Business Anthropology
at Labs
Thinking about problems anthropologically encourages us to ask bigger questions about our customers, our products or services, and our world. It invites us to see patterns of consumption differently, by analysing why people consume things through understanding how they attach meaning to objects or relationships, what ideals and expectations they create about the world through buying, and how they navigate their personal identities through their consumption habits. At Labyrinth Behaviour Collective, or Labs, we use social science to unearth ‘human’ insights about consumption today.
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What is Business Anthropology?
In its simplest form, business anthropology is the use of anthropology, its theory, and methods to study organisations, marketing, consumer behaviour, and design. We use the practice of business anthropology to understand who customers are, how people interact with specific products and services, and how people experience the buying journey.
As a research division of Demographica, we conduct standalone research for both business-to-business and business-to-consumer brands, by applying the thinking and methods of business anthropology to solve problems, identify potential value, and conduct business more sustainably by thinking about the longevity of the consumer experience.
What is ethnographic research?
Ethnographic research is a form of highly qualitative, immersive research that allows us to see the world of the customer from their perspective. Anthropologists conduct semi-structured, conversational interviews and immersive (in context) observation. Alongside this, anthropologists obtain their data through engaging with consumers and brand stakeholders to understand how culture, social networks, power, rituals and beliefs affect buy-in, both internally and externally.
Using ethnographic research is less about looking for hard facts, and more about exploring what it is like for the consumer (be it a business buyer or a retail consumer) to engage with a product or service. It helps us empathise with the experiences they have, and design campaigns, product developments, and social realities around those experiences.
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