EP 436: Getting insightful about agency insights for better brainstorming with Chris Kocek
Feb 12, 2024
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Chris Kocek, agency insights expert and brainstorming facilitator, shares techniques for generating insights and inspiring action during brainstorming sessions. The podcast covers the definition and different types of agency insights, as well as their role in creating impactful campaigns. Kocek also discusses selling insights in the agency business and the significance of storytelling techniques. The chapter 'Brainstorming Insights and Creating Brain Food for Team Meetings' highlights the importance of allowing our brains to work their magic and providing brain food for team members.
Insights can be categorized into three types: category insights, brand insights, and campaign insights, each requiring a different approach but sharing the common goal of inspiring action and generating impact.
Insights should inspire action by challenging the status quo and reframing problems, going beyond obvious truths to unveil deeper meanings and connections, driving creativity, innovation, and success in the agency landscape.
Deep dives
Insight building: A collaborative and iterative process
Insight building is a creative and collaborative process that involves connecting the dots through methods like asking 'why' to explore deeper explanations, creating conflict by identifying polarities and emotional responses, and interrogating language to uncover hidden meanings in words used by consumers. It is important to carefully sell insights, setting them up with data points or research, leading up to a reveal that inspires action. A storytelling approach can be used to engage and captivate the audience, providing a buildup to the insight. Developing insights takes time and effort, but they serve as powerful tools to differentiate agencies and bring new perspectives to client work.
Three types of insights: Category, brand, and campaign
Insights can be categorized into three types: category insights, which involve disrupting and transforming industries with new ideas and products; brand insights, which redefine brands and challenge conventional thinking; and campaign insights, which provide fresh perspectives to brand storytelling. Examples include companies like Airbnb, Slack, Lays, and Dove, which have leveraged insights to create new categories, reinforce their brands, and engage audiences. Each type of insight requires a different approach but shares the common goal of inspiring action and generating impact.
Characteristics of impactful insights
Insights should inspire action by challenging the status quo and prompting change or conversation. They should also reframe the problem, going beyond obvious truths to unveil deeper meanings and connections. It is crucial for insights to meet these high standards to differentiate agencies and deliver value. By inspiring action, reframing problems, and offering non-obvious perspectives, impactful insights can drive creativity, innovation, and success in the agency landscape.
Selling insights: A collaborative and careful approach
Selling insights requires a collaborative and careful approach, considering the ego and pressure involved. The storytelling process plays a vital role in presenting insights, creating engagement, and leading up to a powerful reveal. Collaborative iteration and bouncing ideas with trusted individuals provide valuable feedback and refinement. Setting up insights through data points, research, and strategic buildup is essential for capturing audience attention and inspiring change. By embracing a collaborative and thoughtful sales process, agencies can effectively communicate insights and rally stakeholders behind them.
What exactly makes an insight versus just an observation? What are the different types out there? How the heck do we uncover them? This week, we’re getting insightful about insights and laying out the key characteristics of strong agency insights — like inspiring action and reframing problems.
Chris Kocek will share his favorite techniques for generating insights during brainstorming sessions, like continually asking “why” like a toddler until you reach some real gold. With agencies feeling more and more pressure these days to stay competitive and continuously innovate, it’s important to know what really gets us to those “ah-ha” moments before building out a whole campaign.
And once you uncover those golden nuggets, really selling them to your team for maximum impact is the cherry on top. Join us in this insightful episode to learn how to piece together all of these agency insight strategies from one of the pros.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
Getting to the core of the word “insight”
Do agencies always need to feel pressured to be insightful?
When agency owners should be pushing for more insights from their team
The 3 different types of agency insights
Inspiring action and problem-solving through insightful thinking
The methodology behind building insights
How to sell innovative ideas to clients
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