A story read, a story heard: Finding the consumer voice in product experience
Dr Ansie Collier
06 Aug, 2024 | 4 minutes
Do you ever find yourself engrossed in an audiobook or a podcast? Or perhaps you cherish those moments when your children tell you everything about their day as you prepare supper? If you’ve ever felt that listening to a story is a different experience than reading it, you’re right! It’s not just a different medium, it’s a different interaction with our brain.
When we listen to a story, our attention sharpens. Our brain releases cortisol, a chemical that focuses our attention. But that’s not all. Our brain also releases oxytocin, a hormone associated with feelings of empathy, connection, and care. This is why stories told through voice have a unique power. They don’t just relay facts and data, they allow us to connect with the message on a deeper, more meaningful level that builds understanding, making the information more memorable.
This is as true for an audiobook as it is for consumer research. At MMR, we’ve been harnessing the power of voice by integrating voice capabilities into our chatbot surveys and end-to-end chatbot engagement studies.
There is something a little magical that happens when you hear the consumer’s actual voice. The authenticity of a single spoken response draws us in, immersing us in the consumer’s world in a way that feels tangible and real.
In one recent case, a consumer shared more about their love for the toothpaste they use. The enthusiasm in their voice was remarkable:
It's like creamy smooth, I can't think of any other way to explain it but that's exactly it, it's creamy, it's smooth…
It's a refreshing creamy smooth taste, cool mint flavor, leaves no strong aftertaste in the mouth, but it's very, very refreshing.
This is absolutely sensational. It’s a beautiful taste, perfect texture, smooth to the touch, on the gums. It is just one of the best I've ever used in my life.
- 63-year-old male, UK
The honest authenticity of this listening experience sparks more vivid imagery, suddenly we feel more engaged, more connected. There is a richness in their language, revealing a more holistic understanding of their world. And we have indeed found that that those who respond using voice share up to three times more words with us, covering a wider range of interconnected topics.
Importantly, this story also reveals a sensory product experiences that both delivers and delights. And it is in this opportunity to delight, surprise, satisfy, enchant… that a product becomes more than form and function. Uncovering insights like this is at the heart of our passion for designing and building winning product experiences. It reminds us how the best product experiences enrich people’s lives every day.
And that is why voice matters. In the context of product experience research, voice offers us a way to step closer to the lived product moment by offering elevated access to -
Authentic richness: Allowing consumers to express themselves authentically, revealing nuances and connections related to the product experience that might otherwise be missed.
In-the-moment insights: A deeper understanding of the preferences, motivations and frustrations at play in the moment of truth, the moment of product experience.
Human connection: Hearing a voice creates a personal connection, fostering empathy and understanding, bringing us and our clients closer to the people behind the numbers.
Moreover, offering voice as a response option represents a significant step towards greater accessibility and inclusivity in research. Voice removes barriers to research participation and in turn gives us access to the diversity intrinsic to the product experience itself.
And so, as data gets a voice, we can only gain greater insight into the holistic consumer experience of life as lived and felt in the product moment, in the moment where product transforms into an experience as memorable as those stories shared over supper time.