Ethnography literally means ‘a portrait of a people’. What’s important to extract from this definition is context – what aspects of a person’s world affect whether or not they smoke, drink, play tennis or regularly go to the dentist? An individual’s behaviour is constrained by their society and social groups, according to the father of sociology; Émile Durkheim. Therefore in order to achieve effective behavioural change, we need understand and target the societies and social groups of the people we are trying to change.

Sure, it’s quite a challenge, but one we feel is important to embrace here at Naked Eye. Together with McKinsey and Company, we developed ‘Plant a Seed’ – a training programme for Stop Smoking Champions. East of England NHS wanted to develop a programme to empower healthcare professionals (e.g. doctors, GPs, nurses, health visitors, etc.) to stop their patients smoking. Through ethnographic research, we identified five different types of smokers, based on their motivations behind their habit; for example, the ‘Contented Denier’. These people are often surrounded by other smokers, and view information regarding the harmful effects of smoking as ‘excuses’ or ‘blown out of proportion’ by the medical profession, and other groups that feel foreign to them.

But they’re not the only ones to feel the disconnect; healthcare professionals often don’t know how to engage with their patients that smoke, thus finding it difficult to encourage behaviour change. Providing them with a personal and emotive account of their patients’ motivations invokes a feeling of empathy and arms them with an understanding of the patient in order to gain access to their world. This creates a new support network for smokers, whilst allowing Stop Smoking Champions to be mindful of the ‘Contented Denier’s’ family and friends; looking for opportunities to influence their behaviour also.

Essentially this project allowed us to examine the ‘culture’ (beliefs and behaviours) of smoking. Whether it be a group of people bound by space or behaviour, unpacking their culture provides the vital framework to understand them as a market. Find out more about why culture matters and how ethnography contributes to its understanding in our next blog.

Guest blogger: Sonya Chee

‘Being there’ – it’s impossible to recreate. Whether it be a hilarious joke you heard, a lost football match or your morning tube journey; telling your friends about it afterwards just isn’t quite the same. The essence of those moments are often lost in the clumsy ‘she said, he said, we said’ back and forth of your average storyteller.

Ethnographers are great storytellers. Why? Because they have been trained to capture ‘those moments’. Reassembling situations and experiences through observing interactions, tracing histories and exploring environments are all in a day’s work for a typical ethnographer. Thus their stories can help companies reveal how to develop products and deliver campaigns that will become part of customer moments.

Through film, ethnographers not only can expertly analyse their observations, but also provide insight to others on what ‘being there’ was really like. Using ethnographic film is a growing method of market research among many companies; and with good reason. Such methods led to Proctor & Gamble’s revelation that people were spending more time cleaning their mop, rather than their floors – cue the invention of their Swiffer mop. Flemming Ostergaard, the director of global innovation and marketing for Lego is a self-proclaimed fan of ethnographic film, whilst Toyota have commissioned filming ‘drive-alongs,’ to observe how people are using different features in their cars.

Capturing these moments on film is half the battle. But with the help of ethnographers we can also get behind these behaviours; to motivations. This is where ethnography’s roots in social anthropology really begin to emerge. As a discipline, social anthropology defines itself through it’s in depth, holistic studies around human behaviour. Only after considering the ideological, emotive and environmental dynamics of an individual’s story, can motivations be revealed and behaviours understood.

Critical in the development of behavioural change programmes, Naked Eye have explored the motivations behind the behaviours of A&E patients and smokers; recreating their stories through film and analysis. Find out more about what our research revealed to help create effective programmes in our next blog.

Guest Blogger: Sonya Chee

As researchers, we continuously ask ourselves what we can learn from the different groups of people we spend time with, and how our clients can best communicate with them based on those learnings. With career peaks and empty nesters often falling into this stage, there is a high potential spending capacity and consequently, a real opportunity for brands. A barrier in communication however is created by the ‘wall’ of stereotypes dominating the middle-aged ‘scene’. Yet going beyond this, as we did in immersing ourselves in the lives of the three men shown in our film, behind this ‘wall’ lies a multidimensional experience, and it is here that brands have the opportunity to move past the singularity of the stereotypes and tap into and engage with these multiple (and often emotionally charged) touchpoints.

An example of this is the dominant negative stereotype of the middle aged man – the image and perception that ‘things just go downhill from here’ (from physical looks to marital relationship). No one can deny that ‘middle aged’ hardly evokes flattering associations (least not its association with crisis!) and it is true that many struggle with aspects of it, such as the feeling of the passing of time, and of lost youth especially. However, these feelings are often intertwined with a more positive story, based on a sense of life ‘experience’ that has been built up and shaped core life values and personal identity. Often this is accompanied by a sense of pride and satisfaction, perhaps related to having a family, or doing well at work.  Even for those less positive, who might be tinged with regret, the opportunity (and time) to start ‘afresh’ still remains, and not in the form of a new flashy car purchase, but more a positive chance to have learned from those past experiences and take those into better times ahead. Brands therefore have the opportunity to challenge and go beyond the negative stereotype that surrounds ‘middle age’ and instead harness and talk to those positive feelings built on a sense of accumulated life experience, although being careful not to emphasise ‘age’ whilst doing so.

Another example is the image of the middle aged man as a fixed identity, defined by it being a period in which certain behaviours or certain events are played out- hence ‘midlife crisis’. However, as one of our participants says, “Life is life…mid life…crisis, you have crises at all stages of your life and you have to deal with them accordingly, everyone’s different. To box it into 40-50 or whatever, it’s crazy.” Men at midlife are not, (nor do they want to be) defined by an age. In fact what age is ‘middle age’ is not even clear. It is important to move the focus instead onto the feelings and experiences that make up their lives and, as above, these relate to their core values and identity, which are much more personal, varied and complex than the stereotype suggests. Even recognising that variety and complexity is an important first step for brands; the second being the ability to weave through it and talk to them in a subtle, multifaceted way, and not just straight-talking to a flat fixed stereotype.

At a time where consumer demand for personalised and individualised products and services is higher than ever, this is all the more important for those looking to harness the high potential opportunities in this area.

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The gloomy image and associations with middle age are certainly nothing new. The 14thC Italian classic, The Divine Comedy, starts with Dante Alighieri himself lost in the dark wood of midlife: ‘Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita/ mi ritrovai per una selva oscura,/ ché la diritta via era smarrita’ (Halfway along the journey of our life,/ Having strayed from the right path and lost it,/ I awoke to find myself in a dark wood.)

As a young female studying this as part of my Modern Languages degree, this male mid-life experience seemed at this point very far removed from my own. It undoubtedly still is, but I don’t believe, however, that it is just because of my gender or age, or because I read this as literature. I believe that our society has shrouded men at midlife in a web of (predominantly negative) stereotypes, which has left us with an increasingly unclear idea of what the true ‘midlife’ experience is like. This is magnified by the fact it is by its very nature an undefined period (the first question we might ask is, what age is middle age?), as well as the changing times where people are living longer and things are shifting. A recent article on middle age stated that “one thing that can be said of ‘Middle Age’ is that it’s moving further from the middle”. Lastly, more often than not such discussions are couched in humour, which in itself acts as a barrier to discovering what more serious and complex emotions and circumstances might lie under the surface.

It would be wrong to fully dismiss the stereotypes, which cannot but be based on some truth. However, what is certainly true is that such stereotypes, as any, can make simplistic or distort what is really going on in the lives of these middle aged men. At Naked Eye we like to get under the skin to the real experiences of people, and we went to spend time with 3 men to see what is going on at this midlife stage. See our film above.

Expectations of the roles and responsibilities of ‘dad’

• The dads had a clear perception of their own role within the family: e.g. the ‘provider’, the ‘fixer’- roles which entailed financial responsibility and stability. For the kids however, these roles are taken out of the financial context and are just part of their perception of who ‘dad’ is and expectation what he does for them.
• On the one hand, these roles bring ‘dad’ pride and satisfaction, but they also come with the pressures of, as one dad put it, ‘‘fulfilling a duty”, which the current austerity measures make a real challenge.
• The uncertainty and fluctuations in the bank balance can in turn rock the balance of the family’s wellbeing and it’s up to dad to manage both.

Readjusting lifestyles & positive re-evaluations on family life and happiness

• The austerity measures have made noticeable changes in their lives and have necessitated adjustments e.g. downgrading/reducing where they shop, how much they go out.
• Whilst sacrifices have had to be made, the adaptations have also brought about a positive re-evaluation of what makes the family happy, and consequently an appreciation of things that may be of less monetary value but help keep family life positive-this might be an activity  or even just  laughing together.
• Although in negative circumstances, one dad also felt that the financial hardships created a positive opportunity to ingrain good values in their children from an early age.

Necessity of basic financial stability

• Despite discovering non-material means to make the family happy, the dads recognised that the practical reality is that a basic level of financial comfort is needed to keep the family happy.
• Austerity measures are putting pressure on dads’ ability to provide these needs-‘putting food on the table, paying bills’ etc. is even a struggle.

Having the means to reward and be rewarded

• Despite the strained financial circumstances and adaptations they have had to make, nevertheless as a dad, continuing to have the means to reward is important for family morale, even if the reward is a downgraded/reduced version of what it would have been previously.
• Being rewarded himself (e.g. at work) is similarly important for the dad’s personal morale. However, the current financial circumstances have made such rewards less likely, and in turn have given dads less means to treat their family.

 See our film on Dads in our previous blog entry.

Look out for our films on this topic and updates on @nakedeyelondon #austerity

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The outlook for UK families in this time of austerity seems bleak. A recent report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (commissioned by the Family and Parenting Institute) showed that those with children will bear the burden most, with 500,000 families with children under five predicted to be in absolute poverty by 2015[1]. Not only does the situation bode badly for the future; we have seen statistics such as “UK families £7,900 in debt [2]”, and one of the most recent headlines even stated that one in five mums is regularly missing meals so her kids can eat.[3]

This last statistic came from research from Netmums, one of the many sites where mums share experiences and discuss all aspects of family life in an online community. The voice of dads, however, is relatively unheard: How are they coping with the pressures? How are they managing the family finances and wellbeing in these challenging times? As part of our research looking into how austerity measures are affecting those around the country, we went first to spend some time with some dads to uncover their experiences of Austere Britain.

“The fathers are usually the main breadwinners so high expectations and pressures are put on them to bring the money in – to keep everyone happy, whether it’s, roof over heads food on the table and bills to be paid, and all those extra treats that everyone would like.”

See our film above.  Look out for next week’s blog on the four areas we found particularly interesting…

Look out for our films on this topic and updates on @nakedeyelondon #austerity.

[1] http://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/5973

[2] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/household-bills/9063317/UK-families-7900-in-debt.html

[3] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/9084054/Mums-missing-meals-to-feed-kids.html

View this video on vimeo.com

The outlook for UK families in this time of austerity seems bleak. A recent report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (commissioned by the Family and Parenting Institute) showed that those with children will bear the burden most, with 500,000 families with children under five predicted to be in absolute poverty by 2015[1]. Not only does the situation bode badly for the future; we have seen statistics such as “UK families £7,900 in debt [2]”, and one of the most recent headlines even stated that one in five mums is regularly missing meals so her kids can eat.[3]

This last statistic came from research from Netmums, one of the many sites where mums share experiences and discuss all aspects of family life in an online community. The voice of dads, however, is relatively unheard: How are they coping with the pressures? How are they managing the family finances and wellbeing in these challenging times? As part of our research looking into how austerity measures are affecting those around the country, we went first to spend some time with some dads to uncover their experiences of Austere Britain.

“The fathers are usually the main breadwinners so high expectations and pressures are put on them to bring the money in – to keep everyone happy, whether it’s, roof over heads food on the table and bills to be paid, and all those extra treats that everyone would like.”

Shot on a single day, Life in a Day is one of the first user-generated feature-length documentaries for which more than 80,000 submissions, and over 4,500 hours of film were sent from contributors around 192 nations.

The film was the backdrop for a lively panel discussion which followed the screening. Facilitated by Simon Jones, a leading corporate communications advisor the panel included renowned Professor of Psychology Adrian Furnham, award-winning documentary filmmaker Marc Isaacs, and top Planning Director Jon Leach.

Adrian Furnham commented on the poignancy of certain scenes, which became memorable when defined by one’s own personal associations. For him the emotional quality of the film stood out as it spoke to the universality of human experience which Jon Leach summed up as the empathy that the film provoked those ‘I feel that with you’ moments as if some of the fears, aspirations and disappointments of people on the film were our own. He commented on the way film can expose not just the stories that people tell others, but also the stories that people tell themselves, which are sometimes communicated through the subtleties of silence or an expression, which often reveal more than words. Jon talked about empathy and the value and potency of filmed observation in its ability to record this and deeply understand people, vital in our increasingly ‘need to get closer understanding of the customer’ world.

The discussion explored multiple forms of filmmaking, many of which were evident in the documentary: people filming themselves, people filming others, people being filmed covertly, or going through life defining moments alone or surrounded by loved ones. As a documentary filmmaker, Marc who lives and breathes film day in, day out spoke of its role in storytelling, using both words and images, and the way it continually endeavours to reveal and provoke thought and action. For him it is the authorship, as well as the depth and the “humane and profound” way of storytelling that separates documentary film from other types of film footage – be the fast and frantic world of social media or the fragmented filmed snapshots we are fed on the news.

The audience’s questions and observations shaped much of the discussion. There were mixed views as to how genuine some of the scenes were and whether the audience’s emotions were being exploited.

For us it was a bold and provocative film, a first of its kind, and a chance to learn more about contrasting lifestyles from around the world and how crowd sourced documentaries and YouTube can give us insights into how we live – even if it’s just across a single day in our lives.

Treat

Buying small treats to reduce the feeling of deprivation caused by the six other behaviours

Consumers are justifying their spending choices using this final coping strategy.  Often called the lipstick effect, in times of financial strain we have observed an increase in the purchases of small treats, like lipstick, nail polish, even perfume.  In June last year Debenhams reported thriving activity in their beauty halls as shoppers responded to the current austerity measures by reducing there spending on expensive items, but indulging on the cheaper luxuries.

Consumers feel they cannot invest in larger purchases but still feel the need to reward themselves.  Recent research by Allegra Strategies has shown that the British public is still paying for their daily caffeine fix in these austere times, with ‘one in 10 visiting a coffee shop everyday’.  The study also found that 39% of people are actually visiting coffee shops more than they did a year ago.  A coffee is seen as an affordable treat, which makes the other financial constraints in life seem that little bit better.  Consumers are however still making use of the other coping strategies whilst sipping their cappuccino by cashing in on the loyalty card systems in place.

Look out for our films on this topic and updates on @nakedeyelondon #austerity

Ask yourself before you embark on a new campaign – how well do you really know your patients? Are there insights which you may be unaware currently that could help shape your whole communications strategy? Rational data and numbers give clients confidence but very often it’s the emotional connections that help develop a programme with much more impact.

Insights and real life patient stories reach people and make communications to patients far more relevant and empathetic, they can also make any activity aimed at healthcare professionals more engaging. They become more valuable to physicians because they get a much better understanding of their patients’ experiences than they generally would gain from a seven-minute consultation.

Using this type of research helps healthcare and pharmaceutical companies to demonstrate well-rounded expertise in a therapy area, going beyond the science. Potentially, it can also help differentiate one brand from another, when both have similar or equal efficacy, or enable a brand to keep its edge even if a competitor brings out new data. Close working with creative and research agencies can make best use of these insights to develop a strategy that informs everything you do, including digital activity, sales force materials, meetings with key opinion leaders, conference material, exhibitions and PR. The task then is to get everyone involved aligned and fully aware of the benefits.

References

With thanks to VCCP Health

http://www.pmlive.com/find_an_article/allarticles/categories/General/2009