12: Pioneering More Impactful Ways to Engage the People You Serve

At Creative Realities, we take great pride in our leadership and innovation—especially when it comes to creating more meaningful ways to engage The People You Serve throughout the innovation process. Our journey to better understanding began in the early 1990s, when we recognized a critical shortfall: traditional focus groups simply weren’t delivering the impact our clients needed for innovation.

In response, over the years, we pioneered CoLabs™, ConceptLabs™ and EmpathyLabs, breakthrough approaches that collaborate with The People We Serve and challenge the status quo.

CoLabs™ -- Created to Engage the People You Serve in more powerful ways

As far back as 1993, we were recognized for pioneering more impactful ways to engage with the People You Serve when The Wall Street Journal spotlighted our innovation in their article “Marketers Come Out from Behind the Mirror.” As the headline suggests, we turned the model inside out—inviting a select group of clients into the room to interact directly with their consumers, while still being expertly facilitated by the Creative Realities team. At the time, this was unheard of. Critics warned that “respondents will shade their comments to please the clients.” Rubbish. What actually happened was profound: clients finally engaged with the people they served. Freed from the distractions of back-room snacks and two-way mirrors, they gained insights that sparked fresh, inspired thinking.

ConceptLabs™: Insights That Refine, Not Reject

From there, we introduced ConceptLabs™, a revolutionary approach to qualitative concept testing. Unlike traditional methods that often shut down ideas prematurely, ConceptLabs™ were designed to foster innovation -- to illuminate what’s working, what isn’t, and why, and not to throw a good idea "out with the bathwater".

They separate the core idea from the words, images, or formats used to express it. Using a methodology we call Open-Minded Evaluation (OME), teams uncover deeper truths about both message and meaning—paving the way for enhancement rather than elimination.

EmpathyLabs: Context Is Everything

Next came EmpathyLabs, inspired by the emerging practice of Empathy Mapping. Too often, clients want to jump straight into reactions to the product or service—“Love it or Hate it?” But opinions and behaviors don’t occur in a vacuum. They emerge from the rich context of people’s lives: what’s happening in the world, in their families, and in their personal journeys.

Our EmpathyLabs process builds on traditional empathy mapping to facilitate innovation with a dynamic, three-step experience—anchored by images respondents submit in advance as “homework,” each image representing their personal answers to key empathy-driven questions. These visuals then serve as powerful conversation starters during the Labs, deepening insight and emotional connection from the very start.

First, we explore the broader life context in which people are making decisions. Then we delve into their emotions and unmet needs within the category. Finally, we examine the specific pains, gains, and cultural buzz surrounding the brands and services we’re researching. Whether in-person or virtual, we continue to include clients directly—sometimes observing from a distance, other times jumping into the conversation.

The result? Deeper understanding, emotionally resonant insights, and internal champions who become passionate advocates. Even when only video excerpts are shared later, it’s always the EmpathyLab participants who speak up first—emphasizing just how powerful it was to truly connect with the people they serve.

Want to learn more how EmpathyLabs can deepen your insights and those of your team? Reach out for more information, to discuss an opportunity you have or subscribe below to stay in the loop.