Gathering Audience Insight

What is it?

Not a tool, but a fundamental step in the innovation process. This page will give you an understanding of difference ways to understand your audience. 

When to use it?

Before developing anything new it’s essential to understand the people you’re creating it for. Every time you work through the innovation process make sure you start with the audience! Before starting any research, identify where you can find this information if it already exists. If you need different or specific insight,, consider which method is going to be most appropriate.

There’s not one way to collect audience insight, consider the following ways to speak to your supporters: 

Existing research, papers or information sources:

• Office for National Statistics

• Census data

• data.gov.uk

• Reports from other charities, NGO bodies and agencies - e.g., Massive's Top 25 Fundraising Events, Good Futures (by Good Innovation), Just Giving insight reports.

Internal sources of data/papers/reports:

• x

If you need to conduct your own research to understand your audience better, consider a combination of:

• Interviews - best for open questions and deeper understanding 

• Observation

• Focus groups - best for testing response to a new or existing concept than initially understanding an audience

• Survey - on platforms such as YouGov. Best for closed questions and quantitative data

• Online community 

• WhatsApp groups / diaries