More than ever, brands need to connect with their buyers on an emotional level.

In fact, consumers say that the way they feel is 1.5 times more likely to influence their buying decision than anything else.

for AdAge

photo: Getty Images

Everyone in the industry talks about the “voice of the customer.” But that’s just not enough. The most powerful element that can be used by any business is authentically understanding, engaging and connecting with their customers. Not just the voice of the customers through a set of data points, but their minds, their true perspectives completely. Why they do what they do. How they think, feel, act—the customer truth. Because, if all purchase decisions were rational, consumers would always buy at the lowest price.

Customer truth is about understanding the heart and the mind of your customer—it connects your story with your customer’s story. This is achieved only by looking through multiple lenses that give you a holistic view of your audience and the motives behind their behaviors. This digital world has given brands myriad data points, but those methods do not measure the metrics that matter: customer truth. The biggest and best brands are getting back to basics with a research strategy that brings richness, texture and depth of understanding to the most critical component of data: people.

The truth about cosmetics

In Latin America, the cosmetics industry is quite dynamic, with several established brands competing within regional markets and new ones continually entering the fold. As such, maintaining a current understanding of how, when and why consumers use beauty products is critical to the cosmetic industry, requiring a sophisticated approach to market research.

Avon surveyed women in Latin America to discover the type and number of products in their personal beauty bag, brands used and overall brand perceptions. The survey revealed how many lipsticks or eyeshadow products each respondent had, but Avon didn’t understand the why—the emotional drivers.

“It was crucial for us to walk in consumers’ shoes in order to truly understand their relationship with makeup and collect meaningful qualitative data in friendly and inspiring ways. We were able to capture very useful consumer insights, materials and perspectives, which informed multiple discussions and decisions within the Avon organization,” says Paola Toscano, senior insights and marketing intelligence manager at Avon.

Using a mobile diary of their makeup activities for one week, Avon was able to see through resultant uploads and video testimonials how the women applied makeup, how they mixed and matched various products, and the feelings experienced during and after makeup application. In the words of one user: “I need makeup to feel alive. It’s an essential part of my day-to-day.” Understanding the truth behind the women’s connection with their makeup enabled Avon to connect their brand story to their customer’s story.