The Challenge: A Widening Generational Gap
Our client faced a quiet crisis. They were trapped in a paradox: visible but not vital, trusted but not desired. A failed attempt to reposition the brand had left them stuck, losing connection with the vital younger (30–45) demographic. The brand was ageing faster than its customers, and internal opinions on the path forward were deadlocked. One voice was missing from the debate entirely: the customer’s own — not as answers to a questionnaire, but as they speak when nobody is asking.
The Latenta Approach: Listening Before Asking
We designed a two-phase programme that put real customer voices front and centre — first unprompted, then in deptht.
- Phase 1: Customer Pulse We started where the truth lives: the open feedback customers volunteer in the public digital space. We analysed unprompted reviews on Trustpilot, Google Reviews and other platforms — for our client and their key competitors — alongside 80+ internal and market reports. This established who set the benchmark in the category, where our client led, and which gaps had to close. The most vocal customers spoke at the extremes: genuine delight with in-store service and staff, and sharp frustration with the online experience.
- Phase 2: Qualitative Deep Dive at Scale. The public voices told us where to dig; 500 in-depth conversational interviews — strategically segmented into Existing, Lapsed and Potential customers — told us why. This 360-degree view validated the unprompted signal and turned it into strategy.
Actionable Insights Delivered: The Unspoken Truths
- Insight #1: The Comfort Mandate. Across unprompted reviews and interviews alike, one truth was paramount: comfort and fit. Customers volunteered it without being asked — and competitor feedback showed no rival owned it. Not just a feature; an unclaimed benchmark.
- Insight #2: The Digital Front Door is Broken. The loudest frustration in the public feedback: an online journey riddled with pain points, from confusing messaging to limited payment options, actively inhibiting sales and eroding trust. Every one of them fixable — the quick wins were sitting in plain sight.
- Insight #3: Three Realities, One Brand. To Existing customers, a trusted friend. To Lapsed customers, an old acquaintance grown “boring”. To Potential customers, an uninspiring stranger. One brand, three conversations to win.
- Insight #4: The Family-Friendly Blind Spot. A core strategic goal of targeting “young families” was invisible in the market: fewer than 1% of respondents associated the brand with it — and the unprompted feedback never mentioned it at all.
The Strategic Impact: A Blueprint for Revitalisation
Latenta delivered a comprehensive blueprint to revitalise the brand and reconnect with a new generation:
Own a Defensible Niche: reposition as the market leader for Comfort and Fit — the need customers voice unprompted and no competitor claims.
Bank the Quick Wins: fix the highest-impact e-commerce pain points surfaced by the most vocal customers, turning the loudest source of frustration into a driver of growth within months, not years.
Implement Segment-Specific Strategies: tailored messages to reinforce loyalty, win back lapsed customers and attract new buyers.
Build an Authentic Family Brand: create family-focused in-store and online experiences that genuinely resonate — and this time, register.
Do You Know What Your Customers Say When You’re Not Asking?
Your most vocal customers — the delighted and the frustrated — are already telling you exactly what to fix and what to defend. Customer Pulse™ puts their unprompted voices front and centre, benchmarks you against your key competitors, and turns the extremes into your quick-win roadmap.
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