The Friday Morning #130: Insight & A New Way of Thinking
Tubudd’s The Friday Morning #130 welcomed Ms. Hoang Ha An, CMO of Lily Eyewear & Founder of Haan Group, who shared a refreshing perspective on insight as a mindset, transforming how we market, sell, and connect.
Last Friday, Tubudd hosted Ms. Hoang Ha An, CMO of Lily Eyewear and Founder of Haan Group, in our Friday Morning series. Her talk explored “insight” not just as a marketing tool, but as a mindset that reshapes how we understand people and build meaningful connections.
A Journey Beyond Traditional Paths
A Journey Beyond Traditional Paths
When people imagine the career path of a CMO, they often picture a straight line: a marketing degree, internships, promotions, and eventually a leadership role. Ms. Ha An’s journey was nothing like that. Starting out as a makeup artist during her third year of university, she chose a path that prioritized learning by doing rather than following a pre-set academic script. Her philosophy was simple: good makeup starts with good skin, so she immersed herself in skincare and spa training. That pursuit of deeper understanding led her to open her first small spa, a 30-square-meter space that was always full of customers.
From there, opportunities unfolded in unexpected ways. She ventured into the beauty industry with Innisfree, then moved into content creation and production, later becoming an intern at an agency, and eventually handling client accounts. Each transition was driven not by titles or credentials but by curiosity and a strong desire to solve real problems for people. With the support of mentors, she founded her own agency, Haan Agency, and later expanded into wellness with Minispa, one of the first private spa concepts in Hanoi.
Her message was clear: career success is not determined by the school you attend or the major you choose, but by how well you understand yourself and your customers. Insight, in her view, is not just about identifying a target audience but about recognizing unspoken needs and aligning your work with them. This approach allowed her to grow businesses in different fields while staying true to a consistent principle—always deliver real value.
Redefining Insight
During her talk, Ms. Ha An encouraged the audience to think differently about the word “insight.” Too often, we treat it as a technical term in marketing—something to uncover through data reports or customer surveys. But she emphasized that true insight is multi-layered. It is not simply knowing what people say they want, but understanding what they need, even when they cannot express it directly.
She illustrated this with a personal story. When she once needed a visa urgently, she turned to an agency despite knowing her chances were only fifty percent. What she was really looking for was not just speed or affordability—her deeper need was trust. She wanted reassurance and honesty, qualities that no statistics could capture. This example showed that behind every purchase decision, there is often a hidden emotional driver.
According to her, the job of a marketer—or anyone working with customers—is to peel back these layers. It means asking different questions, listening more carefully, and going beyond surface-level assumptions. Insight is not fixed; it evolves with people’s experiences and contexts. A young professional just out of college will not have the same concerns as a single parent or a retiree. Building accurate customer portraits requires attention to demographics, lifestyle, and the subtle cues that reveal deeper motivations.
The most powerful insights, she argued, are often the ones we do not even know we are missing. They live in the category of “unknown unknowns.” This is why continuous reflection and dialogue are critical. By engaging openly with customers and colleagues, we can discover blind spots and expand our understanding.
From AIDA to 3DS
From AIDA to 3DS
One of the most thought-provoking parts of her talk was the comparison between the traditional AIDA model—Attention, Interest, Desire, Action—and a newer framework she called 3DS: Difference, Demand, and Distinction.
AIDA has been the backbone of marketing strategies for decades. It emphasizes grabbing attention, sparking interest, creating desire, and pushing customers toward action. While effective in certain contexts, Ms. Ha An pointed out that this approach often leaves customers feeling pressured. In today’s world, where audiences are more skeptical and defensive toward advertising, the AIDA model can sometimes backfire. Instead of building trust, it triggers resistance.
The 3DS framework shifts the focus. It begins with Difference, identifying what makes you stand out. Next is Demand, which means understanding the genuine needs of your customers. And finally, Distinction, ensuring your solution is uniquely positioned in a way that resonates. Unlike AIDA, which is largely about pushing messages, 3DS is about listening, aligning, and co-creating value with customers.
She shared a striking example from a KFC campaign. Conventional wisdom suggested pregnant women avoid fried food. But KFC discovered an insight: many women craved fried chicken after giving birth, associating it with comfort and reward. By tapping into that overlooked need, the brand created a campaign that felt authentic, empathetic, and memorable.
This example highlighted how the 3DS model can uncover surprising angles and connect with audiences on a human level. It reminded us that marketing, sales, and even everyday communication are most effective when grounded in empathy and trust.
Lessons to Take Away
Lessons to Take Away
The session closed with reflections that extended beyond marketing. Insight, as Ms. Ha An framed it, is a universal skill. It applies not only to how we treat customers but also to how we interact with colleagues, family, and even ourselves. By paying attention to what lies beneath the surface, we can build stronger relationships and make better decisions.
She encouraged us to adopt a mindset of continuous curiosity. Instead of assuming we already know what people want, we should ask again, listen again, and observe more carefully. She also reminded us that insight is not about proving ourselves right but about being willing to be challenged, even by our own assumptions.
Another powerful message was about trust. When customers doubt a product or service, no amount of hard selling will convince them. The harder we try to prove ourselves, the more skeptical they may become. Trust is earned not through words but through knowledge, honesty, and consistent action. By addressing the hidden layers of doubt and offering reassurance, we can shift relationships from defensive to collaborative.
Finally, she underlined the importance of aligning insight with purpose. Whether in spa services, eyewear, or agency work, her businesses were all built with a desire to bring real value to people’s lives. That alignment created not just growth but also resilience in the face of challenges.
The Friday Morning #130 left us with much to reflect on. It was not just a marketing lecture, but a heartfelt reminder that the most powerful insights come from empathy, humility, and the courage to think differently. As Tubudd continues to host these sessions, we are reminded that growth is not only about learning new skills but also about transforming the way we see people and the world
The Friday Morning series is where ideas spark, stories inspire, and growth happens together. Follow Tubudd to stay updated on upcoming sessions, and don’t miss your chance to be part of the conversation.
