Business Research Proposal: Optimizing FMCG Christmas Campaigns on TikTok

• Phase 1: Information Collection will focus on gathering data about consumer motivations and content preferences.
• Phase 2: Information Analysis will synthesize this data into a strategic playbook for your client.

Recommended Analytical Framework: Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) & The KANO Model

• Framework Teaching:
  • Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD): This framework helps us understand the real reason a customer "hires" a product or, in this case, a piece of content. Instead of just looking at what they watch, we ask what "job" that content is doing for them. For example, during the holidays, a user might "hire" a TikTok video to solve a job like "Help me find a quick, impressive dessert recipe for a party" or "Distract me from my family for five minutes." It focuses on the user's underlying goal and context.
  • KANO Model: This model is used to prioritize features by classifying them based on how they impact customer satisfaction. We will adapt it for content features (e.g., using a trending sound, featuring an influencer, having a contest). Features are sorted into categories:
    • Must-be: Basic expectations. If a video's audio is inaudible, users are dissatisfied. But clear audio doesn't make them more satisfied; it's just the minimum requirement.
    • Performance: The more, the better. For instance, a more helpful or clearer tutorial directly increases user satisfaction.
    • Attractive: Unexpected delights. These are the "wow" factors. Their absence goes unnoticed, but their presence creates high satisfaction and can make content go viral. A surprisingly heartwarming story could be an example.
• Applicability Explanation:
  • The JTBD framework is perfect for this problem because it cuts through surface-level metrics (likes, views) to reveal why certain content resonates during the Christmas season. It anchors our strategy in deep consumer needs.
  • The KANO Model is the ideal tool for the next step: tactical prioritization. Once we know the "jobs" users need done, the KANO model will tell us which specific content elements (formats, trends, styles) are merely expected versus which ones will truly delight and drive action. This combination ensures your final recommendation is both strategically sound (addressing real needs) and tactically sharp (investing in the right features).

Phase 1: Information Collection Plan

Part 1: Web Search

• Queries:

  • "TikTok trends Christmas 2024 forecast"

  • "FMCG brand TikTok Christmas campaign case studies"

  • "Most effective TikTok content formats for CPG brands"

  • "Gen Z and Millennial holiday season consumer behavior 2024"

  • "Analysis of viral TikTok Christmas campaigns 2024"

• Purpose of Web Search:
  • Identify Potential Formats & Trends: The search results will provide a list of currently successful and predicted future content formats (e.g., "Day in the Life," unboxings, tutorials, hashtag challenges) and cultural trends (e.g., "Kitschmas," nostalgia, self-gifting). This list is not the answer, but the raw material for our user interviews.
  • Understand Audience Context: Research on Gen Z and Millennial behavior will reveal their spending habits, priorities, and how they use social media for holiday planning. For instance, knowing they seek deals via social media helps frame the importance of conversion-focused content.
  • Gather Benchmarks: Case studies from other FMCG brands will provide insight into what has been tried before and with what level of success, helping us create more nuanced hypotheses.

Part 2: User Interview Plan

• Interview Subjects:
  • Actively daily TikTok users aged 18-35.
  • Recruit a mix of users who primarily use TikTok for entertainment and those who have actively searched for or purchased products based on TikTok content.
  • Ensure representation across different life stages (e.g., students, young professionals, parents of young children) as their Christmas "jobs" will differ significantly.
• Interview Purpose:
  • To uncover the underlying "Jobs-to-be-Done" that users hire TikTok content for during the Christmas season.
  • To test reactions to the content formats and trends identified in the web search, allowing us to populate the KANO model.
• Core Interview Questions:
  • To uncover JTBD:
    1. "Think back to last holiday season. When you found yourself opening TikTok, what were you hoping to accomplish or feel? Walk me through a few different scenarios."
       • Analysis Purpose: This open-ended question encourages storytelling and helps reveal the user's "job," such as "entertain me while bored," "help me find gift ideas," or "show me how to make my home feel festive."
    2. "Describe the most frustrating or stressful part of the Christmas season for you. Have you ever seen anything on TikTok that helped with that feeling or problem?"
       • Analysis Purpose: This question directly targets user pain points, which are the source of the most powerful "Jobs-to-be-Done." An FMCG brand can win if its content solves these problems.
    3. "Tell me about a time you saw a product on TikTok during the holidays and thought, 'I want that.' What was the video? What was it about that moment that made you interested?"
       • Analysis Purpose: This connects a specific content experience to the intent to purchase, uncovering the triggers for conversion.
  • To populate the KANO Model: For this part, you will present users with brief concepts based on your web search findings (e.g., "Imagine a food brand posted a video showing a 15-second 'snack hack' for a holiday party." or "Imagine a beverage brand made a funny, low-budget video with their employees about the stress of Christmas shopping.").
    1. "If a brand's content had this feature [e.g., a useful 'hack'], how would you feel?" (Provide a scale: I like it / I expect it / I'm neutral / I can tolerate it / I dislike it).
    2. "And if a brand's content did not have this feature, how would you feel?" (Use the same scale).
       • Analysis Purpose: This pair of questions is the core of the KANO analysis. By asking about the presence (functional) and absence (dysfunctional) of a feature, you can categorize it. For example, if a user "likes" its presence but is "neutral" about its absence, it's an Attractive (wow) feature. If they "expect" its presence and "dislike" its absence, it's a Must-be.

Phase 2: Information Analysis & Strategy Formulation

1. Synthesize Your Findings into Key "Christmas Jobs":
   • Group the interview responses from the JTBD questions into 3-5 core themes. These become the strategic pillars for the campaign. Examples might be:
     • Job 1: "Inspire me with simple, low-effort ways to be festive."
     • Job 2: "Help me find affordable gifts or hosting solutions that still feel special."
     • Job 3: "Entertain me with relatable, humorous content about the chaos of the holidays."
2. Build Your KANO Model & Prioritize Content Features:
   • Use the data from your KANO-style questions to plot each content format and trend on the KANO matrix.
   • You will now have a clear hierarchy. For example, you might find that "Authentic, low-fi video style" is a Must-be (polished ads are disliked), "Quick tutorials/hacks" are a Performance attribute (the more, the better), and "Partnering with an unexpected, niche creator" is an Attractive attribute (a delightful surprise).
3. Connect JTBD with KANO to Build Your Strategy:
   • This is where insight becomes action. Map your prioritized KANO features to your key "Christmas Jobs."
   • For each "Job," ask: "Which 'Attractive' and 'Performance' features from our KANO analysis best help the consumer accomplish this job?"
   • Example: To address the job "Help me find affordable solutions," you would combine KANO findings like Performance features (e.g., "videos that clearly show the price" or "how-to tutorials") with Attractive features (e.g., "a creative 'hack' that makes a cheap product look expensive"). This delivers a specific content recipe.
4. Develop the Final Deliverables:
   • Recommended Content Formats: Based on the step above, you can now confidently recommend 2-3 content blueprints. For each, define the "Job" it serves, the key message, the KANO features it must include (e.g., must use a trending sound, must be under 30 seconds), and the call-to-action (e.g., "Shop the link in bio," "Share your own holiday hack").
   • Measurement Framework: Propose KPIs directly tied to the "Job."
     • For a job like "Entertain me," success is measured by engagement metrics: View-through Rate, Shares, Comments.
     • For a job like "Help me find solutions," success is measured by conversion metrics: Click-through Rate on product links, Saves, and use of promo codes mentioned in the video.