INSIGHT & INNOVATION

Learning from charities and their beneficiaries to do a better job for customers

There is untapped expertise amongst charities on issues of relevance to businesses and their customers. We call it social insight.

We use social insight to help businesses gain first-hand insight on vulnerable and underserved customers – and to innovate with empathy.

We believe that inclusive business means products, services and customer experiences that work for everyone. There are three main ways in which we support businesses to be more inclusive through social insight.

‘Critical friends’ workshops
This takes the internal product review process and adds a layer of insight from ‘critical friends’ – experts from the third sector who can help you to establish whether a product, service or customer experience is fit for purpose for certain customer groups.

Immersive innovation
This is a three-day innovation process with a significant twist: we run it in close collaboration with an expert charity and the people it supports.
It starts with a problem or opportunity around a particular customer group – such as older people struggling with technology or those with a long-term health condition – and ends with new approaches to developing products, services and customer experiences based on deep insight and an often visceral learning experience.

People panels
People panels are for testing or validating a product, service or approach with people who are affected by certain vulnerabilities and who have useful things to say.

Working closely with individual charities, we convene “pop-up” panels of up to 50 beneficiaries who are on hand for a number of weeks or months to answer questions, diarise key moments, share stories and test concepts.

You can learn more on our dedicated website for social insight – www.threehandsinsight.co.uk.

“What business wouldn’t want ‘critical friends’ as part of an innovation process to make sure its products and services are fit for purpose and wider reaching? Three Hands is expert at sourcing the right critical friends from the third sector and running a process that will benefit them, your business and your customers.”

Graham Precey, Head of Corporate Responsibility & Ethics, Legal & General

Insight & Innovation Case Studies

Innovation for older customers

12th February 2018

Understanding the pros and cons of digital banking for older people

Combine an ageing population with the digital revolution and drop in the fact that older people often represent an affluent customer base – and solutions are needed to ensure older customers are not being left behind by technology.

Product and Service Innovation

5th September 2017

Gaining insight on people’s experiences of cancer

The team responsible for life and critical illness products at Royal London was aware of the changing landscape of the cancer world, but wanted to learn directly from people affected – with a view to reviewing and developing their product range and enhancing customer experiences.

Vulnerable Customers

25th October 2016

Understanding customers and learning from charities

This project helped aimed to help Legal & General to identify customer vulnerabilities and ways of responding.