Introduction

We often hear clients express their desire to cultivate a culture of innovation—and it’s easy to see why. Innovation is a crucial driver of success and growth. However, many businesses stumble right out of the gate. The reality is, that you can’t foster a culture of innovation without first establishing a culture of experimentation.

As Markus Repetschnig, CEO of Admetrics, succinctly puts it, “…a successful outcome of an endeavor cannot always be known in advance. To fuel success, leadership must be ready to take risks, venture into the unknown, test ideas, and adjust the next steps according to market feedback. This exploration doesn’t guarantee success, but if done right, it will help steer the path towards it.”

Building and enhancing experimentation across an organization is a crucial step in advancing digital consumer intelligence (DCI). It’s one of the six key pillars outlined in the DCI Maturity Model, and it’s something we evaluate in our DCI Assessment to help organizations pinpoint their strengths and areas for improvement.

Starting with experimentation involves asking your organization a series of critical questions. For instance, what research methods do your teams use for consumer insights, and how frequently?

These questions—and, more importantly, answering them honestly—are the first steps on your journey toward becoming a truly innovative organization.

In this guide, we’ll explore what experimentation means, why it’s important, and how you can successfully advance in this area. We’ll also show you how it ties into the other five pillars of the DCI Maturity Model, demonstrating the areas where experimentation can make an impact and the factors that can influence your organization’s efforts.

Throughout the guide, we’ll draw on the expertise of Tristan Learmonth, Senior Solutions Consultant at Brandwatch. Tristan, who holds a distinction in Information Systems, has dedicated his career to developing solutions that help organizations use data and research to better understand their customers and potential clients.

If you haven’t already done so, we highly recommend taking our DCI Assessment to see where your organization stands.

Why does experimentation matter?

“Investing in research experimentation can make your business more agile,” Tristan notes. “It exposes you to new perspectives and offers the opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge and experience.”

Tristan’s emphasis on agility is particularly appealing to senior leaders and budget decision-makers. Innovative research methods are often faster than traditional approaches like focus groups and surveys, making them a win-win option.

Another advantage of adopting an experimental mindset is increased adaptability to change.

Tristan illustrates this with a recent example: “Many businesses had to quickly pivot their models during the Covid-19 pandemic. Those already committed to experimentation and innovation were better positioned to adapt and showed greater resilience.”

Experimentation often leads us to the broader topic of digital transformation. Tristan explains that “digital transformation is a cultural shift that requires organizations to constantly challenge the status quo, experiment, and embrace the possibility of failure.”

And there lies the challenge—failure. It’s a word that can cause hesitation among leaders, preventing them from fully embracing experimentation. To experiment, however, is to accept that failure is part of the process.

Unlock the potential of your organization by diving deeper into the guide. Continue reading to discover how fostering a culture of experimentation can drive innovation and growth. Learn practical strategies, expert insights, and actionable steps to build resilience and adaptability in a rapidly changing market. Access the full guide now to transform your business into a powerhouse of innovation.

• Introduction
• Why does experimentation matter?
• Different types of research methods to help your business experiment effectively
• Building a culture of experimentation: The four stages of maturity
  • 3. Digital consumer intelligence
• How does the experimentation pillar relate to the other pillars?
• Best practice for experimentation
• The Digital Consumer Intelligence Assessment

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• Free