You know when someone says to you out-of-the-blue and in a truly meaningful way: “Thank you – that work you did was utterly superb.” That the delivery. The sincerity,. The unexpected and voluntary nature of the message means it is genuinely meant and sincerely appreciated on the giver’s part? That’s the feeling we want to …

We’re looking for more who are willing for us to visit them for an hour or so. We want to see where you work, hear what you do and understand your average day. What do you enjoy? What are your goals? Where can we help?

Above: The turtleneck twins on the most recent Watch Me Think school trip

The exciting stuff often starts with Unilever. Look at IIex this week and see how many of the presentations start with someone talking with Unilever. It hasn’t happened by accident – they’ve developed a system that enables that.

In literally every example we’ve seen where clients have done any of these steps, no matter the category or country, it has delivered enormous benefits.

This is a very large petard. And a lot of people are making some elementary handling errors (let’s be charitable).

The objective, of course, is easy copy and easy clicks. For this industry, it’s terribly tabloid, and likely to prove pernicious.

The consumer’s lack of desire to find out the real stories generally means that they can be taken for a massive ride.

The Consumer Closeness Toolbox is a 12-month subscription to a near continual stream of consumer-made video insights, trend-unpacking, and free-rein feedback options with the consumers themselves.