Studying the ordinary

Here is an interesting talk that reminded me of what my boss once told me when I used to work in Advertising: "If research findings are really interesting, they probably aren't true; and if they're true, they probably aren't that interesting."

And because of the above point, most of us feel compelled to 'go to the edges' to find interesting things to say and stories to tell about the lives of consumers our clients are trying to create new and better things for. Few of us are very good at seeing the ordinary and making it into powerful, never told before, stories and meanings. We are afraid of telling clients things they might already know. So we take the juicy stuff from the edges. I've seen it done, and presented as representative research!

Anyway, enjoy the TED talk.