Are You Asking the Right Questions?
Posted by Jaci Russo
Hello i am a consumer
Your Consumer has to be the center of all you do. All the time. What they want and need must permeate your research and development, messaging, launch strategies and pricing. If you put the time and effort in to make sure you connect with your consumer then that effort will pay off every time.
Successful companies with strong brands can all be traced back to consumers who are so connected they built tribes around the products. That connection is often created by a great account planner with a strategic approach to building the emotional connection. Account planners that asked the right questions were able to see insight where everyone else just saw data.
When the Dairy Board learned that consumers, for the most part, really dislike the taste of milk, it was the account planner that dug deeper. They discovered that no other beverage, no matter what you think of milk, could do the trick when you are eating cereal, pb&j, cake and cookies. And “Got Milk” was born.
When Miller created a light beer in 1967 to entice women and non-drinkers to make the switch, two other breweries had already failed. After their sales were also dubbed a non-starter, they started talking to consumers. Note to self it would have been better to start with the consumer, but at least they finally figured it out. After talking to consumers, the insight pointed towards taking the light beer and selling it to the heaviest users. Because if it’s ‘Great taste…Less filling’ then the heavy consumers could drink more without filling up. A win win for everyone - except of course their livers.
Unfortunately most business owners and marketing directors tend to rely on their own perceptions and experience to answer for the consumer instead of really digging deep for the truth. Because they “have been in the business for 30 years” or “that’s not how we do it” they are destined to keep making the same choices and getting the same results. If, however, you decide to listen to the consumer, then you can change the conversation and by doing it differently, then you will get a different result.
So what will you ask today? And more importantly, what will you do with the answers you hear?
