Growing Brands through Sensemaking

In today’s world of information overload, buyers and customers are overwhelmed. Whether they are shopping for enterprise software or consumer products, the sheer amount of content—research reports, reviews, blogs, and social media posts—creates more confusion than clarity. For brands, this poses a critical challenge: how can they stand out, guide their customers, and foster growth? The answer lies in adopting a sensemaking approach (Adamson 2022).

What Is Sensemaking?

Sensemaking, as defined by research, is about helping customers navigate and make sense of the information they encounter. It’s not just about providing more data (as “giving” approaches do) or dictating solutions (as “telling” approaches do). Instead, it involves guiding customers through their decision-making process by simplifying complexity, clarifying trade-offs, and co-creating frameworks for better understanding.

In the B2B space, for instance, studies have shown that sensemaking doubles marketing and sales effectiveness in comparison to other approaches. This happens because customers are empowered to organize their thoughts, resolve contradictory information, and confidently make impactful decisions.

How Sensemaking Differs From Traditional Approaches

To fully understand the power of sensemaking, let’s compare it to two traditional approaches: "giving" and "telling."

1. Giving: This approach inundates customers with detailed data, white papers, and other resources, assuming that more information equals better decisions. However, research shows that too much information often overwhelms customers, leading to analysis paralysis and delayed decisions.
2. Telling: Here, brands or sellers rely on their expertise, dictating what they believe customers should do. While it may demonstrate authority, it risks alienating customers who want to feel in control of their decisions.
3. Sensemaking: Instead of overwhelming or dictating, sensemaking offers a collaborative approach. It focuses on (1) curating the most relevant and actionable information; (2) simplifying complex data into digestible insights; (3) guiding customers through frameworks that enable them to make confident, independent decisions.

How Sensemaking Drives Growth

At its core, sensemaking drives brand growth in three powerful ways:

1. Higher Conversions: Customers are more likely to complete purchases when they feel confident in their choices.
2. Bigger Deals: Sensemaking fosters trust, enabling customers to take on larger, more complex solutions.
3. Deeper Loyalty: By acting as a trusted guide, brands build enduring relationships that go beyond single transactions.

Implications for Brand Management

Adopting sensemaking as a core strategy requires a mindset shift for brands. Here’s what it means for brand management:

1. Build Trust Through Transparency: In the sensemaking model, brands don’t hide their biases but instead acknowledge the limits of their expertise. For example, a brand might say, “Here’s where our solution works best—and where it may not be the right fit.” This candor fosters trust and loyalty.
2. Prioritize Customer Confidence: Customers who feel confident in their decisions are more likely to invest in high-value solutions. Brands can build this confidence by simplifying complex options, helping customers identify their priorities, and ensuring they feel in control of the decision-making process.
3. Focus on Advising, Not Persuading: Instead of crafting elaborate pitches, sensemaking brands act as trusted advisors. This requires understanding customers' challenges, curating meaningful insights, and empowering them to connect the dots.
4. Enhance Engagement With Strategic Content: Rather than producing more content, brands should focus on quality and relevance. Tools like decision frameworks, interactive assessments, and targeted case studies can help customers distill and apply the information they encounter.

How to Implement Sensemaking in Your Brand Strategy

To make sensemaking a core part of your brand strategy, consider the following steps:

1. Understand Customer Pain Points: Conduct deep customer research to identify where confusion or information overload occurs during the buying process.
2. Design Decision Frameworks: Create tools, guides, or workshops that help customers organize and prioritize information. For example, provide side-by-side comparisons or interactive decision-making tools.
3. Train Teams to Guide, Not Push: Equip sales and customer service teams with the skills to clarify, simplify, and collaborate. Encourage a Socratic approach: asking questions rather than dictating answers.
4. Leverage Technology to Monitor Progress: Use data analytics to track where customers encounter friction in their journey and refine your content and interactions accordingly.

Closing Thoughts

In a world overwhelmed with information, brands that embrace sensemaking stand out as beacons of clarity. By focusing on simplicity, transparency, and collaboration, they not only help customers navigate complexity but also create stronger pathways for growth. Sensemaking isn’t just a strategy—it’s a commitment to empowering customers in an increasingly noisy marketplace.