Identify signs of the next demand and turn them into hypotheses.
-- Trend Insight Analysis
The signs have already been spoken of. They just haven't been found yet.
We analyze the volume and context of posts from social media and survey data to formulate hypotheses for the next move.
There are signs that it might be happening, but there's no conclusive evidence.
"We're going around in circles with the same ideas as last time."
No clues for the next concept are emerging from regular internal discussions or from simply continuing along past lines.
"There are countless candidates. I can't decide which one to make the main focus."
I want to change the way I approach my message. That's what I'm thinking, but I don't have the information to choose from.
"I monitor social listening every day, but my judgment remains unchanged."
All you see is a one-off viral moment, which doesn't translate into media buying or creative decisions.
Several candidates have been proposed. It's impossible to decide which one is the real deal.
Is it just one person's annoying voice, or is the market truly starting to move? Without a clear answer to that question, internal consensus cannot be reached. While the decision is being postponed, opportunities slip away.
Why can't we grasp market trends?
Only the options provided can be measured.
Once the options are listed, anything outside of them disappears from view. Movements that no one has yet named are not included in the questions.
It's deep. However, I don't know how many servings it is for.
One person's story has context. However, it's impossible to verify at that moment whether it represents the entire market.
Speech is collected. Simply counting it doesn't give any meaning.
It's easy to count how many times it's been mentioned. But simply listing the numbers won't tell you what that means.
What's missing isn't data.
Signs of demand are already flooding the market as spontaneous consumer utterances. These are genuine, unfiltered voices, spoken when no one asked them. What's missing is an approach to analyze this vast amount of text not as individual points, but as a unified "statistical structure" (connections between topics). That's where trend insight analysis comes in.
How to interpret tens of thousands of utterances
"Quantity" is used to assess certainty.
This study will focus on tens of thousands of spontaneous statements from social media, news articles, and blogs. It will deal with words written when no one was listening, rather than responses to a survey.
Read the meaning in "context".
Instead of looking at the frequency of keyword occurrences, we examine what is being discussed and in what contexts (occasions). The target keywords are designed to match the industry, target customers, and research theme.
Never abandon one person's voice.
We then examine the topics that have emerged numerically by returning them to actual conversations. We try to identify the individual behind each topic. Only after seeing this can we formulate a course of action.
A must-read for professionals who understand "marketing execution."
This isn't a system that simply processes data and then stops there. Strategic planners and marketing researchers work together with consultants to manage projects. Our scope extends beyond simply submitting findings; we consider it to be the process of translating those findings into concrete strategies.
Is that buzz a "significant sign" or just "transient noise"?
The key is not to be swayed by a single viral trend or a small number of loud accounts.
We organize tens of thousands of utterances into meaningful units. What we then examine is not how much of each word was spoken, but rather what words are linked together and the strength of those connections, measured statistically.
Topics that only briefly become popular are not discussed alongside other topics. What remains are topics that repeatedly emerge from separate contexts. These are signs of reproducibility.
"Why can we believe in that sign?" How many times has it appeared, and in how many different situations has it emerged? It is only by clearly presenting the supporting evidence that it becomes a solid basis (evidence) for decision-making that moves the organization.
What remains after the report?
The following are examples of deliverables we have provided so far. What we leave behind depends on how it will be used. The combination will vary depending on the project, and not everything listed here will necessarily be included, nor will only what is listed here be included.
Analysis Report
We select the perspective based on the objective. When are these memories recalled? What are the unspoken frustrations? How are they perceived? The structure will change depending on how the questions are framed.
Personas based on preference characteristics
It's not about age or gender, but rather what they like and in what situations they talk about it that defines their character.
Keyword classification and ranking
Identifying which words belong to which group and how strongly they are connected will serve as the starting point for setting the next theme.
Topic Map
This diagram shows what belongs to which group and how it is connected to other groups. It's a blueprint of the entire utterance. It's not just about reaching a single conclusion, but also serves as a starting point for deciding where to delve next.
You can start with one theme.
Trend and insight analysis can be completed as a standalone endeavor. You can focus on a specific theme, begin the analysis, and arrive at an answer to a single question.
At the same time, the hypotheses found here also serve as the starting point for the next stage. The hypotheses that have emerged,Examining the mechanism of brand selection (CMM)The verified mechanism,Leading to investment allocation decisions (MMM)When designing through exploration, verification, and allocation, trend and insight analysis is the first step.
