In 1901, Ivan Pavlov rang a bell and a dog began to salivate. His famous experiment explains much of the mystery behind branding: connect a product or service with the customer’s need and branding occurs. Said another way: create an association in your customer’s mind...
I’m continually struck by how often companies conduct research without asking any big questions. Companies conducting research tend to ask a lot of questions with the belief that, from the mountain of data, they’ll be able to find a big answer. But,, what they usually end up...
Humans are obsessed with the unknown. Although our psyche fears the unknown, that fear is balanced by the innate drive of curiosity: we want to uncover the wizard behind the curtain. This sense of mystery is present in all great storytelling: you can’t wait to hear what...
Management guru Peter Drucker coined the term “knowledge worker” in 1959.[1. Peter F. Drucker, The Landmarks of Tomorrow, 1959.] He differentiated knowledge workers from manual workers, forecasting that new industries will employ mostly the former. Late in his life, Drucker wrote, "The most important contribution management needs...
All brands want more loyal customers. The reasons are clear: more repeat business, more positive word of mouth, and greater customer lifetime value. Customer loyalty for many national brands is in decline. Switching brands in the digital age is easier than ever before. But, that’s not...
Remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs? Biological needs. Safety and shelter needs. The need to belong and to feel loved. Self-esteem and the need to feel good about oneself in relation to others. These are basic human needs. Every human being has them. Every customer is constantly...
The hero starts out in an ordinary world before venturing into a special world. He meets friend and foe. He undertakes quests. He faces challenges. Winning a decisive victory—realizing his final goal—the hero returns from the adventure, transformed, bearing wisdom and new powers from his journey. This hero’s...
Brian is a 40-year-old executive at a software company. He’s married with two kids. Between work and family life, Brian hasn’t had much free time. But, Brian has a warrior in him screaming for actualization. He wants to train and complete a triathlon. Brian is married...
Few business leaders appreciate exactly how important imagery is in connecting to the hearts of their customers. Most marketers want to create imagery that will attract everyone. That's impossible: when you try to be all things to all people, you become nothing meaningful to anyone. Imagery...
The key to any successful retail marketing strategy comes down to understanding the end customers. Only after you understand your target customers can you formulate effective strategies for attracting them. Learn What’s Important to Your Customers Here are some of the questions you can explore to better...