By Paula Catoira, Rival Technologies
Customer experience remains a key differentiator in today’s competitive marketplace. However, it can only be achieved by truly understanding customer needs—a challenge many companies continue to face. According to Gartner’s CMO Leadership Vision for 2025, “58% of customers say companies don’t understand their needs and preferences.” This gap underscores the importance of using modern, customer-centric tools to bridge the divide and deliver the experiences customers expect. As a marketing leader, I’m hyper-aware of the importance of personalization and agility. This means brands need smarter tools to truly understand and engage their customers.
Modern insight communities, which consist of proprietary groups of consumers who have agreed to provide ongoing feedback, have emerged as a powerful answer, helping businesses not just hear their customers but deeply understand them. By fostering ongoing, real-time connections, these communities enable brands to build trust, drive loyalty, and uncover actionable insights. On the marketing side, this goes beyond gathering data and helps us create meaningful customer relationships. This, in turn, translates to measurable business outcomes.
The key? A more conversational, human-centered approach that prioritizes authentic engagement, that provides a human touch and builds emotional connection between the brand and the customer.
Why customer centricity matters
Customer expectations are higher than ever. Research from McKinsey shows that 71% of customers expect personalized experiences, yet fewer than 30% feel brands deliver. This gap isn’t just about missed opportunities; it’s a direct threat to brand loyalty and long-term success in a marketplace that’s nothing if not crowded.
Closing this gap requires more than just listening—it demands making customer feedback integral to decision-making. Modern insight communities provide a way to embed customer voices seamlessly into business strategies, delivering insights that are timely, actionable and iterative.
The evolution of Insight Communities
Traditional insight communities, while useful, have struggled to keep up with modern needs. Relying on outdated tools like email surveys or static participant portals, they frequently face low engagement and diminishing returns.
For years, CMOs have focused on perfecting customer experience across touchpoints like websites, physical stores, and customer service channels. Yet, one critical brand interaction has been overlooked: research itself. Often treated as an afterthought, research relies on outdated tools that fail to match the modern standards of seamless and engaging experiences. This disconnect not only hampers insights but also risks diminishing the trust and loyalty that customer-centric strategies aim to build.
Modern insight communities have rewritten the playbook. By adopting mobile-first, conversational approaches, these communities align with how people communicate today—texting, chatting, and sharing. For me, as a CMO, I’ve seen this approach not only offers richer data, but also provides the opportunity to connect with customers on their terms. It is a dynamic interaction that fosters authenticity, making the research process not just engaging but enjoyable. It feels less like “research” and more like a genuine dialogue. Additionally, by blending quantitative surveys, qualitative feedback, and even video responses into one seamless experience, the right insight community can deliver deeper, richer insights.
Real-time engagement: A game changer
Speed is everything as the world around us moves at a lightning pace. Modern insight communities engage customers where they already are—on their mobile devices—and capture feedback in the moments that matter. Whether it’s reactions during a shopping trip or immediate impressions after using a product, this real-time engagement delivers unparalleled accuracy, context and relevance.
Mobile-first approaches also excel at connecting with underrepresented groups, such as younger and multicultural audiences, who often feel left out by traditional research. Studies even show that people disclose more detail when using smartphones, unlocking deeper insights that help brands make better decisions.
What to look for in an insight community
Not all insight communities are created equal. To maximize their value, businesses should seek communities with these key features:
- Real-time feedback: Ensure the community captures in-the-moment insights through mobile-first tools like SMS notifications, increasing both accuracy and immediacy.
- Conversational design: Look for platforms that mimic natural communication styles, like texting or chatting, to foster authentic and comfortable interactions.
- Diverse recruitment: Use both traditional methods and innovative approaches—like social media, QR codes, or integration with customer databases—to include a wide range of voices.
- Integrated research formats: Choose communities that blend quantitative, qualitative and even video methods seamlessly, incorporating interactive exercises for richer insights.
- Actionable outputs: Seek solutions that provide dynamic, easy-to-use deliverables, ensuring insights can drive immediate business impact across your organization.
Customer centricity: A business imperative
Customer centricity is no longer a buzzword—it’s a survival strategy. Modern insight communities empower brands to go beyond surface-level feedback, fostering authentic connections that build trust and loyalty. They’re not just research tools; they’re essential to understanding and serving customers in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
Anyone in marketing knows that the brands that thrive are those that adapt. Insight communities offer the agility, depth, and authenticity needed to stay ahead of the competition. The question isn’t whether you can afford to invest in customer centricity—it’s whether you can afford not to.
About the Author
Paula Catoira is the Chief Marketing Officer at Rival Group, the parent company of Rival Technologies and Reach3 Insights. She has over 20 years of experience in marketing and over a decade in the B2B SaaS industry. Prior to joining Rival Group, Paula worked as Chief of Staff for the CEO at Allocadia, leading strategic projects across the organization, advancing the company’s growth, and laying the foundation for a successful acquisition. As CMO at Rival, Paula is responsible for driving go-to-market strategy and execution, leading the marketing, sales development and revenue operations. Paula holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and industrial engineering and an MBA from IBMEC in Brazil.
