Commercialising insight – agencies not included?

A trio of clients – Lego’s Gitte Kolt Rasmussen, Samsung Design Europe’s Paul De’Ath and New Look’s Oliver Lucas – took to the stage to discuss how their firms use consumer insight. Agencies in the audience may have been disappointed to find where they stand in the long term

Lego has made consumer insight a “core capability” within its business, as Rasmussen explained. “Commercialising insight means taking it away from surveys and reports and making it part of the structure… Making it part of the infrastructure means researchers need to learn new communications skills to turn this insight into action,” she said.

The situation is similar at Samsung Design Europe where over the past couple of years insight has become more of a key activity within the company. De’Ath explained: “We’re using insights to encourage senior management to invest in new technology. Taking insight and turning into something we can sell is crucial.”

Having all departments singing from the same insight-related hymn sheet is the goal the client panel were all aiming for – but there was no mention of outside agencies and the part they have to play beyond delivery of the research.

Lucas said he’s loath to risk losing collaboration between internal departments by handing too much onto agencies, while for Samsung, De’Ath cited security concerns: “You have to draw boundaries because what we have is valuable business knowledge that we don’t want to share.”