Our Top 3 Takeaways From IIEX Europe 2022

After 3 years away, we were delighted to be back to a face-to-face conference, with the most innovative insight leaders from around the globe at IIEX Amsterdam. We promise to be back in 2023 with a bigger & better canal cruise, but let’s recap on our Top 3 learnings from the 2022 extravaganza.

1 – Market Research Makes Creators Heroes
Mars Wrigley & Zappi discussed how the relevance of market research is becoming more important at the creative stage with a powerful message - ‘Market research makes creators heroes’

Christian Niederauer (Colgate-Palmolive Company) along with Walnut Research provided a powerful example of creativity that was optimised via System 1 research which did not rely on claimed consumer data. The Colgate Smile campaign (example) was able to optimize & persist with its fantastic Diversity & Inclusion message by ordering creative in a fashion that was best consumed by the viewer, reversing initial metrics which would not have passed traditional go/no go testing. Way to go for not using old fashioned ad norms!

2 – Sustainability is a non-negotiable
It was fantastic to see IIEX dedicate a full afternoon of the programme to “We Better Behave! Why sustainability needs to start now.

Marketers should start treating sustainability as a hygiene factor in all research briefs. You are tracking £££ and NPS, so why not Sustainability? The answer is often that is it not simple to measure, but with the climate clock now at 7 years to save our planet, the answer is that urgency is needed.

It was amazing to see so many brands come together to offer inspiration as to what is being done & ideas for the future. The list is long but includes; Electrolux, Colgate-Palmolive, Pepsi-Co, Kellogg’s, Barilla, Reckitt, Pernod-Ricard & their fantastic research partners.

A powerful example was provided by Phillippe Coquelle (Barilla) of how consumer claimed research showed buyers to prefer paper packaging, although it was rejected for plastic packaging in-store. Sticky behaviour is truly difficult to change, but with firm direction and re-education is possible. Did you know that dishwashers use 10 times less water than washing by hand? Yet many consumers will still wash a small load by hand due to misconceptions about efficiency.

What is clear, is that understanding the say do gap, measuring true behaviours & beliefs of consumers and leveraging behavioural science for re-education has never been more important in your marketing strategies. The time to rethink and put sustainability always on the table is now.

3 – It’s time for Brand Tracking to go ‘always-on’
Wars in Ukraine & elsewhere, Covid-19, Global Warming, Cost of living squeeze, Gen Alpha, Obesity crisis, Roe vs Wade, Web 3.0, Crypto… it’s a fast changing & challenging world for marketers. But the fundamental truth of marketing science remains the same. Brands not only need to win on Consideration, but must also win on Brand Salience, Distinction, Relevance and Coherence.

What was a clear thread through many presentations, is that the ability to pivot & understand trends as they are happening helps brands get ahead of the curve.

Maria Nguyen (Cosnova) showcased how keeping close to consumer behaviours as they happen, helps them increase speed to market & uncover the next beauty trends ahead of the curve.

3a) Finally, a shout out to Hayel Wartemberg @ Word on the Curb. I loved their innovative approach to over-representing misrepresented communities via their origins on YouTube.

At Hotspex, we use behavioural & implicit psychometrics to uncover learnings undetectable to traditional claimed/direct research. We used this in collaboration with TikTok in our closing presentation with Dr Nadia Morozova. To learn more see here or contact us to discuss how we can help with your immediate brand growth & research challenges.