Power of observation

Observation can be an extremely useful skill. Seeing is different from observing; they are distinct. Observation goes beyond just merely using our eyes to make sense of things, people or the environment. Observatory eyes question and probe consumer actions. Hence, people may see same things but draw different conclusions depending on which technique you use. 

Good news is we can all be trained to become keen observers. Keen observers usually have the upper hand of situations. Imagine yourself deciphering more of any given situation instead of simply glazing through them. You would have thought about questions and answers ahead of others. The mind is already in forward thinking mode with an advantage.

In market research, its everyday musing to know what is going on in the market place and most importantly, how consumers behave and why. It’s an intriguing, interesting world out there that constantly changes. For some, it is a livelihood. Anthropologists have been observing people’s behaviour for years. Making notes and hypothesis on human behaviour, they are the observation experts. This profession has even spun off ethnography research which is applied in market research where focused observation entails a large part of it.

How about if we apply this to marketing?

Ivory Tower Marketers

Ivory Tower marketers plan, strategize and hold meetings. They spend a lot of their time in office doing this very often. Too often in fact. I call this Ivory Tower marketing; up there and losing touch with their customers. Dedication of their time knowing and understanding consumers by walking the ground is absolutely crucial. If one loses touch with consumer needs, no amount of marketing budget will work. If so they decide to engage a market research firm to survey it, splendid. However, we know such requests seem frivolous for today's lean marketing budgets. The most effective choice will be to just simply apply observation techniques on their customers.

Let’s do a simple seeing vs observation experiment taken from IDEO social innovation toolkit. I highly recommend this to aspiring social innovators doing R&D. Social innovation is talk of the town today. Hope it stays this way with initiatives like SIP. 

What are your observations of this person dressed in yellow and pink?

Seeing: This lady dressed in yellow top and pink pants is hanging her clothes at her back alley. A person is walking towards her.  
 
Observing: This person (gender unsure, could be a guy with long hair?) is holding up a pole in the air, very close to some clothes on hangers. This person is dressed in yellow vest and pink pants, standing in an alley and someone is approaching her. 

Some of you might be quick to point out that she is just hanging her clothes. Her upright pole is a tool to help her achieve that. Try looking at the picture again. Can we really make that conclusion? Our associative minds will be quick to note this down; Upright pole + clothes at back alley = clothes hanging. 

For all we know, she could be using this pole to poke something, signal to someone and a hundred different other possibilities. We can’t simply conclude she is hanging clothes. Did we observe the end of the pole? Again, observatory eyes are ready with questions and probes without quick conclusions.

My point is that observation takes more effort but its worth it. We need to question ourselves and the subject to make better sense of situations. Best way is to expand the frame of this picture or simply ask this person. 

Try turning your vision around by observing instead of just seeing. Your world around you may be alot more interesting that you think and that is where opportunities are. For example, I observed alot of Singapore MRT commuters do not like the in-betwen carriage space, here is my account.

Please leave your comments, if any.