As marketers, our job is to understand what makes consumers tick. We’re always searching for new ways to tap into the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere. After all, that’s how we tell stories that convert people into taking an action.
At Experiences For Mankind, our strategy team is honing in on research methods that identify the stories a brand’s audiences will resonate with most. Since gaining deep expertise in cultural anthropology, we’ve also gained a new perspective on how this discipline can create much more impactful marketing campaigns.
Why anthropology?
Broadly speaking, anthropology is the study of what makes us human and includes things like our culture, biology, and linguistics (1).
One of the largest subfields, cultural anthropology examines how culture and meaning are formed among groups of people. In academia, this can mean studying rituals around marriage or the behavior that dictates group dynamics.
Cultural anthropologists are focused on uncovering hidden cultural meanings. Whether it’s through focus groups, interviews, or fieldwork they use a unique perspective called ethnography. This approach to research provides a deeper understanding of the implicit beliefs, values, and practices that influence human behavior.
Marketers and consumers: The ultimate influencers working together
When marketers use ethnography to understand modern audiences, they help brands tap into hidden cultural meanings that will resonate with audiences. All across the industry, we’re starting to see marketing strategies that integrate ethnography catching buzz. Take the “Raise Your Arches” campaign for McDonald’s that went viral despite never showing a Big Mac or any of the restaurant’s food.
Through ethnographic observations the strategy team behind the campaign discovered emotional cues from customers that fueled the creative to new heights. During interviews, the facial expressions that customers made when speaking about McDonald’s ultimately translated into the ad’s fun eyebrow raise — a subtle nod to the brand’s famous golden arches.
It’s not just in creative campaigns like the McDonald’s spot where ethnography has a chance to shine. Companies like Intel have implemented ethnography all throughout their organization. Their user experience team consists of over 100 scientists and designers that travel the world studying how people use technology in public and at home. Through field work, Intel has gained a more nuanced view of consumers and their needs, which in turn is shaping the next generation of tech product innovations.
By understanding the totality of complex human experiences, ethnography gives companies the ability to reflect deeper insights into the marketing and products that shape the cultural world consumers live in. This co-creative process between consumers and marketers leads to shared meaning that helps people connect with brands.
Finding the key to meaningful marketing through anthropology
Through marketing efforts, agencies and marketers continue to shape our world together. By studying the cultural influences that shape consumer-focused marketing efforts, anthropology makes the creative outputs more meaningful and helps brands connect with their audiences in deeper ways. At Experiences For Mankind, we’re defining how anthropology and ethnographic perspectives can improve the way we engage with our clients and connect consumers with their brands.
Buzzwords to remember:
- Anthropology: The study of what makes us human. This includes things like our culture, biology, and linguistics.
- Cultural anthropology: A sub-field of anthropology that specifically studies how culture and meaning are formed among groups of people.
- Ethnography: A social science research method that examines how beliefs, practices, and worldviews are shaped by culture.
- Co-creation: The process of collaborating with audiences to shape marketing initiatives.
