What really drives a printer purchase? It’s not just price and specs.

For HP, the answer lay beneath the surface, with emotional triggers and intuitive shortcuts that consumers couldn’t always articulate. That’s why they partnered with Suzy to explore the subconscious side of shopper behavior. The results are now reshaping how HP markets, messages, and builds internal alignment.

In a recent CMA/SIMA webinar, Giovanni Riggioni, HP Inc’s Customer & Market Insights Manager, joined Suzy’s SVP of Market Research, Laima Widmer, to unpack how his team used Suzy Speaks, our voice-driven, AI-powered research methodology, to go beyond what consumers say and uncover what they mean. Here’s what every brand can take away.

Consumers don’t shop like a spec sheet

HP knew that traditional surveys were capturing only the rational, surface-level reasons behind printer purchases. But they sensed there was more, especially in a high-consideration, often frustrating category. By tapping into both System 1 (intuitive) and System 2 (rational) thinking, HP uncovered powerful behavioral heuristics. One surprising insight? Many shoppers viewed printer purchases through the lens of emotional security: reliability, ease, and peace of mind trumped cost savings for many buyers.

Brand takeaway: Don’t just ask “what matters” - ask why it matters. Emotional drivers often beat rational ones in purchase decisions.

AI isn’t replacing researchers, it’s refocusing them

Suzy Speaks uses conversational AI-moderated research to analyze voice responses and uncover insights traditional methods often miss. But the real power isn’t in AI alone. It’s in the partnership between machine and mind. As Giovanni shared, having a “human in the loop” was critical for validating the findings, translating them into strategy, and helping internal teams connect the dots.

Brand takeaway: AI can uncover qualitative patterns at scale, but it still takes a skilled researcher to make those patterns actionable.

Insights are only as good as their story

HP didn’t stop at the insight. They built a playbook. Those behavioral heuristics were translated into messaging guidance, go-to-market strategies, and internal stakeholder education. According to Giovanni, seeing how insights shaped real business decisions was a game-changer for internal alignment.

Brand takeaway: Translate insight into action. If your research doesn’t travel across teams, it’s not doing its job.

Conversational research builds trust at speed

One major benefit of Suzy Speaks? The ability to validate hypotheses early and often. Giovanni noted how conversational research allowed for real-time pivoting and faster iteration on everything from product positioning to survey design. And it’s not just for one-off studies - HP is embedding this approach into their broader insights roadmap.

Brand takeaway: AI-powered qual shouldn’t be an afterthought. Make it a foundational input to your strategic process.

So what should brands do?

• Embrace System 1 thinking: Emotional and intuitive insights often drive behavior more than rational answers.
• Make AI your co-pilot: Blend machine efficiency with human interpretation for insights that land.
• Create internal playbooks: Help insights travel (and stick) across teams and functions.
• Use Suzy Speaks for depth at scale: Conversational research unlocks nuances that text surveys miss.
• Think fast and think deep: With tools like Suzy Speaks, speed and substance aren’t mutually exclusive.

The Final Word

HP’s shift from rational research to behavioral intelligence is a model for modern brands. In a world where consumers say one thing and do another, conversational AI helps decode the truth behind the purchase. And when insights get this deep, they don’t just inform strategy, they become strategy.

Watch the full session replay here.

Want to explore how Suzy Speaks can sharpen your insight edge? Let’s talk.