David Crockett's primary research interest is in sociological aspects of consumer behavior, particularly the consequences of social inequality. His research investigates the creation, manifestation, and resolution of class, gender and racial inequality in the marketplace, and addresses consumer, managerial, and public policy initiatives designed to alleviate inequality. Read more at http://bit.ly/1ld9WiA

1. Leveraging Research
in Consumer
Behavior
Generating Insights from
Culture

2. Consumer Research is
Maturing

3. What Drives the Behavior We Want?
Big Data helps us reach
the high-hanging fruit

4. What Role Does My Product/Brand/Firm
Play in Everyday Life?
Artifacts
Attitudes and Values
Underlying Structure

5. Cultural Analysis: What is it Good For?
Communications
Processes
Groups &
Communities
Brand
Communities
Social Media
Product Development & Design
Consumer Rituals
Diffusion

6. Insights from Branding
Coolhunting Cultural Strategy
Brands as Relevant to Socio-Cultural
Identity
Brand as Cultural Artifacts

7. Finding and
Analyzing Cultural
Data
Classic Techniques
• Interviews
• Focus Groups
• Ethnography &
Netnography*
Classic techniques capture “talk” in context
*These may include film,
shot by researchers and/or
informants

8. Finding and
Analyzing Cultural
Data
Brand-Focused Techniques
• Case Study/Brand
Genealogy
• Miscellaneous
Visualization
Techniques
• Classic Projective
Techniques
• Zaltman Metaphor
Elicitation Technique
(ZMET)
Brand-focused techniques capture symbolic
language. What is “Mountain Dew”?

9. Case Study/Brand
Genealogy
Iconic brands are cultural artifacts
that perform “identity myths”

10. Case Study – Mountain Dew
Masculine Identity
Myths
10
cowboys, rock-and-
rollers, beatniks,
outlaw bikers,
hillbillies, etc.
Social crisis threatens
collective identity.
People respond with
myth and ritual.

11. Case Study – Mountain Dew
11
Case Study – Mountain Dew
Elements of the identity myth travel from real life to an idealized world

12. Case Study – Mountain Dew
12
Case Study – Mountain Dew
Popular culture
performs the myth

13. Case Study – Mountain Dew
13
“Mountain Dew’ll tickle yore innards, cuz thar’s a bang in ever’
bottle.”
Brands perform the myth

14. 14
Case Study – Mountain Dew
A new crisis emerges
and the Hillbilly Myth is
crushed

15. Case Study – Mountain Dew
15
Mountain Dew
“Does The Dew”
Redneck Myth (70s-80s)
Challenges Inequality
Mountain Dew does
“Country Cool”
American Dream Dies
(late 80s-90s)
Slacker Myth (late 80s)
Challenges
Death of the American Dream
Pop Culture
Performs the Myth
Brands Perform the
Myth

16. Leveraging Insights
For Marketing Communications
To be iconic, you must get the myth
right
For Brand Strategy
1. Any brand can be iconic
2. Brands are historical
3. Consumers are authors
4. Narratives are about collective
identity