Because the news media loves to sprinkle stories with survey results and other statistics, communications practitioners love to feed editors highlights from a myriad of consumer research. While this tactic is typically successful in generating a blip of news and social media coverage for a company or brand – it does little to help develop a strategic marketing plan.

We recently spoke to one of our parent company’s director of insights, Emily Bunce, about conducting research that goes beyond the news hook to uncover insights about consumer preferences that will drive engagement, loyalty and sales.

Gibbs-rbb: Tell us about how you developed a passion for research and analyzing data and trends.

Emily: I’ve always been curious about how people connect with one another and how their life experiences shape their thoughts and behaviors. Growing up, I was really into history because I loved trying to imagine how people in other times lived. I studied both history and marketing in college, which gave me a great foundation for honing my research and analytical skills and building a career in insights. Now I’m lucky enough to spend every day exploring and analyzing attitudes, behaviors and trends and using them to inform communications strategies.

Gibbs-rbb: As a food, beverage or CPG brand marketer, what’s imperative to consider when developing a consumer research plan?

Emily: The most important step in conducting research is the first one: having a complete understanding of your objective. You’ll want to keep your objective in mind throughout your research process, from design to execution to analysis.

Consider why you’re conducting the study, what you want to learn and what kind of information will be most useful for developing or improving your strategy. One mistake that many people make when designing research is that they ask questions that are “nice to know,” but may not necessarily produce actionable results. By keeping the ultimate goal in mind, and by asking yourself how the results of each question could help you shape your strategy, you’ll be able to design research that useful and actionable.

Gibbs-rbb: What are some unique ways to analyze and draw conclusions from consumer research?

Emily: The goal of research is less about providing a unique analysis and more about making sure the analysis is useful. The most important thinking comes before you even conduct the research, as you consider your goals and think about the best way to obtain actionable information. Depending on the objectives, you could consider different ways to ask questions, different audiences to approach and different research methods to employ (surveys vs. focus groups vs. interviews, etc.).

Gibbs-rbb: In the public relations industry, we have a term called “news you can use,” which offers the reader something that can be applied in his/her life. Often times, research results are used for generating publicity – but how can those same results be applied to developing strategic marketing programs that go beyond a news hook?

Emily: Research and data provide excellent nuggets for helping our clients tell their stories, but there have been many times when we’ve used those same insights to validate our strategies or develop new ideas too. For instance, we recently pulled together an infographic talking about the benefits and concerns of the Connected Home trend. We conducted a survey to help support the points in our overarching story, but when we dug deeper into the data, we found that specific insights provided valuable strategic direction for the account teams as well. For example, we found that “efficiency” and “security” were considered the top benefits of smart homes, which gave our account teams new ideas for how to market their clients’ products based on those benefits.

Gibbs-rbb: Give us an example of how insights were successfully used as the foundation for a marketing campaign?

Emily: We firmly believe that every communications campaign or program should be informed by insights. In a recent example, we partnered with a high-end appliance maker to strategically relaunch their social media channels. The company targets a very specific market, so we researched the audience’s online behaviors and analyzed how they make purchasing decisions. We also conducted an audit of the company’s current social media channels to understand the kinds of content that earned the most engagement. Our research helped us understand the target audience’s desire for personalization and the importance of the sensory experience. Based on those insights, the account team developed a successful social media strategy that was geared toward marketing local events and showcasing hands-on experiences in the showrooms.

Gibbs-rbb: Gibbs-rbb specializes in connecting companies and brands with Conscious Consumers. What are some trends that have been driven by these consumers? And, what are smart ways marketers can use this knowledge?

Emily: A recent Gibbs-rbb study found that Americans are willing to spend 31 percent extra per week on safe and sustainably produced grocery food for their household, so brands are working hard to meet the needs of these Conscious Consumers.

One major trend that today’s Conscious Consumers are driving is the desire for authenticity. They want to know that the brands they connect with share the same values as they do, and that they are honest about it. And, if you think about Chipotle’s recent food safety crisis as an example, consumers are not forgiving if a brand is not true to its message.

Brands are learning that they have to modify their communications messages to connect with these consumers. For example, some consumers are particularly concerned about their health and that of their families. They try to make informed choices based on the data that’s available to them. In the past, that meant checking packaging labels and articles at the grocery checkout counter. Today, Conscious Consumers are sharing nutrition information on blogs, online reviews and social media, so brands need to be sure they are part of those conversations too.

Marketers should be sure that the messages they are promoting through communications are in line with the company’s business practices and strategy. In a world where brands are facing more scrutiny and news spreads fast through social media and other online channels, companies need to be sure that they are listening to their audiences and delivering messages and products that connect with them.

Gibbs-rbb: Are there new research tools that we should know about? Which tools do you consider the most effective?

Emily: There is always a place for traditional market research, but we are certainly seeing some shifts in the way companies gather insights. In the communications industry in particular, we’re seeing a move towards gathering “quicker” insights through online survey tools or social media research. For example, the sheer amount of real-time data available on social media means we can tap into emerging trends or audience reactions faster than ever before.

Which tool or process is most effective really depends on the research objective. If the goal is simply to get a quick pulse on initial reactions to a new campaign, you can pull some useful insights by analyzing conversations on social media. However, if you’re looking to test specific elements of your campaign, you might consider asking your audiences more direct questions through surveys or focus groups.

Gibbs-rbb: Has any of the research you’ve been involved with had an impact on you adopting a conscious consumer lifestyle?

Emily: Definitely. One thing that’s fun about working in insights is that you’re always learning new and interesting facts about a variety of topics. I enjoy working on projects related to sustainability in particular because there are so many elements of sustainability that the average consumer doesn’t think about in everyday life. For example, while conducting a study on packaging in recent months, I learned how companies are innovating to develop packaging that uses less material, takes less energy to create, is more efficient to transport and is made from recycled content. Now when I do my grocery shopping, I can’t help but analyze the packages I pick up and think about how they are made.

Emily Bunce is the Director of Insights for G&S Business Communications, a parent company of Gibbs-rbb Strategic Communications. She is experienced in analyzing trends, identifying growth opportunities, developing actionable insights to craft campaigns and measuring impact on key stakeholders. Her keen ability in finding the hidden nuggets, connections and trends that inspire creative, on-target strategy have led to many award-winning campaigns.