Stop asking, start listening

As a marketer, how often have you looked at research study results and felt a disconnect? The data might be interesting, but does it truly drive strategy? Do you find yourself wondering, “Why didn’t we ask about this?” or “What does this really mean for my business?”

Researchers face similar frustrations. You meticulously craft the perfect attribute list, only to have it go on for pages. You ask about everything, only to see no differentiation. Surveys struggle because their creators must think of everything. Every question. Every nuance. Every interpretation. And it’s impossible.

Scales are sovereign… but is there a better way?

Scales have always been sovereign in the research world, in part because we need hard numbers to make informed decisions. But let’s think about this for a minute. When a friend tells you about their new favorite restaurant, they don’t give you a series of ratings. They tell you a story – about the amazing server who remembered their preferences, the cozy corner table with a view, and that perfectly seasoned dish they can’t stop thinking about. That’s how people naturally share experiences that matter.

Just like that restaurant recommendation, real consumer insights emerge from natural conversations. When people share stories freely, they reveal unexpected insights that numerical ratings miss entirely.

But as researchers, marketers, product leads, brand leads, and strategists, we know that we need hard numbers.

Imagine a different approach

That’s the difference between traditional surveys and Narrative Intelligence; we don’t have to give that up. We still get the same type of ratings, but now, devoid of the plethora of problems associated with standard rating scales.

While Narrative Intelligence offers a fresh approach to gathering insights, it’s important to understand the limitations of traditional rating scales that it aims to overcome. The issues with standard rating scales are well-known, but let’s share them again anyway:

1. Scales require mental gymnastics from respondents. Turning your experience into a number can be difficult for a respondent, leading to inaccuracy.
2. Many countries, cultures, and even individuals use scales very differently, so it’s hard to truly compare, especially if you have a global brand. (which is possible to overcome)
3. People will respond to a question, whether it’s something they really care about or not. Scales can force a response and artificially bloat the importance of something.
4. Most importantly, they often fail to reveal true decision/motivation drivers.

So how does Narrative Intelligence work?

The initial approach is quantitative. We start with large sample sizes and mathematical rigor. Then we add the rich insights of qual.

Instead of lengthy attribute lists and restrictive scales, Narrative Intelligence starts with crafted open-ended questions. Think: “What comes to mind when you think about this brand?” or “Tell me about a recent experience that shaped your perception.”

Advanced AI probing then delves deeper into these responses, gathering nuanced details and revealing the “why” behind consumer choices. This wealth of unstructured responses is then transformed into actionable insights through cutting-edge LLM processing.

And here’s where the magic happens: Our advanced analytics transform these conversations into actionable insights and manageable metrics.

Using Narrative Intelligence, we can…

• Identify organic themes as they emerge naturally from the stories, scoring each for importance to your audience and performance across brands.
• Map out multiple customer journeys, whether there is one primary journey, or many different types of journeys.
• Uncover customer segments you may not have realized even existed.

In fact, there’s very little limit to what we can do with Narrative Intelligence.

Benefits of Narrative Intelligence

This approach unlocks a wealth of benefits:

• Uncover Non-conscious Beliefs: Gain access to the underlying motivations and emotions that shape consumer behavior, going beyond surface-level responses.
• Predict with Precision: Leverage a broader range of variables to predict outcomes like purchase intent and brand loyalty with greater precision.
• Uncover the Unexpected: Break free from the limitations of pre-defined questions and uncover surprising insights that can reshape your strategy.
• Discover True Distinction: Understand the nuances of consumer perception and identify the unique factors that set your brand apart from the competition.

The result? You uncover the unexpected. You answer the unasked. You transform the improbable into probable. You gain a competitive edge.

Case study 

We compared data from a traditional brand study conducted on soft drinks to a study conducted with Narrative Intelligence. Our ability to predict consumer preference went from a multiple R of 0.51 to 0.82. The number of attributes we were able to uncover went from 10 to 44. The average differentiation between attributes went up 2.5X with Narrative Intelligence (From 0.09 to 0.23 using standard deviation). And respondents rated the survey experience of the traditional survey, 46% loved it, compared to 54% of the Narrative Intelligence survey.

Ready to transform your brand tracking and unlock the power of Narrative Intelligence? Or just want to know more about how it works? Contact us.