Business Research Proposal: Uncovering Decision Drivers for a Vintage-Inspired Jewelry Brand

Recommended Framework: Customer Journey Mapping + Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD)

Framework Teaching:

• Customer Journey Mapping: This framework visualizes the entire experience a person has with a brand, from initial awareness to post-purchase loyalty. It's typically broken into stages (e.g., Awareness, Consideration, Purchase, Retention). For each stage, we map the customer's actions, feelings, pain points, and key touchpoints with the brand. This creates a narrative of their experience.
• Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD): This theory posits that customers don't just buy products; they "hire" them to do a "job" in their lives. This job is the progress they are trying to make in a specific context. It could be functional (e.g., "accessorize this outfit"), but more often it's emotional or social (e.g., "help me feel more confident at this event" or "signal my appreciation for heritage craftsmanship").

Applicability Explanation:

Key Information to Collect:

• The specific stages and touchpoints in the jewelry discovery and buying process.
• The pain points and frustrations customers experience with current options.
• The functional, social, and emotional "jobs" women are hiring jewelry for.
• The specific product details (e.g., antique finish, resin color) that connect to these "jobs" and influence their willingness to pay.
• The language and stories that resonate most deeply with their sense of identity and personal milestones.
• Distinct differences in journeys and "jobs" between EU and US consumers.

Part 1: Information Collection

A. Web Search Plan

• Search Query 1:

  vintage jewelry trends 2025 fashion blogs US EU

  • Purpose: To validate and expand on your initial research. This will provide insights into emerging micro-trends and aesthetic language being used by influencers and style leaders, which is crucial for the "Awareness" stage of the journey map.
• Search Query 2:

  customer reviews sustainable jewelry brands EU

  and

  customer reviews statement jewelry brands US

  • Purpose: To gather unfiltered customer feedback on competitors and adjacent brands. Look for praise (what they value) and complaints (pain points) regarding product quality, price, and brand story. This is direct input for both the JTBD (what job is the jewelry failing/succeeding at?) and the journey map (where do frustrations occur?).
• Search Query 3:

  Gen Z jewelry unboxing experience TikTok

  and

  jewelry styling Instagram Reels

  • Purpose: To understand the digital and post-purchase experience. The "unboxing" moment is a key part of the modern customer journey. How do customers present their new items? What kind of storytelling gets the most engagement? This informs the "Purchase" and "Loyalty" stages.
• Search Query 4:

  ethical jewelry certification EU

  and

  made in USA jewelry standards

  • Purpose: To understand the tangible proof points behind claims of "sustainability" and "quality." Your EU customer is price-sensitive but values ethics; your US customer is willing to invest in quality. Knowing the specific certifications or production standards helps translate these abstract values into concrete product features and messaging.

B. User Interview Plan

• Interview Subjects:
  • Primary Group (8-10 interviews): Women aged 20-35 who have purchased metal jewelry over €100/US$100 in the past 6-9 months. This group is essential for mapping a recent, relevant purchase journey.
  • Secondary Group (4-6 interviews): Women in the same demographic who actively follow jewelry/fashion accounts online but have not made a recent purchase. This group is key to understanding barriers to purchase and unmet "jobs."
  • Segmentation: Ensure a near-equal split between EU and US participants to draw out regional differences. Further segment between ages 20-27 and 28-35 to capture different life stage priorities (e.g., early career milestone vs. student self-expression).
• Interview Purpose: To gather rich, story-based data to build out the Customer Journey Map with emotional depth and to define the core, social, and emotional Jobs-to-be-Done.
• Core Interview Questions:
  1. "Tell me about the last time you bought a piece of jewelry for yourself. What was going on in your life at that moment?"
     • Analysis Purpose: This is the master question. It encourages a story, revealing the context and the initial trigger (the "Job" beginning to surface). The "what was going on" part uncovers the connection to personal milestones or emotional needs.
  2. "Walk me back to before you bought it. How did you first get the idea to look for a new piece? Where did you start looking?"
     • Analysis Purpose: This maps the "Awareness" and "Consideration" stages. It identifies the touchpoints (e.g., Instagram, a friend's compliment, a specific event) that initiate the customer journey.
  3. "As you were looking at different options, what made some pieces stand out? What made you dismiss others?"
     • Analysis Purpose: This helps identify specific aesthetic preferences and product details that drive consideration. It reveals the "hiring criteria" for the JTBD. You can probe here about the importance of materials, brand story, and price.
  4. "Describe the moment you decided, 'This is the one.' What was that like? What were the final steps to making the purchase?"
     • Analysis Purpose: This pinpoints the emotional climax of the "Purchase" stage. It also reveals potential friction points in the checkout and payment process.
  5. "Now that you have it, when do you wear it? How does it make you feel?"
     • Analysis Purpose: This helps validate the JTBD. Does the post-purchase feeling align with the pre-purchase "job"? It also provides language for marketing messaging by mirroring the customer's own emotional outcomes.
  6. "When you hear words like 'authenticity' or 'sustainability' regarding a jewelry brand, what specifically comes to your mind? What proof would you look for?"
     • Analysis Purpose: This translates vague marketing terms into concrete customer expectations. It tells you whether "sustainability" means recycled metals, ethical labor, local production, or something else entirely.

Part 2: Information Analysis

How to Synthesize Data to Achieve the Final Output:

1. To Define Customer Personas (EU vs. US):
   • Process: Go through your interview transcripts. Instead of grouping people by age, group them by their Jobs-to-be-Done. For example, you might find a "Milestone Marker" persona (buys jewelry to celebrate achievements) and an "Identity Expresser" persona (buys jewelry to complete a style narrative). These are more powerful than simple demographic clusters.
   • Application: For each persona, write a one-page summary including their core JTBD, their key pain points, and the brands they admire. Use real quotes from the interviews. Differentiate the EU vs. US versions of these personas based on your findings (e.g., "The EU Ethical Milestone Marker" vs. "The US Bold Identity Expresser").
2. To Map the Purchase Journey:
   • Process: Create a visual diagram or table. The rows will be your key personas. The columns will be the journey stages: Awareness, Consideration, Purchase, Post-Purchase.
   • Application: For each persona, fill in the cells for each stage using your data.
     • Awareness: Where did they get the idea? (e.g., "Saw a TikTok trend," "Friend's recommendation").
     • Consideration: What did they do? (e.g., "Searched for 'chunky gold chains' on Google," "Read reviews of 3 brands"). What were their pain points? (e.g., "Couldn't tell the quality from photos," "Shipping costs were too high").
     • Purchase: What was the final trigger? (e.g., "A 15% off coupon," "Loved the 'about us' story").
     • Post-Purchase: What did they do? (e.g., "Posted an unboxing video," "Wore it to a wedding").
3. To Uncover Emotional Triggers & Effective Messaging:
   • Process: Re-read the interview answers to "How does it make you feel?". Look at your JTBD analysis. The "job" is the trigger. The feeling is the outcome.
   • Application: Create a "Messaging Matrix."
     • Column 1: Job-to-be-Done (e.g., "I need to feel professional but unique for a new job.").
     • Column 2: Emotional Trigger/Desired Feeling (e.g., Confidence, individuality, sophistication).
     • Column 3: Resonant Language (Use direct quotes: "I wanted something that felt like a 'modern heirloom.'").
     • Column 4: Brand Message (Translate this into marketing copy: "Your modern heirloom. Crafted for the moments that define you.").
4. To Identify Key Product Details Affecting Willingness to Pay:
   • Process: Review interview notes where participants discussed what made them choose one piece over another or what they felt was "worth it." Cross-reference this with web search data on what competitor reviews praise.
   • Application: Create a prioritized list of features. For each feature (e.g., "Antique finish," "Verified recycled brass," "Geometric lines"), note the persona it appeals to most and whether it's a "must-have" or a "nice-to-have." This directly informs the product development and pricing strategy. If EU customers repeatedly mention they'd pay a 10% premium for certified ethical production, that is a direct strategic recommendation.