The story behind how I hit 'post' on this post

Well it’s a long story which I have no plans of cutting short. So read on at your own peril- —this post might take a while, but I promise there’s a nugget of wisdom somewhere in there!

As a marketeer I have been a big fan of the 5 WHYs Technique while doing consumer home visits or 1:1 consumer interviews for brand diagnosis. Understanding your consumers isn’t just about knowing what they want—it’s about uncovering the deeper motivations, beliefs, and needs driving their behavior. I have found it to be a simple yet powerful tool to dig deeper beneath the surface and discover meaningful consumer insights.

The biggest breakthroughs I have had while working on new product launches or positioning communication campaigns have all come from qualitative dipsticks – interviews and focus groups where you go narrow and deep. While quantitative research goes wide enough and often feels actionable, qualitative techniques like the 5 WHYs are crucial to uncover—the 'why' behind the numbers, laying the foundation for strong product and comms briefs.

For the uninitiated, what is the 5 WHYs technique?

The 5 WHYs is an iterative questioning method originally developed by Toyota to identify the root causes of manufacturing problems. In marketing and consumer research, it’s used to uncover the emotional and psychological drivers behind consumer behavior. By repeatedly asking "Why?" you peel back layers of assumptions and surface-level answers to reveal the true insight.

Its quite straightforward to apply and use.

You start with a behavior or observation and keep hitting with WHYs until you strike gold —in this case, a rich consumer insight.

For example your observation is – Consumers are buying more houseplants.

Ask 'Why?' to Uncover the Deeper Reasons:

Why? Because they want to decorate their homes.

Why? Because plants make spaces look more vibrant and fresh.

Why? Because they want their homes to feel more comforting and natural.

Why? Because they’re spending more time at home and crave a connection to nature.

Why? Because they’re feeling disconnected and stressed in their digital, urban lives.

Core Insight:

Consumers aren’t just buying houseplants for decoration—they’re seeking emotional relief and a sense of calm in an increasingly stressful and tech-driven world.

The Magic of the 5 WHYs

This technique often leads to surprising places. That’s the magic of digging deeper—you often unearth frictions, tensions and conflicts you weren’t expecting. The insight becomes the solid starting point to deliver communications that really cuts-through or products that serve real consumer needs.

If you are still with me, you might be at this very point starting to wonder – what does this have anything to do with the story I originally promised to narrate... Well here it goes.

Recently, I applied the 5 WHYs method to uncover my own motivations and barriers and realized it’s also an excellent tool for self-reflection and personal growth. It helps uncover the root causes of emotions and behaviors, making it easier to take meaningful steps toward personal growth.

So how can you apply it?

For example if your observation or behavior is that you procrastinate on starting big projects. If you dig deeper you might discover a feeling of anxiousness about doing it well to the fear of failure. Digging deeper with another WHY, it could turn out that you tie your self-worth to success and value yourself only when you excel.

Once you have uncovered the core internal conflict, you can go on to take appropriate actions.

1. Reframe Failure: View failure as an opportunity to learn rather than a measure of your worth.

2. Break Tasks into Smaller Steps: Reduce anxiety by focusing on progress, not perfection.

3.Practice Self-Compassion: Celebrate effort, even if the outcome isn’t perfect.

And yes I used the 5 WHYs technique to hit ''post" on this post 😊

My identified behavior or rather lack on action: I procrastinate on starting my content journey on Linkedin

Digging Deeper:

Why? Because I feel anxious about doing it well.

Why? Because I’m afraid of failing (or worse, getting 3 likes and one awkward comment).

Why? Because getting 3 likes and one awkward comment feels like I’m not good enough

Why? Because I tie my self-worth to looking like I have it all together online

Why? Because I’ve always been praised for achievements well almost always (and let’s face it, everyone loves a gold star).

I procrastinated because I feared failure, but today - or more accurately just a few hours ago, I’ve decided perfection is totally overrated.

So here’s me, staring fear in the face and hitting "post." If you're reading this and got this far(liking it or not), congratulations—you're part of my personal growth journey and hopefully my innings on Linkedin as a content writer (and maybe my humblebrag experiment).

#personalgrowth #motivation #consumerinsights #branddiagnosis #5WHYs