SEEK: BLOG

COLLECT DOTS. CONNECT DOTS. IT'S IMPORTANT.

“If you make sure you're connected,
The writing's on the wall
But if your mind's neglected,
Stumble you might fall” - Stereo MC’s

The writing’s on the wall... In the world we now live in, the bureaucratic, slow moving, filled out in triplicate way of working is finally dying. For most of us our IDEAS/ INSIGHTS/ CONCEPTS/ INNOVATIONS really, really need to be empathic, intuitive, and creative. I also know that in my own life, I want the things I create to mean something and to speak to those for who it was designed. I believe that the best ideas come from a place of connected, educated intuition.

Connected, educated intuition is more than “I have a feeling” (but it does include this). It’s being able to to make intellectual jumps without needing to fill in every gap. It’s about being able to connect people to real solutions for their problems, not just offering the same old solutions worded differently. It’s us being creative and imagining ourselves working inside-out and outside-in.

“Creativity is just connecting things… [if you] don’t have enough dots to connect… [you] end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.” -Steve Jobs

Being educated is having enough dots to connect. Being intuitive is seeing the picture in the dots while not needing it all to make sense in a linear way.  Being connected is knowing what’s not really a dot. 

Now, I just need to fit in the words “leverage,” “synergy,” and “value-add”... and we can go on with our day having checked all of our corporate BS boxes and checked out of any kind of original thinking. 

Seriously.

This is what most of our brains do when we start talking about empathy and creativity. It’s the old right brain/left brain thing. It’s a conspiracy, really.  Your left brain wants to be in control all of the time.  It will trick you into thinking that these right brain things are "cool", but we don’t have time for that right now.  Left brain thinks the right brain is a nice guy, but his work is kind of frivolous, fluffy and unnecessary. But, IT’S NOT. This is where you are going to break new ground, get really new ideas, and connect your ideas back to real people.

So, how are we going to trick your brain and end this terrible state of being?

To start, we need to learn how it feels to let the right side take over AND learn to enjoy it. It really is enjoyable, but it takes some practice.

Try some exercises. These are two simple exercises that you have all probably done before. The goal here is not just to do these “neat” tricks but to learn to feel our minds switching over to the right side, to practice that switch and then learn to go there at will.

1. The Un-Naming Game
   Sit quietly wherever you are and listen. Try to hear every sound in the room... the air conditioning, people talking, the fan on your computer. Now, every sound outside... cars driving by, the wind, a train in the distance. Hold all those sounds in your mind. Listen for patterns. Try not to acknowledge words - don’t name the things you hear, just let the sounds wash over you. Hold these sounds as long as you can disconnected from the names of their sources. I can usually tell that I’ve switched over when I no longer care about or notice the passing of time.... 5 minutes could be an hour, or the other way around. 
2. The Upside Down Artist
   Here’s one that will impress your friends. Find a simple image that you would like to draw. Turn the image so that it’s upside down. Start copying, your image will obviously be upside down also. If you speak, speak only of relationships and space. Don’t try to name things. Pay attention to how you are feeling. Look for that cognitive shift.  That’s the switch we are trying to flip. Turn over your masterpiece and be amazed.

This switch to the right side is important for strengthening empathy. By un-naming and focusing on the relationships between things we are able to start understanding things without preconceived labels and really start seeing the world through each other’s eyes. Spend enough time there and you can start to make decisions and designing solutions for others just as easily as if you were designing for yourself. 

Here’s a formula:
+ Engage your creative side (work that right brain muscle)
- Quiet the need for it to all make sense or have a name or a label
+ Look out through the eyes of who you are solving for
+ Input input input 
= Intuitive solution

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” -Albert Einstein

Master this shift and let’s connect. To people, to ideas, to new ways of thinking. When you’re finished, invite your left brain to come over to check your work.

THE STORYTELLING TREND: It's hardwired into our DNA

In the world of marketing, research, and innovation, there is an emergence of the term “storytelling." While it is certainly not an original concept; it is also not some passing trend that will dissipate in a few years. I acknowledge that the term may run its course in business nomenclature sometime in the near future, but I propose that the concept itself is rooted somewhere deep within the human psyche and should be explored more.

As a species we use storytelling for a variety of reasons; to entertain, enlighten, teach, communicate, or as a method to explain the constructs of the world around us. This has been true since the dawn of man and many theories have proposed that our ability to tell stories was actually the catalyst for our evolution into the dominant species on the planet.

I believe this high capacity for empathy is why storytelling became such an important part of our genetic makeup. In a world run by pragmatic constraints, storytelling allows us to justify and give purpose to our tendency towards empathy-based thought. A perfect example is the idea of treating others as you would like to be treated. In most species, this would be an impractical constraint against instinct-based behavior. However, it makes perfect sense in an empathy-based thought process; so we construct stories and parables to help our own brains make sense of it. Examples of this “Golden Rule” can be seen in the storytelling of almost every culture throughout history.

So the next time you want to dismiss storytelling as a fad, remember that you can’t. It is hardwired into us. It allows us to relate to one another in a way that no other animal on the planet is able to and is primarily responsible for the unparalleled success of our species. Storytelling is vital to our existence, necessary for our growth and development, and uniquely part of being human. 

Now , go tell a story.  Here’s a handy starter tool: http://thestorystarter.com/

By Ben Burkett - ben.b@seekresearch.com

SEE!! WE'RE COOL, TOO.

Sure, it makes sense...

When we work with clients that want to develop deep empathy and understanding of their consumer segments that are very experienced in life (read “not young anymore”), they often rule out our “high tech” research options thinking that they will not be effective at reaching their target.

It was easy for me to question it as well. The notion of older generations using smartphones to complete mobile-based video response research activities seemed odd.

If we’ve learned one thing, it's that we should test our assumptions often and see if they are really true. We recently tested the limits of respondents in a mobile-based online influencer study regarding New Year’s resolutions... 

We didn’t want to be limited by the insights of those that are relatively new to making resolutions, so we took a chance and insisted to our recruiter that the screener aimed at half of our respondents from a more experienced generation.

The results were interesting.  

Not only were our “more experienced” respondents able to navigate the online activities with their smartphones, but they provided great video responses, including an activity where they edited and uploaded a YouTube style “How-To” make a resolution video.  

The project was a great success and we now feel confident that we can get the unique insights that are only available when using mobile, online, methods, with most age groups.

By JL Zoeckler -  jl@seekresearch.com

 

A SENSE OF ADVENTURE – SEEK WEST COAST

Dream Big!
When I joined Seek in 2004, we were a group of five.  We often sat on the couch in our small office in Blue Ash, Ohio, eating Wendy’s for lunch and dreaming. We dreamt about what we wanted to be some day and what we wanted to stand for as a company.   We often talked of having offices in other cities and working with teams around the globe.  Today, I am happy to say that I get to play a part in making those dreams a reality.

On November 30th, my husband Nick and I left the place we grew up, our family, our friends, our sense of comfort, and started our trek across country with all of our belongings in tow.  We had simplified, downsized, and knew we were on a great adventure.  Six days and 3000 miles later, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. We knew we were home. Our new home in San Francisco, California. 

Live Large!
California is beautiful.  We live in Marin county - one of the most gorgeous places in America. Best of all, I get to do what I love!  I love to GROW THINGS… plants, flowers, my knowledge of great food and wine, relationships, opportunities, new ideas, and Seek.  Expansion is healthy (just not for my waistline!)  and that is just what our intention is in starting Seek West Coast… healthy growth and new opportunities. I spend my time on New Business Development and helping our current client teams reach their business and research objectives by coming up with new ideas.  We are growing our Seek West Coast team this year and bringing inspirational ideas that exist in the west back to our Cincinnati team in order to ideate and grow.

Your Turn!
Our Seek Consultants, Project Directors, Designers, Marketers, Specialists, and the rest of our staff are passionate about revealing big ideas, being boundary pushing, and promoting healthy growth.  How can you push your own boundaries?  How can you look at things differently than you did yesterday in your business and in your life?  Just do one thing differently today and watch what unfolds. What will your NEXT adventure be? Please share it with me at christy@seekresearch.com.

By Christy Kennedy Miller - christy@seekresearch.com

HOLIDAY LOVE 2011 - THANK YOU

A big, extremely heartfelt thank you from Seek to anyone who submitted nominations for the 2011 Seek Holiday Love Giveaway.

We are grateful to you that TOGETHER we were able make the holidays sweeter, lighter, and hopefully easier for the nominees.

Here are just a few stories of the extraordinary people YOU and Seek supported over the holidays:

• single parents trying to put food on the table 
• feeding local hungry children
• struggling with terrible illness or loss
• supporting local arts programs
• needing car repairs
• needing house payments
• needing a reminder that they are not alone in life's bumps

Thank you for sharing the story of those you love with us.  They were beautiful and we are grateful.  We are moved by you… and them.   

 

SPOTLIGHT: AMY POLIGNANO

Role: Senior Project Director

Q. Most Recent Big Win

I recently just finished planning my first project in Paris.  While being a pretty complicated design, the project went quite well.  It was great to work with a new supplier and begin to form a partnership (hopefully we'll be back soon!).  Overall - a great experience!

Q. Tell us about the best day at work that you've had at Seek?  

I can't really think of one day in particular, but I will say that I love it when I plan research that takes place AT Seek.  It's really fun to meet the clients that you have been emailing for past few weeks regarding details and logistics (it's so nice to finally put a face with a name).  Rarely do I get to see the product of the research I help plan, so it's always cool when the projects come to Seek and I get a glimpse, firsthand. 

Q. What are a few of your most favorite topics of conversation?

I love talking about pop culture, specifically the entertainment industry.  For me, it's fun to talk with my friends about current movies and music (and of course, reality tv!)  Aside from that, I can brag about my adorable nieces all day.  They are just too cute.

Q. What is on your playlist, reading list, or movie queue?

• Playlist: Phoenix, John Legend, Adele
• Reading List: Summer in the City
• Movie Queue: Top 3: Goodfellas, Adventures in Babysitting and It's a Wonderful Life (Random, I know)

Q. What are 3 of your favorite things on this planet?

1. My family & friends
2. The weekends
3. Coffee

 

HENDRIX CAN HELP. ROCK AND YOUR BUSINESS.

Need product idea inspiration? 

Try using the Top-20 "Agents of Upheaval" in rock history (in chronological order of the corresponding upheaval) to spur on revolutionary new ideas that will resonate with your consumer. Read through the following artists and be challenged by the question at the end.

PART TWO of FOUR

Bob Dylan
Introduces sophisticated lyrics infused with poetry and politics.
At the time, Rock n’ Roll reflected simple playfulness.  Dylan’s music encouraged audiences to think differently, to think more, and to think actively about changing the world around them.
How can your products or messages inspire consumers to think differently, to think more, and to think actively about your category?

 

Carole King
Ushers in the age of the singer-songwriter.
Carole’s primary legacy was as a songwriter. Many artists tried to copy her relaxed songwriting style.  Many artists successfully recorded their own versions of Carole’s songs, such as Aretha Franklin’s “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman.”
How can you create a relaxed category experience that your consumer can personalize?

 

Black Sabbath
Invents a thick, massive, loud sound called Heavy Metal.
Sabbath responded to the lighter side of Rock n’ Roll Music by inventing the Heavy Metal genre with a song called “Heavy Metal,” which they recorded in a grungy bathroom in rural Britain.
Thinking about some of the “lighter” trends in your category, how will you break the mold?

 

Jimi Hendrix
Invents the illusion of directional shifts in sound.
Prior to Hendrix, recording techniques had become fairly static. Hendrix directed individual tracks from the right channel to the left channel, back and forth, to create an immersive feeling of swirling motion.
How can you create a sensorial surprise in your category?

 

Patti Smith
Debuts as rock’s most powerful female role model.
Frustrated by the stereotype of a polite female artist, Patti harnessed what many considered to be a “male” energy and opened the doors for subsequent women to explore the full range of emotion through their music.
How can your category allow your consumer to experience a sense of liberation from expectation?

 

By Ben Doepke - ben@seekresearch.com

GUT CHECK. IMMERSION, PLEASE.

Do you ever find yourself looking around at your cross-functional team, and you realize, that most of you have been on the brand for less than a year? 

While moving from brand to brand provides fresh perspective and ideas that are necessary to push innovation, you find you and your business partners making decisions based off of a PPT deck you received in haste when you arrived on the brand with a hearty “Here is your WHO.”  

Working from brand to brand as a QRC (qualitative research consultant), I have seen this case often. It is encouraged to gain experience in a variety of brands, and even functional roles.  Because of this, often times, the research agency holds most of the experience with the consumer. It isn’t enough to have the agency deeply know the consumer and the initiative history. The cross-functional team needs that "gut-level connection" with the consumer.  Too many times crucial decisions are made when research isn’t feasible and the team needs to deeply and easily know their target.  The call needs to be as clear as Tom Brady reading NFL defenses. Come on.  You know what I'm talking about! 

There is nothing better in developing that gut than some old-fashioned immersion research. That’s right, it's not just for segmentation.  It can be about developing the teams intuition with your target. When we talk immersion, the more you get out of your setting the better.  Let's say that your target is driven by female interaction at the bar - schedule them at night and go to the bar with them. Or, if another target gets her value and worth from her Pre-school moms group – try to go with her to the group, or better, host one yourself.  Their turf is your training ground. 

Immersion does not always need to be initiative specific, or offering depth to your segmentation – consider it a regular act to foster the right “gut” on your team.   

By Ryan McCarty - ryan@seekresearch.com

 

A DREAM

One week, 3 countries, 2 languages.

Yes, please.

Go ahead and tack on 4 days of research per country and 30 carefully-recruited respondents - and it's still a dream… just a researcher's dream.  And it isn't always possible face-to-face.  Just not enough hours in the day and budgets are feeling the squeeze, too.

Recently, we made this dream come true (albeit not face-to-face) for a client in a multi-national online qualitative study. Yes, my friends, with a rich 60-page deck of actionable research findings.  All done in. one. week.  

And, to top it all off, our client paid less than $50k. 

Fielding this research in-person could have racked up that much in travel alone. 

This is not to mention all of the oft-overlooked “soft” benefits of online research, such as:

• Zero nights sleeping in a hotel away from family and friends
• Zero jet-lagged hours spent staring at a computer “trying” to get some work done upon returning to the office
• Zero hours wasted on issues with wifi, cell phones, finding printing or office space,  delayed flights, expense reports, and untrained rental car desk employees
• Zero cancelled dates with significant others and friends
• Zero missed soccer games, zero missed family dinners, and zero missed school functions

Online qualitative research serves many purposes, it is the key to fielding better research faster and for less money.  It can be bring an amazing amount of insight to your brand and NOT just from the 20 year old consumer. 

Still, as I sat through my 74th online platform demo, it struck me that the success of a project hangs mainly in our ability to execute engaging research activities. 

In other words, it’s not about whether we use revelation, iTracks, Qualvu, Radian6, 20/20, or Fieldwork, it’s about how creative, engaging, and targeted our activity guide is.  To that I say, "Bring it."

By JL Zoeckler - jl@seekresearch.com

 

SPOTLIGHT: JAMIE JOHNSON

Q. Most Recent Big Win

I recently concluded a large project known as "Project Dude."  A company wanted to better understand the role of men as keepers of the home.  This was the plan we cooked up. We started with a social media audit to make sure our assumptions were confirmed around general attitudes that men have towards cleaning. After some really interesting insights from the media audit we needed to get to task.  We rented a large house in suburban Chicago, strategically placed messes all around the house and then invited a few groups of guys to come in and clean.  Divided into two teams, each group of guys worked their way through the house discussing general attitudes toward cleaning. More importantly, each team evaluated, discussed and conquered the house task by task, discussing each and every detail. Did I mention we have all of this on video?  At the end of the day we learned a heck of a lot, so the next question is, what did we do with all of this information?  After conducting some "cleaning confession" one on one interviews and several hours of B roll footage, the talented folks from our in-house agency put together a "Project Dude" video collage that was shared with the broader team. Just so you know fellas, the days of Don Draper are done.  Just sayin'.

 

Q. All of us have areas we like to talk about most. What are your favorite topics of conversation? 

I love to talk about people. I shouldn't say about people, that makes me sound like I should be in an episode of Housewives of New Jersey.  I love to talk to people.  I find myself in conversations with (here's the short list) cab drivers, gas station attendants, servers, flight attendants, unsuspecting airline passengers, neighbors, the dog, co-workers, musicians and friends.  That was just yesterday.  The topic of conversation most of the time is about them.  I believe everyone has a story and their stories inspire me.

 

Q. What's new in your world?

I am getting married next May. Memorial Day weekend.  I never realized how much planning was involved. What a process. Wow! Luckily, I am only responsible for music and the honeymoon. Thinking Thailand or Hawaii, in case you were wondering.  This might be a good time to mention I am a really lucky guy to be with someone that I know I am meant to be with.  Lauren is amazing.

 

Q. What is on your playlist, reading list, or movie queue?

I really want to see Ides of March.  I will make it out soon, I hope.  I am a huge fan of Cincinnati and can't wait to see all of the landmarks we grew up with on the big screen.  Music.  Phoenix, Boyce Avenue, Ray LaMontagne, Postal Service, and Pearl Jam.

 

Q. What are 3 of your favorite things on this planet?

My Macbook Air & iPhone, our dog Maddie, and Lauren.  Working back to front of course.

 

Give Jamie a shout at: jamie.j@seekresearch.com

Rock’s Application to Your Business

Using the Top-20 "Agents of Upheaval" in rock history (in chronological order of the corresponding upheaval) to spur on revolutionary new ideas that will resonate
with your consumer.

PART ONE of FOUR

Chuck Berry
The father of Rock n’ Roll.  The first to intentionally play back to the audience its own rebel energy.
He was the first to reflect in his songwriting the humor and playfulness of his target audience, and to carry out that inspiration on stage through dance, vocal, instrumental, and facial expressions.
How might you play back energy to your audience?
 
The Rolling Stones
Add overt sexuality to traditional Rock music. 
Rebellion made this band and its music culturally vital. The Stones cemented their rebellious, bad-boy image with incidents of hard partying and public displays of an “alternative” lifestyle.
How can you provide to your consumer the thrill of crossing an important boundary?

Ron Specter
Turns current blues based Rock n’ Roll into a huge “Wall of Sound.”
Spector has said he was writing “little symphonies for the kids,” over-dubbing some musical parts three times to optimize the songs for listening on AM radio and jukeboxes.
How can you add a layer of sophistication to your category that kids will enjoy?
 
The Beatles
Introduce psychedelia to the mainstream.
After a live 1965 concert in New York City, attended by more than 50,000 people, the Beatles “dropped out” of live performance. During this time, they turned to hallucinogens to find new creative inspiration.
How can you inspire a new perspective during an “offline” moment in your consumer’s day?

The Who
Combine elaborate musical arrangements with utter destruction of musical instruments.
The Who might have been the first entirely virtuosic band, singing and playing music no one could copy. They even composed and staged the rock opera, “Tommy,” but their stage performance frequently ended in shattered drums, guitars, and amplifiers.
How do you want your consumer’s category “performance” to end?

Written by Ben Doepke, Innovation Consultant
ben@seekresearch.com