Consumer Research and Branding | Jen Belcastro and Bill Southard

PRGN Presents • Season 5, Episode 5 • Originally published as an audio podcast on September 12, 2024. Whose voice is shaping your marketing decisions? Jen Belcastro, founder and president of the consumer insights agency Escalate Strategies, and Bill Southard, founder and CEO of Southard Communications, join Abbie Fink and Dr. Adrian McIntyre to make the case for listening to customers before committing to a product, a message or a market. Jen, a cultural anthropologist by training, says companies often talk about their products as widgets and forget that people want an emotional connection with a brand. Clients tend to define their audience too narrowly and miss whole groups of potential buyers, like the lower-income spirits drinkers one client assumed would never trade up to an expensive bottle. For leaders who balk at the cost, she suggests starting small with stakeholder interviews and a few video chats, and she describes concept tests that stopped products the market did not need. Adrian recalls how 20 customer interviews revealed why one client’s customers kept renewing. Bill explains how research persuaded clients arriving from Japan to lower their prices and change their messaging for the U.S. market. KEY TAKEAWAYS • People want an emotional connection with a brand, so put their voices at the center of marketing decisions. • A company’s assumed target audience is often narrower than its real market, which includes segments with different needs. • Research can start small, with stakeholder interviews and a handful of customer conversations, and still reveal costly gaps. • A concept test that says “no” can save a company from launching something the market does not want. • Keep listening after launch by tracking awareness, loyalty and purchase drivers throughout the year. Read the full episode notes and transcript: https://prgnpodcast.com/episode/peopl... --------------------------------------- ABOUT THE GUESTS Jen Belcastro is founder and president of Escalate Strategies, a consumer insights and brand strategy agency. Trained as a cultural anthropologist, she spent more than 20 years as a consumer insights and brand strategist at mid-size and large agencies, with deep experience in qualitative and quantitative research for B2C and B2B brands. She founded Escalate to give clients direct access to senior-level expertise. • Learn more: https://escalatestrategies.com/ • Connect with Jen:   / jenbelcastro   Bill Southard is founder and CEO of Southard Communications, a New York City agency established in 1994. With four decades in public relations, he leads campaigns across consumer industries including toys, games, electronics, personal care, and health and wellness, for brands such as Etch A Sketch, LeapFrog and The Elf on the Shelf. • Learn more: https://prgn.com/agency/southard-comm... • Connect with Bill:   / bill-southard-1874899   --------------------------------------- ABOUT THE HOSTS Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations, the oldest continuously operating PR firm in Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. • Learn more: https://prgn.com/agency/hma-public-re... • Connect with Abbie:   / abbiesfink   Dr. Adrian McIntyre is an anthropologist and communications advisor specializing in the marketing and selling of expertise. He is a founding partner at Speed of Story, where he helps entrepreneurial experts and boutique firms clarify their positioning, package their intellectual property, market their premium services, and get paid for their thinking, not their time. • Learn more: https://adrianmcintyre.com/ • Connect with Adrian:   / adrianmcintyre   --------------------------------------- CHAPTERS 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:59 Meet Bill Southard and Jen Belcastro 02:09 Anthropology Meets Branding: Putting People First 05:28 Target Audiences, Addressable Markets and Customer Segments 07:04 Building the Business Case for Consumer Research 10:51 Testing Demand Before Investing in a New Program 12:58 Concept Testing for Launch Decisions and Better Messaging 14:35 Interviews Reveal Why Customers Keep Renewing 15:50 Research Reveals Unexpected Audiences and Buying Motivations 17:43 Adapting Pricing and Messaging for the U.S. Market 20:47 Tracking Brands and Consumer Behavior Throughout the Year 23:42 Podcast Outro --------------------------------------- PRGN Presents features conversations with members of the Public Relations Global Network. No matter where you do business, there is a PRGN member agency in your region with the deep industry expertise, international experience, and local market knowledge you need to connect with your target audience and achieve your goals. Find a PR firm near you: https://prgn.com/pr-agencies/