What the anthropologist can do for your business

< Go to blog overview

More and more companies are employing anthropologists to make sense of customer experience data to inform decision making. What specific tools does the anthropologist bring to the table to realize the full potential of your data and advance your business?

Systemizing your data through ‘coding’

Today there is more customer experience data available than ever before. But without putting customer statements and actions into systems, you cannot draw any conclusions from it. Through the practice of ‘coding for patterns’ (the process of revealing similarities across rich data sets) the anthropologist fills a gap between data and the generation of new business ideas.

Unlocking business opportunities through actionable insights

While everybody can produce findings by describing data (e.g. ‘The customers find the entire flow smooth’), it is the revealing of the reason behind the data that leads to the insight (e.g. ‘as there are no complex steps involved in the navigation’). Only by addressing the ‘WHY’ in consumer research can you detect the pain-point, which you can then remove for your customers. This research technique of combining descriptions of a given situation with information about why the information is relevant, is at the heart of the anthropological discipline and can help you unlock new business opportunities.

Bringing data to life through story-telling

Sharing insights and ideas requires communication and storytelling skills that ensure the insight is well understood and easy to deploy. Anthropologists are excellent storytellers by profession: It is primarily through writing that anthropologists report the results of their fieldwork. At UserTribe we consider reporting a science that is tremendously important not only to inspire decision-making, but also to inform and align internal stakeholders in a more engaging and understandable manner.

In sum, turning data into something useful is not easy. While new technology and business intelligence software can help you manage your data by storing everything in one place, you need skilled practitioners that know how to turn data into actionable insights. At UserTribe we have built a global network of customer insight specialists, certified in anthropological research methods, who can assist you manage your data by turning your customers’ feedback into insights that are easy to implement and act upon. UserTribe acts as a gateway for businesses to overcome the challenge of making the most of their customer experience data.

Want to know more – contact Sarah Sejer, Specialist Community Manager at UserTribe here.