S2Ep04: Creating Space to be Surprised with Kelly Garrett Zeigler

Paint & Pipette: The Art & Science of Innovation

While companies often approach consumer insights with a certain direction in mind, today’s guest believes strongly in the power of surprises. In this episode, we are joined by Kelly Garrett Zeigler who has two decades of experience in consumer insights, in a career that has spanned across organizations such as Mattel, Vans, Vanity Fair Corporation, and now Pearson. Kelly shares where this intention came from to want to be surprised despite having a direction in mind and explains that the best insights come from “messy humans”. She also talks about questions to drive consumer understanding, the importance of empathy, and the unexpected sensation that accompanies a true consumer discovery. For tips on how to construct a diverse constellation of collaborators, things you can do to establish an insights culture in your team, and some of Kelly’s favorite go-to resources and tactics to stimulate fresh thinking, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A creative achievement that Kelly is proud of: bathtub track sets for Mattel.
• The expectation resetting process that Kelly went through when doing this project.
• How the best insights come from “messy humans” and what she means by this.
• What questions Kelly asks to increase her likelihood of stumbling over a surprise.
• Why this product felt more like an obvious rediscovery than innovation.
• How this guilt from overlooking something obvious turns into passion that turns into action.
• How Kelly applied the same energy and approach to her job at Vans.
• Thoughts on how empathy is at the root of consumer insights.
• How Kelly negotiates the balance between interacting with the consumer and fulfilling the other job requirements.
• The challenge of figuring out what’s important to a consumer from a leadership perspective.
• The importance of acknowledging that the consumer is multi-dimensional.
• A tool, trick, or technique that Kelly is almost embarrassed about but works: Looking at photos.
• How logo clash has helped her figure out the role their product plays in the consumer's expression of their identity.
• How Kelly and her team communicate internally the surprises they find to then inspire actions.
• Why Kelly surrounds herself with people that are as different from her as possible.
• How she knows what’s different from her, and avoids blind spots in her diversity circle, personally and professionally.
• A few specific things Kelly has done to establish this insights culture on her new team.
• How Kelly sets goals for a team and knows that they’re on the right track.
• Resources Kelly recommends for anyone interested in insights: Futures Laboratories and WGSN.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kelly Garrett Zeigler on LinkedIn

Kelly Garrett Ziegler on Instagram

Mattel

Vans

The Future Laboratories

WGSN

Jeremy Utley

Marcus Hollinger