‘What do you think is going on?’ 

Asking clients and stakeholders this question at the beginning of a project is like unlocking a treasure trove. 

Some may be unwilling to answer, claiming it doesn’t matter what they think, or that they don’t want to influence the outcomes. 

Of course it matters what they think! Stakeholders work with the brand in question, have oodles of experience, see what’s going on in the wider industry and will be making decisions off the back of the research. What stakeholders think is going on is as important as the research itself. 

Why wouldn’t we want to leverage that experience and knowledge?!  

It shows that they’re valued. 

It shows that they’re being listened to. 

It creates engagement.

And if the research contradicts, or takes a slightly different perspective to their own view, then there is the risk that the research will be dismissed. Maybe not directly but holes will be picked.   

Embarking on a research project with no hypotheses is like heading out on a journey with no map, no guidebook and no direction. Who knows where you’ll end up or what you might find along the way. Sounds exciting doesn’t it?  Or maybe a little scary?

But how do you know where to stop, how long to spend and what else you might be missing out on? In any research project, the amount of time that we have with consumers is limited, so we need to use that time wisely.  

Developing hypotheses is about having a map with some key ‘sights’ marked. You have a plan about which direction to head in and what you want to explore, but you’re open to them being not quite where you thought they were, or not looking how you imagined.    

By developing hypotheses and creating a framework for exploration we can move on more quickly. We’re not starting from scratch and so can add further layers and pivots to enhance our understanding. By using our time with consumers in a more focused manner it actually frees up time to unearth and discover new insights.   

Hypotheses are exactly that - tentative answers, predictions – they're not fixed, and they are there to be proved, disproved or reframed. 

Creating hypotheses at the outset allows us to understand where stakeholders’ heads are at; what they think is going on in the market, with their brand, with consumers... And provides a richer insight into what their challenges are, going beyond the research objectives.  

Having conducted the research, analysed, debated and cogitated, the gap between hypotheses and reality becomes clear.  

We can then consider: 

• How do we need to position the findings?   
• Is it a subtle shift? A reframe? Or were the clients’ hypotheses completely wrong?  
• Is some serious myth busting required?    

The debrief for each scenario would be quite different, to ensure that the findings land. 

Working with hypotheses allows us to get to the heart of the issue, to fill the knowledge gap, to take stakeholders on the journey and to create a narrative and story that lands.   

Need a fresh perspective. Talk to Hummingbird Insights