Doing Consumer Ethnography
From Scanning to Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36782/jobmark.v1i2.486Keywords:
Scanning, Observing, Translating, Enlightening, InnovatingAbstract
Consumer ethnography has emerged as a critical approach for gaining a competitive edge in today’s dynamic market by prioritizing the authentic understanding of consumers’ natural behaviors and contexts. This article aims to formulate a systematic ethnographic methodology tailored to consumer behavior, designed for practical application in branding and marketing as well as academic use for students and scholars in branding and marketing communications. Employing a narrative review method, the study synthesizes existing literature to propose a clear, step-by-step ethnographic process encompassing scanning, observing and documenting, interviewing and chatting, interpreting and analyzing, and finally, presenting and learning. The review culminates in discussing the implications of these ethnographic steps for branding, marketing, and business innovation, emphasizing a subsequent transformative process of translating insights, enlightening stakeholders, and developing innovative products or programs. This article contributes novel value by bridging the gap between deep consumer understanding and actionable innovation, offering a vital reference amid the current widespread demand for innovation across industries. By grounding innovation in ethnographic insights, consumer ethnography ensures that new products and programs are innovative, deeply relatable and relevant to the end users, thereby enhancing the likelihood of market success and sustained consumer loyalty.
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