Most things called "consumer insights" aren't insights. They're observations. There's a difference, and it matters for strategy.
Observation
"Consumers want healthy snacks that taste good."
That's an observation. It's true. It's also useless. Everyone knows it. It leads nowhere specific.
Insight
"People choose snack brands not by reading ingredient labels but by imagining what kind of person eats that brand."
That's an insight. It reveals a tension. It suggests a strategic direction. It tells you where to focus.
The test
An insight has three qualities:
- It's surprising. You didn't know it before, or you knew it but never articulated it
- It creates tension. It reveals a gap between what people say and what they do
- It's actionable. It points to a specific strategic move
If your "insight" is something every competitor could also claim, it's an observation.
Strategy built on observations is generic. Strategy built on real insights is ownable. That's the difference between a position and a micro-monopoly.