Roderick McNealy from ANA: What differentiates a marketer is his ability to discover real consumer insights

Roderick McNealy, Director of McNealy Advanced Communications and member of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Faculty, thinks there are two critical topics in marketing: positioning and insights. “Get these two right and you have gone a tremendous way in differentiating your brand, organization or persona in an age of sameness. Yet many organizations and individuals either fail to master these concepts or mistakenly believe they understand them when they really don’t” he added.He also highlighted that most marketing teams think they know what insights are, but they often confuse them with data or with “faux” insights. “What differentiates marketers is their ability to discover real consumer insight. And these insights are never about products or services. They are not wants or needs. They are the things that wake you up in the middle of the night. They are the messages that speak directly to consumers and their psyche” he ended.