How Does Curiosity Show Up in Your Brand’s Culture?

Think about your workplace… 

…Are you surrounded by colleagues who are curious by nature? 

…Is asking “why?” part of the company’s DNA? 

…Or maybe, curiosity is something that is only triggered by specific events?

Curiosity can exist as both a trait and a state, in individuals and in brands. What’s the difference?

• A trait is a relatively stable attribute (bold, kind, generous)

• A state is a situational response (afraid, shocked, delighted)

Within the workplace, we see both trait curiosity and state curiosity. For example, you might have a direct report who reads anything they can get their hands on (exhibiting trait curiosity), and a co-worker who is curious why the blue bag is selling through at three times the rate of its green counterpart (exhibiting state curiosity).

Knowing how curiosity manifests in your brand’s culture can be useful when trying to gain approval and funding for your research projects.

In corporate cultures where curioisty is a TRAIT, you will likely not need to spend much time convincing stakeholders about “why” research in general is beneficial, but you might have to demonstrate why your question should be prioritized. 

If your brand has more STATE curiosity than trait curiosity, you should be sure to connect your project to a specific situation (falling sales, the entry of a new competitor, an aging consumer) when seeking approval. 

So take a minute and consider this question: what do you see more of trait curiosity or state curiosity? How are you tailoring your approach to meet your brand’s curiosity culture?