«A brand must use consumer participation to shape the fundamentals of what it offers people, and constantly keep up with changing needs. It’s the game of relevance, and brand and consumer must be on the same side.»
— Tracey Follows, Planning Partner, VCCP
Innovation is always the risky part of the business. You can only estimate how much time and effort it will take to bring an idea to market — and, more importantly, whether it will work at all. Our conviction is simple: if a business wants a return on its innovation investment, that innovation has to be consumer-led.
Consumers increasingly devour visual information as a shortcut to reading and analysis. In research, this shows up as a clear reluctance to engage with dense business questions dressed up in technical guides and long questionnaires.
The most effective answer is to bring consumers, business teams and employees together around a single business issue. A range of methodologies lets teams ‘watch and learn’ as consumers discuss their real experiences first-hand.
Innovation that keeps the consumer in the room from the very first decision is not merely less risky — it is the only reliable way to stay relevant. And relevance, after all, is a game brand and consumer have to play on the same side.
