Empowering Voices: FFIND transforms listening into winning marketing strategies

In today’s business landscape, listening to and understanding the needs of your customers and monitoring how you are perceived compared to other market players is crucial. It is the core of a winning strategy that helps maintain a competitive advantage and build trust with customers, nurturing mutual confidence. At FFIND, we not only guide our partners in doing this with our services, but we have also chosen to embark on a value-driven journey in this direction of listening and growth.

How did we do it? By putting into action our daily routine: listening and collecting voices and opinions! A simple yet revolutionary practice that not only fuels our business strategy but represents the very essence of our commitment to customers.

“Empowering Voices” is not just the beating heart of our corporate manifesto; it is a philosophy that permeates every aspect of our work. And now, with pride, “Empowering Voices” also becomes the title of our blog’s new editorial format. Through this platform, we want to further elevate and amplify the voices within FFIND, giving space and resonance to the diverse perspectives and stories that characterize our community and industry.

2023 was a crucial year for FFIND, marked by significant business growth and a growing focus on recognizing the value of human connections. We are proud of this success because it stems from an approach meticulously centered on active listening to both potential and existing customers. Through in-depth interviews, FFIND has been able to thoroughly understand customer needs, both professionally and personally. We explored FFIND’s perception compared to key competitors, acquiring crucial information to shape our brand strategy, including defining Buyer Personas and creating our brand’s Positioning Map.

Coordinated by FFIND’s marketing department and under the expert guidance of Global Marketing Director, Riccardo Tumminello, the project also benefited from the support of Barbara Galli, a renowned International Professional Coach and emotional intelligence expert with over two decades of experience in the market research sector.

Understanding the target and its needs: FFIND’s approach

Barbara, let’s talk about defining buyer personas. What aspects do you consider to cluster your target in a B2B context?

Barbara Galli: When defining the target, it is essential to remember that it consists of real people with expectations and needs. They are the shopkeeper next door, the desk neighbor, the dentist we go to, with their habits, dreams, constraints, relationships, and fears. Understanding the social and psychological dimensions of the people making up the target is crucial to engaging them meaningfully.

From a psychological perspective, how important is it to understand the target and its needs, both personally and professionally?

Barbara Galli: The need to be understood in psychology is associated with the human need for social connection and meaningful relationships. It arises from our social nature and the search for validation, acceptance, and understanding from others. When this need is not met, it can generate feelings of isolation, frustration, or low self-esteem. This, in turn, can lead to a decrease in interest, trust, and loyalty towards the brand, negatively influencing business relationships and the company’s reputation.

Let’s talk about concrete needs. With your extensive experience in market research, could you outline the main needs of industry operators that FFIND, as a provider, can satisfy?

Barbara Galli: There are many aspects to consider; it’s a complex and richly detailed world! Let’s focus on a few:

• Deep understanding of customer needs: Identifying the true “pain point” of customers is crucial. This approach not only demonstrates our respect for them but is also fundamental for generating results that have a real and significant impact.
• Transparency on resources, time, and costs: Maintaining clear communication about time and budget constraints is vital to ensure that expectations are aligned and the project is effectively managed, avoiding misunderstandings or delays.
• Curiosity and adaptability: Being open and curious about new methodologies and technologies is essential to remain competitive. However, it is equally important to balance innovation with practicality, choosing solutions that truly align with the specific goals of the research.

How does the need to define buyer personas emerge in FFIND?

Riccardo Tumminello: Traditionally, the B2B world is perceived as something rigid and abstract. However, it is crucial to recognize that behind every company, there are real people with concrete needs. By understanding these people, we can offer solutions that effectively address their needs, thus establishing authentic and lasting connections. For this reason, at FFIND, we decided to go beyond the usual separation between B2B and B2C, adopting a more human-centric approach, which we call H2H, or Human to Human.

Could you share more about what you mean by “Human to Human”?

Riccardo Tumminello: The H2H approach represents an evolutionary response to how purchasing experiences are transforming, largely due to technological advancements. These developments have made goods and services more accessible to everyone, regardless of their role as individual consumers or corporate representatives. This method intensely focuses on empathy, seeking to understand the needs, emotions, and expectations of customers to create a connection that goes beyond purely commercial aspects. Each customer is treated as unique, with solutions tailored to adapt the purchasing experience to the individual, making it more relevant and engaging. Our storytelling-based approach reflects experiences and values often shared with our buyer persona, making our brand more authentic and relatable to customers. Lastly, active listening to feedback allows us to respond quickly to changes in customer needs, continuously improving the experience. All these elements make our H2H approach a comprehensive marketing strategy, centered on humanity and capable of building deep and meaningful connections.

Does the brand assessment work only conclude with the definition of the positioning map and buyer personas?

Riccardo Tumminello: Absolutely not. We, experts in the field of market research, should be the first to stay continuously updated and conduct constant research. This approach is essential to develop and maintain an effective marketing strategy that not only limits itself to defining buyer personas but constantly renews the customer experience to adapt to their ever-evolving needs.

The brand is the representation of our company to the outside world, our showcase to the world. Consequently, it is essential to create an experience that envelops our products, not only meeting the needs of customers but also communicating our values and the essence of our company. In conclusion, our goal at FFIND goes beyond the product; we seek to create emotional and deep connections with our customers, integrating values and emotions into the heart of our brand. As the marketing manager, my commitment is to inspire authenticity and connection, strengths that I consider essential for the enduring success of any company.