Abhimanyu knew how to enter the Chakravyuha.
That was both his strength and his tragedy.
He learned the technique while still in his mother’s womb, listening to Arjuna explain the formation. But before Arjuna could explain how to come out of it, Subhadra fell asleep. So Abhimanyu knew the entry, but he did not know the exit.
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, that half-knowledge became dangerous. His courage was unquestionable. His skill was extraordinary. His intention was noble. But the formation he entered was more complex than he fully understood.
The result was tragic.
This is one of the most enduring lessons of the Mahabharata: courage is important, but courage without complete understanding can become costly.
Markets are much the same.
Many brands enter markets with confidence. They have money, products, packaging, enthusiasm and ambition. They know how to enter. But they do not always understand how the market works from the inside.
They know the category.
They know the competition.
They know the price.
They know the media plan.
But they do not know the customer deeply enough.
That is where brands get trapped.
After identity, targeting, positioning, differentiation, promise, trust, values, communication and symbols, the next discipline in brand building is consumer insight.
Consumer insight is not simply information about customers. It is a deeper understanding of why customers behave the way they do.
This distinction is important.
Two women arrested in Kathmandu for honey trap scheme
Information tells us what people buy. Insight tells us why they buy it.
Information tells us where they live. Insight tells us how they live.
Information tells us age, income and gender. Insight reveals fear, habit, desire, pressure, pride and convenience.
Many companies collect data. Far fewer understand people.
A business may know that young people drink coffee. But insight asks: are they drinking coffee for taste, mood, work, friendship, status, study, loneliness or Instagram? The same cup of coffee can mean different things to different people.
A brand that understands only the product may sell coffee. A brand that understands the customer may create a place where people feel they belong.
That is why insight is powerful.
It helps a brand see beyond the obvious.
Take the example of noodles in Nepal. The success of instant noodles is not only about taste. It is also about convenience, habit, availability, affordability and flexibility. Wai Wai became part of school bags, hostel rooms, travel routes, trekking trails and late-night cravings. The insight was not merely that people eat noodles. The deeper understanding was that people needed something quick, tasty and familiar in many different situations.
In India, Asian Paints understood that paint is not just a construction material. For many families, painting a home is an emotional decision. It is about freshness, festivals, pride, change and aspiration. By helping people imagine colours and home transformation, the brand moved beyond selling paint to shaping the home experience.
Good insight often sounds simple once it is articulated.
But it is rarely easy to find.
It requires listening without arrogance.
Many brand owners assume they know their customers because they have been in business for years. Experience is valuable, but it can also become a blindfold. Markets change quietly. A customer who cared only about price yesterday may care about design today. A family that once trusted only the nearest shop may now compare online reviews. A student who once relied on admission counselling may now judge a college through Instagram and Google before ever visiting.
The customer evolves. If a brand does not evolve its understanding, it gradually loses touch.
That is why market research and consumer insight should never be treated as formalities. A survey completed by 200 people may provide numbers. A focus group may generate opinions. A sales report may show trends. But insight emerges when these facts are interpreted through human understanding.
Sometimes the best insight comes from simply sitting quietly in the marketplace.
Watch how people choose a product in a shop. Listen to how parents discuss schools. Observe what young people photograph before they eat. See what questions customers ask before buying insurance. Notice what they hesitate to say in front of a salesperson.
Customers often reveal more through their behaviour than through their answers.
If you ask people directly, “Do you want quality?” everyone will say yes. If you ask, “Do you want good service?” everyone will say yes. But when money, time and effort are involved, their real priorities emerge.
That is why brands must understand trade-offs.
A customer may say he wants premium quality but choose the cheaper product. Another may say she values convenience but travel far for a trusted doctor. One family may claim that fees matter most when choosing a school, yet still pay more if they believe the school will care for their child.
Human behaviour is rarely straightforward.
Brands that understand this become wiser.
This is especially important in Nepal, where decisions are often influenced by family, recommendations, trust, social status, location, habit and word of mouth. A person may discover a brand online, but final confidence may still come from a friend, relative, dealer or community voice.
If a brand ignores these realities and simply copies global marketing models, it may appear modern but remain ineffective.
Insight should guide the product, not just the advertising.
If customers find a banking app difficult to use, the solution is not merely a campaign promoting “simple banking.” The app itself must become simpler. If parents are confused by a school’s admission process, the solution is not only a better brochure. The process must become clearer. If buyers do not trust the quality of a local product, the solution is not only patriotic messaging. The product must prove itself repeatedly.
Real insight leads to real change.
Many brands enter the market the way Abhimanyu entered the Chakravyuha. They know how to launch. They know how to create noise. They know how to attract attention. But once inside the market, they encounter hidden formations: dealer pressure, customer suspicion, price sensitivity, cultural habits, service expectations, after-sales issues and competitor responses.
By then, correction becomes expensive.
A smarter brand studies the formation before entering it deeply.
It asks: What problem are we really solving? What behaviour are we entering? What does the customer already believe? What will prevent adoption? What must happen after the first purchase? What will make people come back?
These questions may not sound glamorous, but they protect the brand.
Because in branding, ignorance is expensive.
Abhimanyu’s story is not remembered because he lacked courage. It is remembered because courage alone was not enough.
In the marketplace, too, courage matters. Ambition matters. Investment matters. Speed matters.
But before entering the customer’s world, a brand must understand the world it is entering.
Otherwise, the market becomes its own Chakravyuha.
Brand Neeti
Consumer insight is not merely knowing who buys a product. It is understanding why people behave the way they do, enabling a brand to enter the market with clarity, relevance and respect.
