shoes” and “feel what they feel,” leading to a more holistic understanding of their lives.
For example, if your target consumers are busy parents, an empathy trek might involve spending time in their homes during the weekday morning rush, observing how they juggle responsibilities, and understanding the emotional pressures they face. This experience can reveal insights that traditional research might miss, such as the stress points that influence purchase decisions or the small moments of joy that a brand could tap into.
The Value of Empathy in Brand Management
So, why is building empathy for your consumer target so critical? The benefits are numerous and can transform the way brand teams approach decision-making.
Let SIVO Guide your Path to Consumer-Centric Success
In a world where consumers are increasingly seeking brands that understand and resonate with their values, building empathy is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity. Brand teams that invest in understanding their consumers at a deeper, more emotional level will be better equipped to create meaningful connections that stand the test of time.
As an insights partner, it is SIVO’s responsibility to champion empathy with our clients. By advocating for empathy treks and encouraging client teams to walk in the shoes of their consumers, we can help you build brands that not only meet consumer needs but also win their hearts.
Contact us at Contact@SIVOInsights.com or visit SIVOInsights.com to schedule a discovery call and connect to your consumers!
By Julie Rose
“CEOs aren’t feeling the need to hoard labor as much as they once did. A quarterly survey of CEO confidence released on February 8, 2024, by The Conference Board, a think tank, shows 23% of CEOs expect to lay off workers in the next 12 months, up from 13% from the previous quarter.” *
With employee staffing constraints and cutbacks sweeping through many companies, business teams are feeling the pressure. So how does the work get done?
We know that business leaders continue to seek actionable insights to guide their decisions but there are fewer people and often not enough time to get it all done. Many insights teams are turning to fractional talent to fill staffing gaps. This provides the freedom to say “YES” to internal stakeholders, set strategies and take on new projects while not burning out the team or falling short on annual objectives.
As teams consider their staffing options, here are three easy steps for making the case for adding fractional resources.
Step 1 – Outline what issue you are solving.
Use information on hand to justify what the “current state” is costing you and the business.
Step 2 – Evaluate and select the right resource for your needs.
Workforce talent continues to evolve and there is no shortage of options, including interns, fractional talent, contract to hire, or permanent hire. Determining what’s best for you and your organization is key. When evaluating the right resource for your needs, there are a few key questions. Short vs. Long term? Trained vs. Untrained? Junior vs. Senior Level? Hours per week? Budget parameters?
Step 3 – Make the case to your internal stakeholders.
Finding the right talent with experience and selling the option internally might seem daunting. With the right solution, it is possible. Present your case to internal stakeholders by outlining the business need, presenting a tight range of staffing solutions, including the benefits of your recommended choice, and the associated cost and timing. You may also want to include the bios or resumes of the potential talent you are recommending.
If your evaluation in Step 2 supports contract or fractional talent as the optimal solution, below are a few additional resources from SIVO that can help.
Why Choose SIVO On Demand Talent for your Fractional Insights Talent Needs
SIVO On Demand Talent is here for you, with exceptional insights talent for fill-in roles or finite initiatives. You will experience the uniqueness of SIVO On Demand Talent through our Experience, Service and exceptional Talent!
Contact SIVO, Inc. at Contact@SIVOInsights.com to discuss how SIVO can help you make the case for fractional talent. Also, check out SIVO’s On Demand Talent Profiles to learn more about the many fractional Insights Professionals - from Insights Generalists to Research Specialists - that can be an asset to you and your team and help you meet your goals.
* Noted in a NerdWallet article, Will 2024 Be a Big Year for Layoffs? February 2024
Today I am sharing useful tips for successfully executing virtual consumer conversations. They center around being human: acting in a genuine, respectful way and establishing trust.
Include criteria for having a stable Wi-Fi connection and familiarity with the tech platform being used. If the platform is new to participants, ensure you build in time for set up and practice before the interview to increase their comfort level.
If your study involves thoughtful writing exercise(s), make sure recruiting criteria have a written articulation component so they are not surprised by the type of communication that is expected of them.
Tip #2: Set Clear Expectations So There are No Surprises
The more participants know ahead of time, the more comfortable they will feel entering the discussion and the more open they tend to be. In addition to the basics, make sure:
Participants know what will happen during the interview. For example, is it a one-on-one conversation, or will others observe? Will you be sitting stationary in front of the camera or taking a ‘field trip’ to their pantry or garage?
What should they wear? (most ask…encourage comfort unless it is part of the research). Should their phone be on silent? (yes). Is it ok to have water or coffee? (yes, you want them to be comfortable), but please no meals unless it is an eating experience! Do they need to make arrangements for kids and pets so they are not distracted? (yes, unless they are part of the conversation). For mobile missions, no driving while participating (yes, this has happened!).
For online consumer behavior research to be most effective, participants are advised to log on five minutes before the scheduled interview time, so no time is wasted in setting up.
People are able to have a quiet place to conduct the interview to avoid potential inside or outside distractions.
When part of an online consumer research panel, it's important to “introduce” yourself via email and provide a picture so participants know whom to expect on the other end of the screen. Communicate how excited you are for the conversation, so they feel their input is valued before you even begin.
Log in early so you are there before the participant, smiling and welcoming as they enter the interview.
Minimize your own distractions such as only having exactly what you need for the conversation open on your laptop (the worst is hearing the constant email ‘ding’ as you are leading a conversation…trust me).
Have and communicate a back-up plan should tech issues arise (they will) so the interview isn’t a bust.
Energy! The last interview of the day should feel like the first one. Build in enough mental breaks and move from behind your screen to get some fresh air. Coffee helps too.
Life happens. Allow for tech issues, dogs barking, doorbells ringing and kids interrupting because these things WILL happen. Be forgiving and empathetic. Explain it happens to the best of us and that you will be patient while they figure it out.
If it becomes too much or too long of a distraction, ask if participants need to reschedule for a time that may be better for them. A stressed person is not an open or insightful person.
Observing is still just as important as listening in producing those insightful golden nuggets. I recently led a one-on-one video interview with a man wearing an “Own the Moment” t-shirt. I thought it was relevant to our topic and used it as a way into the discussion. It led to some really insightful personal truths and informed the learning in a way that might not have if it wasn’t pursued.
Like every research method, there are benefits and trade-offs, but I am really enjoying and finding great success with virtual research, applying familiar principles with a human-inspired tech-twist. Please contact the SIVO team at Contact@SIVOInsights.com to discuss your research needs and if virtual may be the right approach for your needs!
What if you could gain access to the high-quality insights you need to uncover new opportunities and propel your team toward success?
SIVO collaborates with you to understand your most critical needs, then designs and executes best-in-class custom market research using modern research capabilities. We provide actionable consumer insights that align with your business goals.
SIVO also specializes in Organizational Intelligence, Market Intelligence, and On Demand Talent. Individually and collectively, we use our qualitative, quantitative, and facilitation capabilities to deliver actionable learning.
SIVO Insights brings together research, talent, and intelligent technology to help organizations navigate complexity with confidence. Have a business challenge? Let's talk!
We bring together research, talent, and intelligent technology to help organizations navigate complexity with confidence
