Growth Frameworks
Jobs To Be Done

How Jobs to Be Done Improves Marketing Messaging That Converts

Qualitative Exploration

How Jobs to Be Done Improves Marketing Messaging That Converts

Introduction

Creating marketing messaging that truly connects with consumers is one of the most important – and most difficult – tasks marketers face today. In a world overflowing with ads, content, and brand noise, messages that don’t speak to real customer needs often get ignored entirely. That’s where the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework comes in. JTBD goes beyond simple demographics or product features. It’s a powerful tool for uncovering the underlying functional and emotional reasons people make buying decisions. When marketers understand these reasons – the actual 'jobs' customers are trying to accomplish – they can create messaging strategies that resonate on a deeper level and inspire action.
This blog post explores how the Jobs to Be Done framework helps marketing teams move past surface-level assumptions and truly understand consumer motivation. Whether you're a business leader, a marketing strategist, or someone working in messaging development, this article will walk you through how JTBD reveals the decision-making forces behind consumer behavior – and how that insight can fuel stronger emotional messaging strategies. You’ll learn why people don’t actually buy products—they hire them to complete a job. You’ll see how framing marketing through the lens of customer intent results in value-driven messaging that connects your offer directly to what matters to your audience. And you’ll discover how using JTBD-driven insights can replace guesswork with clarity in your brand messaging. If you’ve ever struggled to pinpoint why your content isn’t converting or found that your messaging falls flat even when backed by good data, this framework might be the missing link. By the end of this post, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how you can use the Jobs to Be Done approach to create marketing that’s not just seen – but felt.
This blog post explores how the Jobs to Be Done framework helps marketing teams move past surface-level assumptions and truly understand consumer motivation. Whether you're a business leader, a marketing strategist, or someone working in messaging development, this article will walk you through how JTBD reveals the decision-making forces behind consumer behavior – and how that insight can fuel stronger emotional messaging strategies. You’ll learn why people don’t actually buy products—they hire them to complete a job. You’ll see how framing marketing through the lens of customer intent results in value-driven messaging that connects your offer directly to what matters to your audience. And you’ll discover how using JTBD-driven insights can replace guesswork with clarity in your brand messaging. If you’ve ever struggled to pinpoint why your content isn’t converting or found that your messaging falls flat even when backed by good data, this framework might be the missing link. By the end of this post, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how you can use the Jobs to Be Done approach to create marketing that’s not just seen – but felt.

How Jobs to Be Done Reveals the Real Reasons Consumers Buy

What makes someone decide to buy a product or service? Traditional marketing research might point to factors like price, features, or demographics. But these often miss the deeper motivation behind the purchase. The Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework offers a valuable shift in perspective by focusing on the why behind consumer behavior.

According to JTBD theory, people don’t simply buy products – they “hire” them to get a job done in their lives. These jobs are the real drivers of decision-making, reflecting both functional needs (like solving a problem or making life easier) and emotional goals (like feeling confident or in control).

Understanding Functional vs. Emotional Jobs

Jobs can generally be divided into two types:

  • Functional jobs: These are practical, problem-solving needs. For example, someone buys a vacuum cleaner to remove pet hair from carpet.
  • Emotional jobs: These reflect deeper feelings or identity. That same person might choose a specific brand because it makes them feel like a responsible and caring pet owner.

When marketers understand both types of jobs, they can craft messages that speak to the full context of a consumer’s decision – not just what they’re doing, but why they’re doing it.

Buyer Psychology and Motivation

JTBD reveals patterns in consumer psychology that help explain why certain messages convert better than others. Rather than guessing at consumer intent, marketers can use research to pinpoint the core motivations behind a purchase. Some common motivations include:

  • A desire for convenience or time-savings
  • The need for social approval or belonging
  • A drive to feel secure, prepared, or confident

These insights are what transform marketing messaging from generic selling points into purposeful, connection-focused communication. Using JTBD, marketers can tap into what customers value most – and reflect that value back to them in language that resonates.

Getting to the Job: Research Matters

To uncover these consumer 'jobs,' qualitative research is especially powerful. One-on-one interviews, observation, and storytelling allow marketing researchers to identify moments of struggle or desire that precede a purchase. It's in those moments that the true job appears.

At SIVO Insights, we help brands uncover jobs by asking the right questions, listening deeply, and looking beyond the obvious. Through tailor-made consumer insights work, we map the emotional and functional needs that drive buying decisions – giving marketing teams a clearer foundation for messaging strategy.

Understanding the real reasons consumers buy is the first step. But the real power of JTBD comes when you translate those reasons into emotionally relevant brand messaging.

Translating Consumer ‘Jobs’ into Emotionally Relevant Marketing Messages

Once marketers uncover what jobs consumers are hiring their products or services to do, the next step is turning that knowledge into messaging that connects. This is where the Jobs to Be Done framework becomes a bridge between customer insights and brand storytelling – empowering companies to create marketing messaging that truly resonates.

Using JTBD doesn’t mean simply repeating what customers say. Instead, it involves interpreting their motivations and shaping messages that speak to both the rational needs and the emotional journey involved in their decision-making process. This is the heart of emotion-driven marketing.

From Job Discovery to Message Strategy

Let’s say a parent hires a minivan not just for transportation, but to feel like their family is safe, connected, and comfortable during long drives. The job isn’t just about seating capacity – it’s about peace of mind and togetherness. A marketing message for that vehicle could focus less on technical features and more on emotional rewards:

  • “Every drive feels like home.”
  • “Space to grow together, safety to breathe easy.”

Each line was inspired by the emotional job the consumer is trying to fulfill. This approach to messaging increases brand relevance and conversion, because it aligns with the buyer’s deeper intent.

Emotional Messaging Strategies That Work

What makes an emotional message effective? It’s not about being dramatic – it’s about being meaningful and context-aware. A strong emotional messaging strategy honors the customer’s situation and signals a clear understanding of their needs. Here’s how JTBD supports that:

  • Empathy over assumptions: You’re not guessing what people want – you’ve heard it from them through research.
  • Clarity and relevance: Messages become focused, removing fluff and directly addressing what matters.
  • Consistency across touchpoints: When you know the job, you can align your messaging throughout the funnel.

Why This Matters for Marketing Teams

Great messaging doesn’t come from one brainstorm, one campaign, or one data point. It comes from deeply understanding the person on the other side – their struggles, goals, and the bigger story they see themselves living.

By grounding your marketing in customer insights – rather than assumptions – you increase your chances of hitting the right emotional and functional chords. For business leaders and messaging strategists alike, this means better creative briefs, sharper brand positioning, and more compelling storytelling frameworks across channels.

At SIVO Insights, we partner with marketing teams to conduct the kind of research that’s necessary to truly improve messaging with Jobs to Be Done. From qualitative interviews to JTBD-led workshops, we help you turn insight into action – and messaging that moves the needle.

How Marketers Use JTBD to Improve Campaign Performance

Turning Consumer Motivations into Actionable Strategies

Understanding consumer behavior means going beyond demographics or product features. The Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework helps marketers uncover the deeper motivations – the 'jobs' – that customers are trying to fulfill. These jobs can be functional, like saving time, or emotional, like feeling confident in a new role. When integrated into campaign planning, JTBD drives stronger, more focused marketing messaging that truly resonates with audiences.

Aligning Messaging With Customer Intentions

Each campaign is an opportunity to speak directly to what matters most to your customers. By starting with JTBD insights, marketers can shape brand messaging around specific consumer motivations. Instead of describing what a product does, messaging can highlight how it helps complete a job the customer already cares about.

For example, a fitness app might shift from saying “Track your workouts” to “Reach your next goal, faster.” This subtly but powerfully moves the message from function to motivation – aligning with buyer psychology to improve conversion rates.

Designing Emotionally-Driven Messaging Strategies

Emotion-driven marketing stems from understanding the why behind purchasing decisions. JTBD reveals these emotional layers – like the desire to feel secure, accomplished, or socially connected – and allows marketers to craft messaging that evokes the right feelings.

Incorporating both functional and emotional jobs into your messaging strategy improves a campaign’s ability to connect on a personal level. It also gives you options, allowing different ads to reach different segments based on the primary job they’re hiring your product or service to do.

Better Targeting and Channel Optimization

Knowing why consumers engage allows you to better anticipate where and how they want to be reached. JTBD research leads to sharper media strategies by tying desired outcomes to specific touchpoints in the customer journey.

  • Email campaigns focused on trust and guidance may resonate with early-stage decision makers.
  • Social media content can highlight day-in-the-life scenarios that validate emotional jobs.
  • Landing pages can be tailored for each specific job, enhancing performance and reducing bounce rates.

Ultimately, JTBD helps marketers cut through the noise. Rather than testing countless messages, you can focus campaigns around core customer insights that are grounded in consumer psychology, delivering higher engagement and more meaningful ROI.

Examples of Brands Using JTBD to Create Stronger Messaging

Case Successes: JTBD in Action

Brands that use the Jobs to Be Done approach in their marketing are seeing measurable success – not just in engagement, but in brand loyalty and customer lifetime value. Let’s look at a few practical examples of how JTBD customer insights have translated into compelling messaging strategies.

IKEA: Helping People “Create a Home”

Rather than promoting furniture based solely on size or price, IKEA has embraced the emotional job of “making life at home better.” Their messaging strategy focuses on how their products support busy families, create comfort, and offer self-expression—even in small spaces. The result? Ads and experiences that reflect real life and speak to emotional motivations, not just product attributes.

Zoom: More Than Video Calls

In a highly competitive landscape, Zoom’s success wasn’t just about technology. Their brand messaging focused on the emotional job of staying connected – with clarity and ease – during emotionally uncertain times. JTBD thinking helped position Zoom as a tool people 'hire' to maintain relationships, collaborate, and feel present from afar, fueling usage and brand preference.

Spotify: Designing for Personalized Identity

Spotify markets more than playlists—it supports the job of expressing and managing identity through music and podcasts. Their Wrapped campaigns, which show users a year of listening behavior, tap directly into the emotional job of feeling understood and seen. By connecting functional features with consumer behavior and emotion, Spotify becomes a reflection of the user’s personality – unlocking more loyalty and sharing.

Takeaway for Marketers

These jobs to be done marketing examples share a common thread: each brand looked beyond traditional product specs and focused on how consumers want to feel, act, or change. By building emotional messaging strategies around these motivators, they created campaigns that didn’t just sell – they resonated.

As JTBD continues to shape how brands approach customer insights, expect to see more companies fine-tuning their messaging to match specific user intentions, emotional context, and real-world constraints. These types of messages don’t shout louder – they connect deeper.

Why JTBD Should Be Part of Your Marketing Research Strategy

Embedding JTBD into Your Research Unlocks Better Results

Jobs to Be Done isn’t just a brainstorming tool – it’s a research lens that brings clarity and purpose to your entire marketing strategy. When built into your marketing research framework, JTBD enhances every stage of decision-making by highlighting real-world motivations behind consumer behavior.

Too often, traditional marketing research stops at surface-level questions: What are people buying? Where? When? But JTBD shifts the focus to understanding why consumers make buying decisions in the first place. That 'why' is your competitive edge.

Deeper Consumer Psychology Insights

JTBD reframes research to gather insights into both functional and emotional jobs. Instead of just capturing what people say they want, researchers uncover what people truly seek to accomplish in their lives. This approach reveals unmet needs that aren’t easily found in typical surveys or sales data.

With this information, marketing teams can shape messaging strategies that not only align with stated preferences, but also anticipate emerging demands or frustrations. That’s a powerful way to future-proof your brand messaging and stay ahead of shifting market behavior.

Fueling Cross-Team Alignment

JTBD-based research doesn't just help marketers – it supports R&D, innovation, product design, and customer service. When everyone shares a clear view of customer motivations, brand voice and positioning become more consistent across touchpoints.

This unified understanding allows teams to build experiences around distinct customer jobs – reducing silos and increasing marketing efficiency.

JTBD and Flexible Research Solutions

At SIVO, we use JTBD thinking across both qualitative and quantitative research to uncover deep customer insights. Whether it’s a fresh brand launch or an optimization effort, incorporating this framework ensures your messaging reflects the authentic roles your products play in people’s lives.

  • Need to understand how different segments use your product?
  • Curious about what emotional jobs drive first-time vs repeat buyers?
  • Looking to strengthen brand messaging for a campaign?

JTBD adds a layer of precision and empathy that makes your market research work harder – and smarter. For modern marketing teams, it’s not a nice-to-have. It’s a must-have foundation for developing campaigns that convert and endure.

Summary

The Jobs to Be Done framework helps uncover the real reasons consumers buy – from functional needs to emotional aspirations. By translating these jobs into marketing messaging, brands can create deeper connection, meaning, and relevance with their audiences. As we’ve seen, marketers use JTBD to sharpen campaign performance, align teams around a shared view of the customer, and uncover powerful emotional triggers that inspire action.

Real-world examples from brands like IKEA and Spotify show how JTBD insights lead to stronger, more resonant messaging. By embedding this thinking into your marketing research strategy, you unlock richer customer insights and unlock more impactful campaigns. At its heart, JTBD transforms the way you talk to consumers – clarifying not just what you sell, but what you help them achieve.

Summary

The Jobs to Be Done framework helps uncover the real reasons consumers buy – from functional needs to emotional aspirations. By translating these jobs into marketing messaging, brands can create deeper connection, meaning, and relevance with their audiences. As we’ve seen, marketers use JTBD to sharpen campaign performance, align teams around a shared view of the customer, and uncover powerful emotional triggers that inspire action.

Real-world examples from brands like IKEA and Spotify show how JTBD insights lead to stronger, more resonant messaging. By embedding this thinking into your marketing research strategy, you unlock richer customer insights and unlock more impactful campaigns. At its heart, JTBD transforms the way you talk to consumers – clarifying not just what you sell, but what you help them achieve.

In this article

How Jobs to Be Done Reveals the Real Reasons Consumers Buy
Translating Consumer ‘Jobs’ into Emotionally Relevant Marketing Messages
How Marketers Use JTBD to Improve Campaign Performance
Examples of Brands Using JTBD to Create Stronger Messaging
Why JTBD Should Be Part of Your Marketing Research Strategy

In this article

How Jobs to Be Done Reveals the Real Reasons Consumers Buy
Translating Consumer ‘Jobs’ into Emotionally Relevant Marketing Messages
How Marketers Use JTBD to Improve Campaign Performance
Examples of Brands Using JTBD to Create Stronger Messaging
Why JTBD Should Be Part of Your Marketing Research Strategy

Last updated: May 25, 2025

Curious how SIVO can help you uncover the jobs your customers are really trying to accomplish?

Curious how SIVO can help you uncover the jobs your customers are really trying to accomplish?

Curious how SIVO can help you uncover the jobs your customers are really trying to accomplish?

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