What the clients really want…

Understanding what customers want is essential in the communications field. This helps us to better respond to their request! The collection of information is fundamental before beginning the creative process; this can also help avoid frustration while working on the project, which may not be under the very best of conditions.

It is therefore essential to ask some fundamental questions, such as the famous rule:

• Who?
• What?
• When?
• Where?
• How?
• Why?

Defining objectives may seem easy, except when customers do not really know what they want, as can happen in many cases.  Therefore, it is important to ask the right questions to clarify their needs and desires in order to reach the goal with precision.

After an initial assessment, we can focus on “the customer of our clients”, the end users; in another words those to whom the communication is intended. It is critical to find cohesion between the wishes of our customers and the expectations of their target audience. Take into consideration the brand universe, which is sensitive to the consumer. This is key in setting up a solid and long-lasting communications strategy. A social audit is a good way to identify user desires and also to match them with the client’s objectives (communication) with the wishes of the user.

The collected information enables us to be aware of the territory, the history and limits of the brand as well as the public we are trying to target. This information gives us the substance to inspire and develop a creative brief. Thanks to a list of keywords we can build on solid foundations and begin the project in the best conditions.

Have you ever tried this method? If so, what results did you obtain?