MarTech Interviews Tricia Houston, VP of Discovery & Design at KS&R

MarTech Series is an online publication that provides influential connections that increase demand and brand impact. The publication interviewed Tricia Houston, KS&R Vice President of Discovery & Design, about redefining market research, immersive learning, and streamlining your martech tools.

Hi Tricia, tell us about yourself and your role at KS&R. We’d love to hear about marketing and brand growth learnings over the years as well.

Sure, thanks for chatting with me! I’m an experiential marketer and classically trained market researcher. Through my work, I aim to demystify research by redefining how it’s conducted and applied. A specific focus of mine is helping brands prepare to serve their users versus persuading users to come to them. Persuasion has its place, but you can rely on it less when you shore up your interactions so well that folks simply want to return.

At KS&R, my role is leading our Discovery & Design practice. We integrate design thinking and experience research into workstreams supporting a range of industries, and we partner with our marketing sciences team (DSI) to create unique methods for quantification as part of the innovation or experience design process.

Day-to-day, my team is conducting interviews, facilitating workshops, on-site doing observations, creating surveys, or drafting activation plans. Our work is very mixed-method.

How can modern marketers today enhance their processes using insights from real-time behaviors? What should they do more of to break down insights from behaviors more cohesively?

Go out and experience / observe themselves! While digital is powerful, let’s not forget to gather insights from live interactions.

So often, we can get disconnected from the products, services, and experiences we sell…especially the digital ones. Do a competitive audit with your team. It can provide a solid foundation for further exploration of the individual insights you have along the way.

• Optimize physical product and packaging by hosting an Opening Party
  • Purchase your product and competitive ones… invite the team and open them together
  • Also good for getting photos made that can be used in research or internal docs
• Iterate services and experiences by seeing them with fresh eyes
  • Create a simple form for folks to follow and assign them to complete a visit or sign-up for your offering as well as a competitor (don’t be afraid to think outside your competitive set!)
  • Have them bring someone along who does not work for your company – friend, previous co-worker, kids, partner, etc.
  • Document any gaps or opportunities either of you see along the way

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About KS&R

KS&R is a nationally recognized strategic consultancy and marketing research firm that provides clients with timely, fact-based insights and actionable solutions through industry-centered expertise. Specializing in Business Services, Telecom, Entertainment & Recreation, Healthcare, Retail & E-Commerce, Technology, and Transportation & Logistics verticals, KS&R empowers companies globally to make smarter business decisions. For more information, please visit www.ksrinc.com.