/09-customer-insight-global

name: 09-customer-insight-global
description: "Use when the user needs to understand customers deeply enough to write copy and pick targeting — consumer versus shopper, JTBD, layered persona, internal monologue, pain map, objection list, journey map, and a customer language bank pulled from real reviews and DMs. Trigger on 'customer insight', 'buyer persona', 'who is my customer', 'what do they actually want', 'jobs to be done', 'why do they hesitate before buying'. Also use when the user cannot explain who the product is for. Not for — intake questions when an agency signs a new client, see `20-client-intake-brief-global`; paid audience targeting setup, see `51-audience-research-global`; competitor study, see `08-competitor-research-global`."
metadata:
  version: 2.5.1
  category: strategy
license: MIT
  language: en
triggers:
  - "customer insight"
  - "buyer persona"
  - "customer profile"
  - "audience research"
  - "persona"
  - "customer journey"
  - "JTBD"
  - "jobs to be done"
output: A .md file with detailed personas, insights across 4 funnel stages, JTBD framework, customer journey map, and behavioral segmentation
related:
  - 08-competitor-research-global
  - 00-marketing-plan-global
  - 05-ad-copy-global
  - 02-campaign-brief-global
  - 04-video-script-global

Customer Insight (Global)

Information Gathering

Ask up to 4 questions before starting:

1. **What is your product / service?** (Industry, price tier, market geography) 2. **Who are your current customers?** (Gender, age range, typical price point, channels they discover you) 3. **Do you have customer data?** (CRM data, comments/inbox, reviews, surveys — share if available) 4. **What's the goal of this insight work?** (Content writing? Ad targeting? Repositioning? New product launch? Service improvement?)

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Consumer vs Shopper Distinction

The buyer is not always the user, and the user is not always the decision-maker:

| | **Consumer (User)** | **Shopper (Buyer)** | |---|---|---| | Definition | Person who actually uses the product/service | Person who pays for it | | Cares about | Experience, results, feelings | Price, convenience, value-for-money | | Decides based on | "Will this work for me?" | "Is this worth the cost?" | | Example (Skincare) | The person whose skin gets treated | Their partner / parent paying | | Example (Course) | Student | Parent paying tuition | | Example (Kids' toys) | The child | The parents | | Example (B2B SaaS) | End-user employee | Manager / Procurement |

Identification Questions

• Are Consumer and Shopper the same person?
• If different: who influences the purchase decision? Who shapes the experience?
• Which audience should content target? (Often both — but with different angles)

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4-Stage Insight Framework

Each funnel stage produces a different kind of insight:

Stage 1 — Awareness (They don't know they need it yet)

| Element | Detail | |---------|--------| | State | Problem unrecognized, or aware but no solution sought | | Internal question | "Isn't everyone like this?" / "Should I do something about it?" | | Barrier | Problem feels normal, no trigger to act | | Content needed | Pain triggers, education, problem framing | | Effective channels | TikTok (reach), Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, blog SEO | | Example insight | "They notice their skin is worse but blame the weather — never think 'skincare routine'." |

Stage 2 — Consideration (They are comparing)

| Element | Detail | |---------|--------| | State | Problem accepted, evaluating options | | Internal question | "Which is better?" / "Is this worth it?" / "Who has tried it?" | | Barrier | Too many options, fear of wrong choice, missing info | | Content needed | Comparisons, reviews, case studies, process explainers, FAQs | | Effective channels | Google Search, YouTube reviews, communities (Reddit, Discord, niche forums), email | | Example insight | "They read 5 reviews but still hesitate — because they fear being upsold by a sales rep." |

Stage 3 — Conversion (What pushes them to buy)

| Element | Detail | |---------|--------| | State | Decision made, needs final nudge | | Internal question | "Buy now or wait?" / "Any deals?" / "Where do I order?" | | Barrier | Cost concerns, regret risk, complex checkout | | Content needed | Offers, urgency, strong social proof, clear CTA, friction removal | | Effective channels | Messenger/WhatsApp 1:1, landing pages, retargeting ads | | Example insight | "They are ready to buy but need spousal sign-off — send them shareable info to forward." |

Stage 4 — Retention (Why they come back, or don't)

| Element | Detail | |---------|--------| | State | Has bought/used — deciding whether to return | | Internal question | "Is it worth continuing?" / "Is something better out there?" / "Anything new?" | | Barrier | Forgetting, no reason to return, mediocre last experience | | Content needed | Follow-ups, exclusive value, loyalty program | | Effective channels | Email nurture, SMS, in-app, VIP community | | Example insight | "They liked the service but don't return because nobody reminds them — they need a reason, not just a discount." |

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Jobs To Be Done (JTBD)

Customers don't buy products — they "hire" them to get a "job" done.

3 Layers of JTBD

| Layer | Definition | Question | Example (Skincare) | Example (Marketing course) | |-------|-----------|----------|--------------------|---------------------------| | **Functional** | Practical task to complete | "What do they need to do?" | Clear acne, cleanse skin | Learn how to run paid ads | | **Emotional** | Desired feeling | "How do they want to feel?" | Confident, well-cared-for | Calm, not afraid of mistakes | | **Social** | Image they want to project | "How do they want to be seen?" | Beautiful, professional | Skilled, modern, successful |

JTBD Template

When [situation / context],
I want to [action / solution],
so I can [desired outcome],
and feel [emotional reward].

**Ex