If consumer is truly the King, let all brand engagements be driven by this fundamental truth

1. Seeing Things the Consumer’s Way
AAAN LAIF Award Seminar
October 3rd, 2007
By Bayo Adekanmbi

2. What do you see?
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Guess and win N10,000 worth of MTN airtime

3. On consumer issues, we must always see beyond
the veil….
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4. Agenda
The way we always want to see the consumer
-Our current practice and key learning
The truths they wont tell us
The lies we often believe

5. ..here comes C.K. Prahalad
“The most basic change has been a shift in the role
of the consumer –
from isolated to connected, from unaware to
informed,
from passive to active . . .increasingly,
consumers engage in the process of both
defining and creating value” .

6. This is the verdict!!!
You are intruding on their time and
space
You had better make it worth their while,
and make them feel a part of it.
Consumers are no longer prepared to
be the passive recipients of your brand
messaging.
You may be in love with your brand, but
that doesn't mean your consumers are.

7. Critical learning and consideration
David Ogilvy

8. The consumer isn' a moron; she is your wife
t
Ogilvy

9. Consumers define brand
A brand is a product which has
earned a place in consumers’
lives through perception,
experience, beliefs, feelings
....... until a relationship is built
Theory of mental tenancy
Kellogg School of Branding, 2006

10. Consumer Insight are windows not mirrors
at the heart of a creative philosophy is the belief that nothing is so powerful as an
insight into human nature,
what compulsions
drive a man,
what instincts dominate
his action,
even though his language
so often camouflages
what really motivates him.
For if you know these things about (a) man you can touch him at the core of his
being.”
Bill Bernbach, the B in DDB

11. Examples
Lollipop in Korea
• Post –purchase fun or the variety of taste
ATM for low-medium blue collar
• Its fun to go to bank, it makes feel like a big man
• Now with ATM, I don’t see any convenience but a
way to avoid being feeling ashamed when
withdrawing small money

12. The biggest question in marketing history

13. Who are we speaking to?
the changing consumer
Fads/ trends/behaviour
(what he does?)
or
the unchanging man
borderless and ageless universal human truth
(who he is?)

14. Let’s navigate through man

15. Homo economicus?
Just buy to meet his consumption needs
Vs
Homo psychologicus?
Buying as an essential part of living

16. This is true!
It took millions of years for man's instincts to
develop. It will take millions more for them to even
vary.
It is fashionable to talk about changing man. A
communicator must be concerned with unchanging
man,
with his obsessive drive to survive, to be admired,
to succeed, to love, to take care of his own

17. The realities we must face
So much research, very little insight
Research addresses the present
• Little or no trend morphing
• No predictive modeling of future behaviour
Articulated Customer Needs” – Needs that are recognized and
communicated (stated) by customers
Vs “Unarticulated Customer Needs” – Needs unrecognized by
customers that – when recognized and satisfied – lead to
products and services that delight them

18. The lies

19. Lie 1
Consumers Think in a Well-Reasoned or Rational,
Linear Way
“ If I had asked the public what they wanted they would have asked for a faster
horse.” Henry Ford

20. Lie 2
Consumers Can Readily Explain Their Thinking
and Behavior
• 95% of thinking takes place in our unconscious minds
• Instant Coffee in Housewives Shopping list – Haire’s Study
• I don’t like the flavour or I am lazy
• implicit beliefs that exist below our conscious awareness

21. Lie 3
Consumers Minds, Brains, Bodies ,Surrounding Culture
and Society Can Be Adequately Studied Independently
of One Another
Consumers DO NOT live in the silo-like ways
…find interaction BETWEEN the parts

22. Lie 4
Consumers Think in Words
-No, consumers think in pictures and metaphors
-ZMET Collage

23. e.g. of zehrs ZMET Collage
Most Representative:
High value,
one-stop shopping
for people on the go
Friendly service
Strong presence
in Community
Quality,
healthy food
Boring, daily errand Convenient, not just food
Private and
national
brands, value
Active,
Celebration, Availability, costs priced
suburban
Family & Friends a bit more
families

24. Lets explore a campaign based on
consumer insight

25. Dove
Real Beauty' campaign
A London newspaper article trumpeted an underlying truth about the
effort: It wasn't advertising; it was politics. This was no surprise to
Dove's global brand director, Silvia Lagnado. Wanting to push the $2
billion brand further, she had commissioned the research showing
that only 2% of women worldwide considered themselves beautiful.
The team knew from the start its concept was politically charged, and
was able to test it and refine it as they took it around the world.

26. Insight
Most women don’t consider themselves
beautiful
Brand Point of view
Real beauty comes from within.

29. …in conclusion
4 strategists were developing campaign themes for 4 competing insurance companies
Strategist A comes up with the slogan,
quot;Coverage from the cradle to the grave.quot;
Strategist B tries to improve on that with,
quot;Coverage from the womb to the tomb.quot;
Not to be outdone, Strategist C comes up with,
quot;From the sperm to the worm.quot;
The fourth insurance Strategist really thought hard and finally came up with,
quot;From the erection to the resurrection.quot;
Which works best?- leave that to the consumers

30. Q&A
Thank you

31. Bayo Adekanmbi
(Brand Strategist, Marketing Analyst and Creative Planner)
DMD
DDB Lagos
Email : bayo4toyin@gmail.com
Phone : 08034001704
Blog: http://naijaq.blogspot.com