An empathy trek is a type of qualitative market research designed to help organizations gain a deeper, more emotional understanding of their customers. Rather than staying confined to the office or relying solely on surveys, brand teams and cross-functional stakeholders go into the field to observe and engage with consumers in their natural environments. This often includes visits to people’s homes, workplaces, or places of purchase – anywhere relevant behaviors unfold in real time.

Empathy treks are not just about collecting data or asking interview questions. They are about seeing the world through the eyes of your customer – observing what they value, what frustrates them, and even what they might not say out loud. This approach taps into the power of experience-based learning and allows team members to uncover unmet needs or unexpected motivations that might otherwise go unnoticed in traditional consumer research.

How an empathy trek works:

• A multidisciplinary team – often including marketers, designers, product leaders, and researchers – is assembled with a clear objective.
• Participants travel to relevant real-world settings to observe how consumers interact with products, make decisions, or solve problems.
• Team members usually take on an observational role, guided by a moderator or lead researcher who facilitates consumer conversations.
• Notes, recordings, and debriefs are used to synthesize what was seen and felt into actionable customer insights.

Because empathy treks involve close observation and emotional resonance, they are most often used early in the product development or brand strategy process – when exploring new opportunities, concepts, or consumer segments. They are especially effective for building organizational alignment, sparking creativity, and validating assumptions in a more human, evidenced-based way.

Unlike purely analytical forms of research, empathy treks lean heavily on emotional intelligence and the human experience. They’re not about statistical significance – they’re about signaling, meaning, and connection. That’s why thoughtful fieldwork preparation and clear research planning are critical. When your team knows how to observe customers with empathy – and why it matters – the learning becomes deeper and much more impactful.

Before any observation begins, a well-structured team briefing sets the foundation for a successful empathy trek. These pre-fieldwork sessions ensure every participant understands the purpose of the research, the behaviors to watch for, and the interpersonal dynamics involved in engaging with real people in authentic settings.

Empathy-based research works best when everyone involved is mentally and emotionally prepared to observe with curiosity, humility, and attentiveness. Whether you're conducting fieldwork with a research partner like SIVO or managing the project internally, briefing your team ahead of time improves consistency, enriches the insights gathered, and keeps your project aligned with its core objectives.

Key reasons team briefings matter:

• Clarity of purpose: Without a shared understanding of the research goals, team members may focus on different things during fieldwork, leading to fragmented insights. A proper briefing ensures alignment around the questions you're trying to answer and the customer truths you are seeking.
• Role definition: Some participants will be active observers, while others might lead interviews or take notes. Outlining roles in advance creates focus in the field and avoids confusion during sensitive moments with participants.
• Guidelines for engagement: Fieldwork can involve stepping into personal spaces or observing vulnerable behavior. A team briefing is an opportunity to review etiquette, privacy standards, and how to approach consumers respectfully during the research process.
• Expectation setting: Empathy treks aren’t scripted. Teams must be flexible and prepared for the unexpected. Briefings prepare the group for ambiguity, emotional observations, and how to capture insights without interfering with real behavior.

What to include in a research kickoff meeting:

A simple but robust fieldwork kickoff can take many forms. Formats vary depending on the project scope, team size, or whether you’re working with an agency partner. At SIVO, we often recommend including the following in your pre-fieldwork preparation:

• Objectives: Align on the key business questions driving the research
• Participants: Review who your consumers are and what you hope to learn from them
• Methodology overview: Explain what will happen in the field – from logistics to roles
• Observation tips: Teach your team how to recognize behavioral cues and interpret nonverbal context
• Discussion etiquette: Tips on how to stay curious, avoid leading questions, and stay present during interactions

The goal of a good briefing isn’t to rigidly script the field experience – it’s to empower your team to notice, listen, and learn in meaningful ways. With the right preparation, your empathy trek becomes more than fieldwork – it becomes a shared journey toward understanding your customer on a human level.

Before your team sets foot in the field, a well-structured research kickoff meeting sets the tone for success. This meeting isn’t just a formality – it’s a crucial step in ensuring everyone understands the purpose, roles, and expectations of the empathy trek. When done right, it creates alignment, encourages active participation, and sharpens the team’s focus on uncovering meaningful customer insights.

Start With the “Why” of the Trek

Begin by clearly stating the business questions driving the empathy trek. What are you hoping to learn? Which consumer behaviors or unmet needs are you trying to observe? This helps frame the purpose of the research in a way the whole team can connect with. Whether you're exploring customer purchase decisions or testing reactions to a new product experience, understanding the “why” ensures everyone is on the same page.

Review Research Planning Details

Next, clarify the foundational details behind your fieldwork preparation:

• Target consumer profiles and recruitment criteria
• Location and schedule of visits
• Discussion guide or observation framework
• Any legal, ethical, or logistical concerns

Giving the team a clear roadmap leaves less room for confusion in the field and builds confidence before interacting with consumers directly.

Define What “Empathy” Looks Like

Empathy isn’t about sympathy – it's about understanding. This segment of the meeting should encourage the team to set aside assumptions and actively listen. Using real-life examples or stories can illustrate how consumer behavior might differ from what we expect. Reinforce that empathy leads to stronger qualitative research and richer consumer insights.

Align on Field Behavior and Etiquette

Even team members who are new to consumer research will feel more prepared when they know how to conduct themselves. Clarify expectations around:

• No leading questions or corrections
• Minimal technology use during visits
• Respectful distancing when observing in homes or stores

This part of the kickoff reinforces professionalism and protects the authenticity of the research environment.

Discuss Observation Techniques

Finally, encourage the team to go beyond what consumers say and look for behavioral cues – facial expressions, body language, environmental context. This is where research planning connects directly to outcome quality. Observing with intention helps the team unlock insights that surveys or analytics might miss.

By investing in a purposeful, well-run research kickoff, your team enters the empathy trek with shared clarity and renewed curiosity – key ingredients in discovering what truly matters to your customers.

Empathy treks are most successful when everyone knows their role. Whether you’re working with a lean internal team or a broader cross-functional group, assigning clear responsibilities enhances focus, reduces confusion, and ensures every part of the research planning process translates into action during fieldwork.

The Lead Moderator or Moderator Team

This person (or team) is typically responsible for guiding the interaction with consumers. If your trek includes semi-structured interviews or shop-alongs, the moderator asks the core questions, builds rapport, and keeps the session flowing naturally. Experience in qualitative research is key here – knowing when to follow the guide and when to probe deeper is what uncovers rich, emotional insights.

Observers / Stakeholders

These are internal team members or stakeholders joining the trek to better understand the consumer experience firsthand – product managers, marketers, innovation leads, and user experience designers, for example. Their job is to stay present, take note of behaviors, and reflect on insights. Observers should avoid interrupting or asking clarifying questions during the interaction, allowing the moderator to lead.

Point Person for Logistics

Every field-research team benefits from someone owning the day-to-day details. This includes managing timing, coordinating with consumers or facilities, handling transportation, and addressing unexpected changes. This person is the glue behind the scenes – freeing up others to focus fully on observing customers with empathy.

Note-Taker or Synthesizer

While all team members should capture observations, assigning someone as the primary note-taker ensures an organized, reliable record. This person helps consolidate field notes, highlight patterns, and surface key learnings for later discussion or analysis.

Photographer or Visual Documentarian (if applicable)

Depending on the scope of the trek and consent from participants, visuals can play a powerful role in sharing insights with broader teams. A designated documentarian can capture product usage, environmental context, and non-verbal cues that words might miss. However, this role must respect the privacy of participants and follow ethical guidelines.

By setting up these roles before fieldwork begins, you lay the foundation for a collaborative and insightful trek. Everyone knows what to focus on, and the entire team contributes to building a more human-centered, evidence-based understanding of your customers.

Observing customers in their natural settings is at the heart of an empathy trek. But simply showing up isn't enough – effective observation requires preparation, empathy, and alignment throughout the team. The way your team shows up in the moment can make or break the depth and quality of your findings.

1. Observe Without Bias

Before entering the field, remind the team that the goal is not to validate existing assumptions. Instead, encourage a curious mindset. Observers should note what makes them pause or challenge what they thought they knew. This kind of open-minded observation is where the most valuable customer insights often emerge.

2. Focus on Behavior, Not Just Words

People can’t always articulate their needs – much less their unconscious habits. That’s where careful qualitative research observation becomes critical. Encourage the team to look for workarounds, routines, facial expressions, or repeated gestures. These subtle cues often reveal unspoken needs and emotional drivers.

3. Use a Simple Notetaking Framework

To help align team observations, provide a basic field observation checklist or framework. For example, SIVO often uses simple templates that divide notes into:

• What did we hear (quotes)?
• What did we see (behaviors)?
• What did it mean to the customer (insight)?

This makes it easier to compare observations later and increases consistency across team members.

4. Debrief as a Team Frequently

Set aside time after each interaction or field visit for short team debriefs. This gives everyone a chance to surface fresh observations while they’re still vivid. It also allows the group to course-correct, ask new questions, or refine the focus as fieldwork progresses.

5. Lead With Empathy

Above all, encourage your team to be present and respectful. Apply the same level of empathy to the consumer as you would expect someone to apply to you. Never judge or assume. When consumers feel comfortable and validated, they open up – and that’s when the richest qualitative insights are revealed.

By practicing these approaches consistently throughout your empathy trek, your team builds stronger connections with the consumer experience. These moments create lasting impact – not just for the research project, but for future strategies, products, and customer-driven decisions.