Reimagining Consumer Insights: When Ethnography Meets AI

At IIEX North America, our presentation with Riviter explored how combining ethnographic video research with AI-powered social visual analytics uncovers deeper insights about consumer behavior and decision-making.

Bringing Together Depth and Scale

Our approach integrates the Lens Library’s 10,000+ ethnographic videos with Riviter’s analysis of more than 750,000 social media posts. This combination creates a knowledge pyramid where human understanding forms the foundation, trend analysis builds the middle, and transformative insights emerge at the top.

Key Insights: Nuanced Patterns in Value Perception

Our research uncovered fascinating patterns in how people categorize and emotionally connect with purchases across different contexts within the Luxury/Value/Budget classification framework.

Universally Value: Mobile Devices

Mobile devices emerged as a category where consumers balance practical and emotional considerations. Participants frequently described their phone purchases as “value purchases” that blend budgeting concerns with luxury elements.

Social media analytics showed year-over-year increases in specific attributes:

• 94% increase in cost-related discussions
• 97% growth in references to aesthetic value
• 31% rise in mentions of longevity considerations

Universally Luxury: Self-Care

Self-care was universally recognized as a luxury, though with dramatically different definitions. For some, luxury meant professional spa treatments; for others, it meant a simple coffee ritual.

Social analytics revealed significant year-over-year growth:

• 108% increase in explicit luxury associations
• 85% growth in references to simplicity in self-care
• 51% rise in mentions of coffee as a self-care ritual

Consumers consistently expressed that self-care represents moments of “self-validation,” “dignity,” and “permission” to prioritize personal wellbeing.

Universal Budget: Workout and Work Clothing

Workout clothing and work attire—particularly for remote workers—were areas where consumers across demographics consciously economize.

Social media analysis confirmed this trend with year-over-year increases:

• 81% more mentions of cost considerations for workout clothing
• 63% growth in budget-conscious discussions about work attire

Purchase Nuance: Emotions and Experiences

What makes our findings particularly valuable is how they illuminate the emotional dimensions behind purchases. Our research reveals that the same purchase classification evokes distinctly different emotions and experiences across consumers.

Budget purchases are associated with feelings of practicality and resourcefulness, often expressed through DIY home projects and informal social gatherings. Value purchases generate pride, confidence, and security, commonly shared through meal planning and strategic shopping hauls. Luxury items trigger joy, anticipation, and self-validation, frequently presented in contexts that balance glamour with purpose.

This emotional mapping provides brands with critical insights beyond traditional demographic segmentation, allowing messaging that resonates with consumers’ experiences rather than assumed preferences.

The Future of Consumer Insights

By combining the rich context of ethnographic research with the scale of social analytics, we gain insights that neither approach could deliver alone. This blended methodology transforms how we understand decision-making across diverse audiences and opens new frontiers for brands seeking to connect authentically with consumers in an increasingly complex market.

We invite you to join us in this evolution of consumer understanding. Connect with us to discover how this integrated approach can transform your brand strategy and customer connections.

To learn more about our innovative research methodologies, contact info@sociallensresearch.com.