3. 3
“WHEN I usE a word,”
Humpty Dumpty said in rather a
scornful tone, “iT MEaNs JusT wHaT
I choose it to mean —
neither more nor less.”B
“The question is,” said Alice, B
“whether you can make words
mean so many different things?”B
4. It generates insights by interacting with individuals in their natural
environment, looking at how the widEr CulTurE is manifested in their
daily lives
Anthropology is a holistic, qualitative
approach to the study of human behaviours
We do this by fully immersing ourselves into the myriad
mysteries of a culture- to experience the elusive,
become initiated into ‘strange new lands’ making the
bewildering and bizarre, just brilliant
We then apply these findings to help come up with
strategic solutions.
We DEPLOY the expertise and ethnographic skills of cultural
researchers to ‘translate’ consumer thinking, finding
culturally-appropriate and commercially relevant solutions
to sticky situations.
5. If you want to understand. How
animals live, don’t go to the zoo, go
to the jungle Kevin Roberts @ Saatchi & Saatchi
Viewing people in
their natural
environment
Capture behaviour in context
Both metaphorically & physically putting ourselves in
their shoes. Viewing facilities make us spectators, viewing
our subjects in a caged captivity. is a false reality of
captivity, unlike the wilderness and ‘realness’ of the
jungle.
This also forces us to think on our feet, by not relying
on scripts
6. Anthropology IS inherently
nosy. WE dig for deep insights;
translating consumer thinking,
and finding commercial
solutions within a cultural
framework- WE THINK that brand
strategy should pay more heed
to consumer behaviours as being
messy, multidimensional, and
comprehensible, only with
close reference to their
specific cultural context.
7. “Anthropology documents
the communication of
everyday life and
everything that plays a part in it.
Anthropologyisabout howweinteractwith,andprocessourworld.
Itlooksattheactivitiesofdaytodaylife,asrevealedinhowweinteractwithpeople,
places,andthings.
makes me think, it makes
me imagine things.
8. THIS MEANS GOING OUT THERE, INTO THE
FIELD, AND LOOKING AT THE How AND WHY OF
Consumer behaviour: from CulTural CaTEGorY, right
through to consumer appropriation
9. ANTHROPOLOGY DOESN’T STRIVE
TO ‘CAPTURE’ HUMAN
EXPERIENCE. THAT’S
IMPOSSIB;E. HUMANS AREN’T
STATIC.; WE ARE CONSTANTLY
EVOLVING. Anthropology sees the
benefits of scrutinising, the
lived reality of consumers,
burrowing into the complexity
of contemporary life, and the
myriad of social practices and
rituals that shape their Daily
lives.
11. Page 11
We occupy different worlds &
behave differently with
different people, in different
moments, at different times & in
different places
12. “It is confusing to say that
people share a culture, as if
culture were common
property. We may have
strictly identical amounts of
money in our respective
wallets without sharing any of
it.”
Pascal Boyer
We embrace variety
makes me think, it makes
me imagine things.”
Anthropology
Opens Up The
World
13. Pain U&A Nigeria_Feb 2014
Ethnography is about Discovery
Immersing ourselves in new experiences
and perspectives means looking at
patterns of behavior across the whole
cultural repertoire, and seeing it as
something that’s AliVE, dynamic,
and ever-changing
15. xxxx
This means looking at their values,
habits, routines, social
attachments and belief
systems as firmly entrenched in the
context of their culture
Ethnography is focused on
reality and on mapping
Lived Experiences.
16. “Would you tell me, please, which way I
ought to go from here?” B
“That depends a good deal on where
you want to get to,” said the Cat. B
“–so long as I get SOMEWHERE,”
Alice added as an explanation.B
B
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the
Cat, “if you only walk far
enough” B
17. Curiosity and open-mindedness:
Greaterscopeforinspirationandinsights.
Live the livesofourconsumers.Peekintotheinnercornersoftheirminds
1. Can reveal unarticulated needsB
2. Build a relationship with research participantsB
3. Capture visual and emotional behaviorB
4. see the user’s behavior in different contextsB
5. Test market demand for products that aren’t in
existenceB
6. identify differences between what people say
and what they doB
Explore the core and the periphery ofourconsumers:From
influencerstooutsiders
Immersion
leads to
Inspiration There are many tangible
Benefits
18. The relationships that exist between people
places and things are intricate and complex
WetrytocapturetheBeliefsandbehaviorsthatemanatefromtheintersectionsof
relationshipsbetweenpeople,products,places
It’s hard to get to grips with Culture
Learning means engaging
it’simportanttomakebrandsawareoftheculturesofthepeopletheyaretryingtoreach.
RICHERCONTEXTUALINSIGHTSLEADSTOTHEABILITYTOTARGETAUDIENCESONAN‘INDIVIDUAL’LEVEL
Culture means Market tAnd to achieve success in
a market, brands need to shape their solutions around the culture
Ultimately this Helps brands to uncover opportunities to
differentiate from the competition and identify new
products that would be valued by a particular groupB
21. Crafting emotionally engaging
narratives gives Compelling results
*Ethnography immerses the project team in participants’
lives and enables a relationship to develop with research
participants over the period of study;
*Ethnography provides a rich source of visual data and helps
to reveal unarticulated needs;
*Ethnography captures behavior in the different contexts of
everyday life;
*Ethnography places a human face on data through real-life
stories that teams can relate to and remember;
*Ethnography provides understanding behind ‘statistics’;
*Ethnography allows emotional behavior to be captured;
By carrying out research in the everyday life
environments of participants it helps to identify
discrepancies between what people say they do and
what they actually do.
23. Our mission lies in cultivating
conversations through lived
experiences, and mapping them to
the social landscape.
We map continuity and change, and
embrace the elusive and unexpected.
Anthropology interacts Human to
Human
24. Anthropology is Just
About Being
HumanAnthropologyinteractshuman-to-
human,anddismantlesthe
limitingdividebetween
moderator-to-respondent
Ethnography isn’t a strange and
exotic technique. It’s a holistic way
of THiNkiNG abouT THE world
25. Anthropology is Just
About Being Human
“It is the obvious which is
so difficult to see most
of the time. People say
'It's as plain as the nose
on your face.' But how
much of the nose on
your face can you see,
unless someone holds a
mirror up to you?”
ISAAC SIMON
Meet the new
old influencers
27. Through the looking
glass and down the rabbit
hole
“It would be so nice if something made
sense for a change.”
Alice in Wonderland
Who in the World am I?
Ah, that’s the great puzzle…
Alice in Wonderland.
Curiouser and
Curiouser
31. 31
Whereas
Anthropology
is human-centered
design.
In exposing other perspectives, we can contribute another
layer of understanding that can be applied to help
improve consumers’ lives
In exploring the cultural context-
the values and rituals surrounding an
object or experience- we explore the
whole product experience by asking
how brands, fit into and
relate to the consumer’s life.
here the added value of
anthropology lies in hearing
these voices and by trying
to decipher their meaning,
make sense of them
32. This doesn’t mean tossing
quantitative data in the bin. But to
use it to Complement& enhance
It means bringing data to life.
34. How does ETHNoGrapHY
differ From other forms of
qualitative research?
Traditional research revolves around
explicit agendas and focused objectives.
We see this as limiting, failing to
capture the subtle nuances of everyday
life.
35. People are
products of
their culture
But
Cultures are
not static, but
ever- changing
Culture is not static, it
doesn’t follow a
template or
prescriptive route.
Seemingly minor , and often
overlooked factors can have
significant
implications on a
culture
36. We EXPLORE THE
UNIQUENES
OF DIFFERENT WORLDS
Anthropology means
rethinking our own
standards and norms, and
instead approaching the
field as an opportunity
for exploring and
excavating the less
obvious. We celebrate
cultural diversity,
seek out the many
strands of subtle
cultural nuances that
make up a culture
37. ethnography EXPLORES
the uniqueness
of humans
THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT UNDERLIES CULTURAL RESEARCH IS THAT THE WAY WE
LIVE IS ONLY ONE OF innumerable other ways OF MAKING LIFE MEANINGFUL
He [We appreciate cultural diversity]she
ANTHROPOLOGY RESTS ON BEING CULTURALLY OPEN AND AWARE OF THE danger OF Overlooking subtle
cultural nuances & imposing our own belief systems (however unintended or implicit that may
be] on another CULTURE
38. 38
LOOKING at consumers
through a cultural
lens means being
invited into their
World – allowing
their lived
experiences,
motivation, and
patterns of behavior
to Unfold before us
42. Our method doesn’t rely on
consumer’s selective memory of
their experiences. Nor do we
position our research within the
sterile and limiting environment
of the focus group or viewing
facility which we believe fail to
capture the real-life of
consumers
- Something only witnessed by participating
in these lived-experiences.
The focus group
{yawn}
44. Data may give a solid structural frame ‘backbone’ to research, but anthropology offers the
substance- the sentiments, the emotions, the day to day operation of the organs , without
which, the structure has no substance.
Boring outdated
research
Using ethnography is a more reliable way of
understanding because it allows us to see what people
are actually doing, and in real time, rather than
relying on selective recall
45. 45
We acknowledge how critical context is to how a product,
brand, or service is experienced & encountered
ANTHROPOLOGYRESTSONBEINGCULTURALLYOPENAND
AWAREOFTHETHREATOFOverlookingsubtlecultural
nuancesandimposingmyownbeliefsystems(however
unintendedorimplicitthatmaybe]onanother
CULTURE
ETHNOGRAPHICINSIGHTSCANBECOMBINEDWITHotherformsof DATA
Usinganthropologyofferstheopportunityto
gathermorecompellinginsights,unfetteredby
thelimitationsofCONVENTIONALRESEARCH
Cultural research is MULTI-DISCIPLINARY. It Explores
complexities/ encompassing factors such as of gender,
age, belief system, politics, global & local trade,
trendsetters, & the non-conformists
46. 46
“Creativity involves breaking
out of established patterns in
order to look at things in a
different way.”
(Edward de Bono, conceptual founder of Lateral Thinking)
47. instead cultural
strategy is
multidisciplinary.
It explores complexities and
encompassing factors
such as gender, age, belief
systems, kindship patterns,
rituals, rules, traditions, and
taboos. We look at everything.
From the traders, to the trouble-
makers; the trendsetters, and the
tired-of-it-all types..
Completely captivating
cultural research
49. Hopefully something a little
bit more interesting
Anthropology interacts human-to-human,
and dismantles the limiting divide between
moderator-to-respondent
50. We challenge the
conventions of
commercial
research.
conventional research
strategies fail to address a
glaring problem: that people
don’t always do what they
say they do.
The delinquent?
51. Anthropology casts a wider
lens, the aim of which is to
acquire a deeper, more
thorough understanding
We speak through the
lens of Culture
Cultural research is grounded in close
observation:
casting our lens over lived
experience.
We take a phenomenological approach,
experiencing spaces, places, people, objects
as sensory and subjective.
52. 52
Throughrecognition of cultural difference,anopportunity rises toshakeofftheresults
ofuninformedassumptions/culturalprejudice[howeverunintendedthatmaybe].Ifdoneright,cultural
researchcanbridge cultural divides.Sharingstoriesofotherscanbuild a footpath tonot
onlytentativesteponto,butform a platform fromwhichwecanimmerse ourselves into
another world,viewingunknown practicesandbeliefsystemsofothersnotthroughscientific
instrumentsoftelescopeormicroscope,butthroughthe local lens ofourown eyes.
ETHNoGrapHY is dedicated to
celebrating CulTural diVErsiTY
53. 53
I “When I use a word,” Humpty
Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, “it
means just what I choose it to
mean — neither more nor less.”B
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you
can make words mean so many different
things.”B
54. Pain U&A Nigeria_Feb 2014
The he intimacy of
ethnography he
overcomes the
limitations of
conventional
research tools
{such as focus groups &
surveys}
55. Our method doesn’t rely on consumer’s
selective memory of their experiences.
Nor do we position our research within
the sterile and limiting environment of
the focus group or viewing facility
which we believe fail to capture the
real-life of consumers
- Something only witnessed by participating in these
lived-experiences.
We challenge
the
conventions of
commercial
research.
conventional research
strategies fail to
address a glaring
problem:
that people don’t always do what they
say they do.
56. “It is the obvious which is
so difficult to see most
of the time. People say
'It's as plain as the nose
on your face.' But how
much of the nose on
your face can you see,
unless someone holds a
mirror up to you?”
ISAAC SIMON
Ethnography isn’t a strange and
exotic technique. It’s a holistic way
of thinking about the world
58. We throw open
the doorı
of the artificial
v i e w i n g
facility
And cast our eyes on the real
world
59. If you want to understand. How
animals live, don’t go to the zoo, go
to the jungle Kevin Roberts @ Saatchi & Saatchi
Viewing people in
their natural
environment
Capture behaviour in context
Both metaphorically & physically putting ourselves in
their shoes. Viewing facilities make us spectators, viewing
our subjectss in a caged captivity. is a false relaity of
captivity, unlike the wilderness and ‘realness’ of the
jungle.
This also forces us to think on our feet, and not relying
on scripted
60. We believe it’s important to explore people
in their own context.
This means Interacting with them in
their natural
environment
The days of the captive audience are over
61. Page 61
We occupy different worlds and
behave differently with
different people, in different
moments, at different times and in
different places
63. “Anthropology sees the myriad
webs of complexity
life in the seemingly simple,
tracing lines of
connection that
stretch between person
and place
Anthropology is about we interact with, and process our world. It looks at the
activites of day to day life, as revealed in how we interact with people, places,
and things.
64. Recognition
of cultural
variability is
key to our
approach
ANTHROPOLOGYRESTSONBEINGCULTURALLY
OPENANDAWAREOFTHETHREATOF
Overlookingsubtleculturalnuances
andimposingmyownbeliefsystems
(howeverunintendedorimplicitthat
maybe]onanotherCULTURE
meansbeingopen:shakingoffpreconceptions,and
notmeasuringbyourownsetofpreconceivednorms,
orstandardsofbeing.It’simportanttorecognize
thelimitationsthatourownculturalbackground
maybear[oftennotconsciouslyaware],shakingoff
theconstraintsofourownsystemsofknowingand
beingopentootherculturalideals.
68. Ethnography is about discovery .
Context is the bigstest influencer on our thoughts, feelings, motivations and
behaviors.
69. Pain U&A Nigeria_Feb 2014
“Anthropology was
the science which gave her
the platform from which
she surveyed and beamed at
the world…she was a patron
saint of the peripheral.”
Jane Howard
70. 70
After all, we can’t quantify human
experience
Anthropology
Opens Up The
World
Cultural research is grounded in close
observation and casting our lens over
lived experience. We take a
phenomenological approach,
experiencing spaces, places, people,
objects as sensory and subjective.
Anthropology is grounded in difference. It
opens up the diversity of the world.
72. “It is confusing to say that
people share a culture, as if
culture were common
property. We may have
strictly identical amounts of
money in our respective
wallets without sharing any of
it.”
Pascal Boyer
We embrace the variety of
Human lives
makes me think, it makes
me imagine things.”
73. Respondents are powerful,
knowledgeable agents who
both shape and are shaped
by their communities and
environments. They are the
experts in the situation;
ethnographers enter the
field with open minds,
wanting to learn from them.
It’s also firmly based in
context and
collaboration
74. We inject life into
data into a living
breathing narrative
We look at how people and objects
intersect and interact in lived-
action, or performance. This
reflects a movement away
from thinking in terms of
immutable objects and singular
subjects, instead focusing
attention on collective
contexts.
We cannot ‘read’ data without
understanding the physical,
emotional, and psychological
environments where that data is
mined.
We also challenge the rigidity
and tidiness of consumer
segments, showing the variability
of relaity
75. People are
products of
their culture
But
Cultures are
not static, but
ever- changing
Culture is not static, it
doesn’t follow a template
or prescriptive
route. Seemingly minor , and
often overlooked factors can
have significant
implications on a culture.
76. Ethnographers are
there when day to day
life happens, both in
and out of the home..
being right
there means being
able to catch and
record fleeting
moments of a
product experience.
This is especially important in ‘new’ markets. Imposing
a standardized model fails to recognize the
complexity of other cultures. Even within ‘one’
market- e.g the middle East, a multitude of difference
& diversity. exists.
This is where our cultural expertise and skills
come in.
77. Anthropology doesn't depend on quick-fix
solutions and doesn't’t rely on the selective memory
recall of consumers. we don’t take
the easy way out. Our work is
conducted in the everyday environments of our
consumer. ; watching and
recording , how consumers live with
and use a product or service,
78. Recognition
of cultural
variability is
key to our
approach
ANTHROPOLOGYRESTSONBEINGCULTURALLY
OPENANDAWAREOFTHETHREATOF
Overlookingsubtleculturalnuances
andimposingmyownbeliefsystems
(howeverunintendedorimplicitthat
maybe]onanotherCULTURE
meansbeingopen:shakingoffpreconceptions,and
notmeasuringbyourownsetofpreconceivednorms,
orstandardsofbeing.
It’simportanttorecognizethelimitationsthat
ourownculturalbackgroundmaybear[oftennot
consciouslyaware],shakingofftheconstraintsof
ourownsystemsofknowingandbeingopentoother
culturalideals.
79. WHEN MAKING DECISIONS, WE MEASURE OUR DESIRE BY
OUR SOCIAL NORMS
But Culture is not static
Brands need to be able to anticipate cultural
change .tobeintunewiththeneedsoftheirconsumers,bothinthepresent
andinthefuture
Dynamic Shifting nature of it
means that it is impossible to measure it on a quantifiable csale.
80. Subtleties, nuances, unpredictability of pathways taken
Ultimately it’s about applying and changing ourresearch principles to tfix the culture: Whether an untapped market, anemerging economy, or the new culture of the internet
Vehicle of inspiring
change. To Compel action
To Engage and to Inspire our audience to
Participate
81. Going ‘into
the field’
Anthropology is about Discovery
Anthropology means going
out there: immersing ourselves in the real
worlds of our consumers, and integrating into
their value systems and cultural repertoire.
“It may be in the cultural
peculiarities of
people- in their oddities
that some of the most
instructive revelations
about what it means generally to be
human may be found”
Clifford GEERTZ, ANTHROPOLOGIST
83. Anthropology is about
Challenging Our
Sense of Perception
Anthropology means rethinking our
own standards and norms, and
insteadapproaching the field as an
opportunity for exploring and
excavating the less obvious. We
celebrate cultural diversity, seek
out the many strands of subtle
cultural nuances that make up a
culture
85. xxxx
This means looking at their values,
habits, routines, social
attachments and belief
systems as firmly entrenched in the
context of their culture
Ethnography is focused on
reality and on mapping lived
expeiences.
86. Ethnography is about discovery.
Can elicit moments that conventional research
can’t- looking at people’s real behaviour means
opportunities to observe things consumers may not
be conscious of.
88. Ethnography puts
people in context
studying
consumers’
lives and habits in
the places they
Actually Consume: - the
context of their culture
89. Pain U&A Nigeria_Feb 2014
ANTHropoloGY diVEs
into a culture and works from
the Roots Up.
Unlikeconventionalresearchstrategies,it’s
non-linear.Thismeansthatitlooksmore
widelybyexploringthecomplicatedinterplayof
differentworlds-cultural,political,religious,
interpersonal,etc,-andhowtheseareplayed
outineverydaylife.
90. Weshowyouthelivesofyourcustomershowtheylive,andwhatinfluencestheir
dailydecisions.Andbydismantlet.we dismantle the boundaries of
research in order to get a more compelling story and presentit
inamorecompellingway.
Stories propel us
and lead us
somewhere through the filter
of Culture
WHEN MAKING DECISIONS, WE MEASURE OUR DESIRE BY
OUR SOCIAL NORMS .it’s through culture that we are able to make
meaning from things.. Culture is essentially a set of relationships that people have
to people and places around them. It’s therefore an inescapable part of being human.
Anthropology is about
telling stories.
91. we also know that as humans, we are often contradictory-
without even being aware of it. For example, we often say
we do something [get up as soon as the morning alarm rings
at 6.30am] when the reality may be quite different [hit
snooze 4 to 5 times, before tumbling out of bed at
midday…], because we want to present a vision of the
human we want to be. Or we truly aren’t aware of these
discrepancies… or haven't really ever stopped to think of
the intricacies of daily activities [eg precise recall of
morning routines] we may not be aware of, or have the
tools to comprehend the ‘why’ behind the ‘how’/
93. How you look at
something is pretty much how you
will see it
Success in new cultures means being mindful of the
complexity of cultures. Speaking, seeing, interacting, and
Listening to new audiences means tapping into cultural
conversation
A Wider
Perspective
94. Ethnography excels by ‘telling naturally
compelling stories that
powerfully hook and absorb us
into that world -
95. The stories we ‘take from
the field allow
product design and
marketing platformsto be based on
the needs & desires of real people
But Our work doesn’t end with just
telling stories wemakethesestoriesactionable
96. Engagement &
Interaction lead to ecosystems, communities
Our work doEsN’T ENd wiTH JusT
telling sToriEs
{Tellingstoriesisn’tenough}
we make these stories actionable
97. 97
I wonder if I've been changed in
the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I
got up this morning? I almost think I can
remember feeling a little different. B
But if I'm not the same, B
the next question is B
Who in the world AM I?
99. Insights can then be used to adapt and
develop already existing brands or to offer
systematic guidance for new brands in an
unexplored market.
Ethnographic findings can be combined
with other forms of analysis &l data
for multifaceted insights.
To have strategic value, We want to gain a
comprehensive understanding of
relationships facilitated ; the core
need states that a thing fulfills & the
multiple ways in which consumers
interact with, and experience, a product,
place, or person
100. Pain U&A Nigeria_Feb 2014
brands
need to
respond to,
and ignite the
passions of a
community and
ultimately be
refreshingRevitalizing and
101. What compels in stories is their
characterization.
colors emerge
images are formed &
anticipation grows
with stories, something is
always bubbling
underthe surface.
we become curious.
We wait to see what will erupt
102. ethnography can help clients to
GET aHEad by delivering brands and services
t h a t h o l d e m o t i o n a l r e s o n a n c e
e m o t i o n a l
r e s o n a n c e a n d C u l T u r a l
TraCTioN.
for consumers. Ultimately this means
seamlessly contributing to consumers’ ever-changing
experience eco-systems
103. INsiGHTs HaVE a purposE,
aNd THErE arE MaNY waYs oF
usiNG CulTural rEsEarCH To
MEET THE sTraTEGiC dEMaNds
oF a Commercial CoNTExT.
104. :“I have a theory that the truth is
never told during the nine-to-five
hours. ” HunterS Thompson
