You have heard the word "insights" across the boardroom. You heard it too many times that you wondered if you have the right definition in your head.
So what's an insight and how to come up with one?
Let me start with the word. It is one of the most used and abused words in advertising, besides emotional & rational. If you have anything to do with ads, you know that getting the insight right is one of the most important things. There are many definitions out there articulated by some brilliant strategists. And they are all correct, in one way or another.
As a strategist, you spend much time in discovering insights. Most of us have developed our craft, definition, and framework. Here, I want to share mine.
My definition cannot be simpler than this.
"Insight is an intersection of a fact and imagination."
We are exposed to too many facts daily. Some of them, not all, will spark the imagination. Imagination, in return, will mold the fact and transform it into insight. It is a mental process that is happening in a strategist's head. As such, it depends on the individual ability to see and imagine.
I want to stress a few things, so there are no confusions. Fact is not an insight, and imagination is not an insight. Only when these two come together, they become an insight. The characteristics of a good insight are: unlocks a new pov, brings clarity, provides direction, and inspires.
Some people are indeed better observant than the other. Some have a better skill which Leonardo Da Vinci described as "SAPER VEDERE" – Knowing how to see. Some people indeed have a better imagination than others. This shouldn't limit anyone to come up with an insight. As long as you keep practicing the craft, you'll become better and better.
I would also like to share an example of how I applied my mental framework.
It is a project that is very dear to me. In 2018 women in Saudi were given a right to drive. For those who don't know, women in Saudi were under supervision with little to no freedom to do so many things. Giving them a right to drive was one part of the tremendous changes that were happening in the Kingdom of Saudi. Every automotive brand was looking at this as a massive opportunity. It was no different for Chevrolet, who at that time was my client. We had to do something to address this new audience. But women were absent from any automotive study that existed, so we knew nothing about them. Empathy panel was formed with Saudi women, and many research studies were done. We got a better understanding of who they are, how they feel, what they aspire to, and what this change means to them.
Seeing so many research facts in such a short period of time was overwhelming. Still, a simple fact kept being the starting point. The fact that women can drive. The fact that women can drive leads to so many possibilities for them, and it sparked the imagination. The imagination that they have the freedom to do whatever they want. So far, I got my fact and imagination, but none of them make an insight. Starting to combine these two is when the fun begins. The insight is not about whether they can drive or whether they have the freedom to do whatever they want. It's the union and transformation of these two.
Here is the insight that came out of this process. "Women can choose whether they want to drive or not and it's up to them to decide." The real victory here is that Saudi women, for the first time, had freedom of choice. It was up to them to decide whether they are going to drive or not. We celebrated this victory without forcing women to sit behind the wheel or to sell them cars. The insight unlocked a new pov, provided clarity, gave us a direction, and inspired us.
Here is the work that followed the insight. It's simple and profound. It gave Chevrolet a cultural stand. The campaign generated 2M+ organic video views and made Saudi women like the brand more, which is the ultimate goal of any advertising.
In today's world, navigating through the vast sea of data to come up with insights is the biggest challenge. A strategist's job is more complicated than ever before. So many available data. So many opportunities to connect with the audience. So many people involved in the whole process. But simplicity will always win, simplicity and synthesis. I hope that my framework equips you to do both.