Dr. Rapaille has used his three-step process to address the marketing world for many years. The idea that humans experience products in steps can be applied to different industries and used to develop new packaging, motto's, and appearances.
Rapaille states that human’s experience:
1. Past Reason
2. Through Emotion
3. To the Primal Core
He is trying to link product purchases to the emotional underlying of a persons life. Stage 1 is used to get the consumer on topic mentally. He uses simple questions regarding their purchases and certain products to focus a person’s view. After a short break for his subject, Rapaille begins stage 2. In order to gain an understanding of the human subconscious, Dr. Rapaille uses stage 2 to confuse his subjects and take their minds off the topic at hand. He often asks them audience to tell him a story about the topic at hand as if he has no previous knowledge. Finally, stage 3 takes the consumer back to the first time they purchased a product and implores them to remember the environment they experienced. He uses these three steps to get in touch with human emotion behind purchases and to figure out the “code” that characterizes each industry. For example, he states that the code in the SUV industry is domination and that the mind set of Americans towards cheese is one of death. Cheese is not depicted as a live dairy product, but rather a dead artifact that rests safely in a bag inside the refrigerator.
Song Airlines constantly tries to create a unique atmosphere around its product and in turn instill brand loyalty. Through outlandish advertising, the company takes a different approach to filling airline seats, and generates a hip, trendy experience. When looking at characteristics such as cheap flights, we can see that Song Airlines is comparable to the modern day Ryanair Airlines.
However, I disagree with the approach the company has taken and the dollars spent in order to inspire the so-called “song” attitude. The company has gone to such measures to make this experience that commercial advertising has left out important features used to inform the alleged consumer of their product. Disregarding the idea that an inner mall shop for an airline is slightly absurd, a perfect example of the company’s uninformed consumer is the man who repeatedly questions whether Song is just a glorified travel agent.
Song Airlines have done some parts of their business model correctly, in my opinion. At the time of its inception, the American economy was still on the rise, giving way to vacations for families and young adult spontaneous holidays. The idea of chic, trendy flights for vacationers that are looking for luxury before they reach their destinations was on par with consumer views in that year. In addition, the brand loyalty they built seemed to have worked, at least on a small scale, due to the testimony of certain patrons during the video. Almost synonymous with the Macintosh attitude many have adopted, Song Airlines was able to get consumers to view them in a positive light and believe their product to be superior.
On the other hand, I believe Song Airlines have placed some of their ideals in the wrong industry. It is great that they are able to create pull amongst their consumers, but I don’t believe the airline industry to be one in which this is a great tactic. Vacationing families may be inclined to frequent Song’s services, but these families are not vacationing enough for the company to successfully count on routine holidays. One year a family may decide a ski trip is in order while the next year they may stay home to save money. Short run book keeping will put Song Airlines in a red light under a the failing brand that is Delta.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Consumer Perceptions and Uncertainty
Kenna’s desire depicts many different struggles that a variety of services and products have experienced. Some are directly related to others, but others can only be linked through their underlying tones concerning intricate lessons the modern marketer must learn. Based on various examples, I view complex consumer perceptions and hidden uncertainties within changing markets to be extremely important principles.
Complex Consumer Perception and Product Quality
Product quality is a delicate subject in marketing and often it is consumer perception that may drive sales or render a product inferior to its competitors. Malcolm Gladwell cites several different examples that are laced with this underlying motive, and he repeatedly points out that product quality and consumer perception are subjects that must be thought of in three dimensions rather than a black and white snapshot.
I feel the strongest example Gladwell uses to convey his ideals concerning consumer perception can be found within the Christian Brothers brandy analysis. The company repeatedly used the idea of a superior liquid product to drive sales, and forgot that many different characteristics such as packaging contribute to sales. A similar situation that I have learned of occurred at Procter and Gamble in their Bounty paper towel sector. Studies revealed that customers look for centered, bright logos when considering which paper towel brands to purchase. By adjusting the positioning of Bounty to front and center and tweaking bright greens and yellows, the company has reacquired market share from their greatest competitors.
The average consumers, barring those that have experience in the marketing workforce, are unaware of their subconscious decisions that happen instantaneously and by the thousands per day. Just entering a supermarket, we can see that consumers generally turn right immediately out of habit and preference (Sue Riha, Retail Merchandising class). Marketers that are trying to gain insight to the consumer mind would do well to take into consideration every step of the purchasing system when it comes to their industry. Questions such as do they physically grab the product, how long is the package examined, and what setting is the product used in are all part of the three dimensional analysis that Gladwell stresses in his article. Overall, we see that consumers hardly ever make rational decisions and patron brands based on the actual contents of the product.
Uncertainty in Consumer Driven Markets
Marketing in essence is a science fortified with a substantial amount of doubt and uncertainty. Around every corner and with every decision there will always be inherent risks that companies and strategists will have to undertake. Estimations and research can be done, but in the end, it is a consumer driven market we live in and it is solely to them that we must adhere.
Gladwell’s first example concerning Kenna’s hardships and his depictions of Coca Cola’s struggle with New Coke are perfect examples of instructive lessons learned from the uncertainty of markets. In both situations, a certain product has tested very well, but failed to live up to predicted sales for unique reasons. Companies can assure themselves of profitable opportunities on multiple fronts and base them on supportive studies, but the consumer decides the fate of a product’s sales. In my personal experience, I note the competition between FireWire and USB 2.0 as a source of market uncertainty and failed product results. Based on simple speed tests and direct comparisons companies and consumers could see the superior quality in FireWire, but USB 2.0 has since ousted the product. As a product, FireWire failed to realize that consumers value versatility over raw specifications, and has since taken a backseat to the widely distributed USB 2.0 format.
Consequently, markets in a capitalist economy are rapidly changing. A lesson for marketers to learn is that you must continually analyze what consumer’s needs and wants are, and cater to them or failure is inevitable. Industry success is never a sure thing, and nothing should be taken for granted in the marketing world.
Complex Consumer Perception and Product Quality
Product quality is a delicate subject in marketing and often it is consumer perception that may drive sales or render a product inferior to its competitors. Malcolm Gladwell cites several different examples that are laced with this underlying motive, and he repeatedly points out that product quality and consumer perception are subjects that must be thought of in three dimensions rather than a black and white snapshot.
I feel the strongest example Gladwell uses to convey his ideals concerning consumer perception can be found within the Christian Brothers brandy analysis. The company repeatedly used the idea of a superior liquid product to drive sales, and forgot that many different characteristics such as packaging contribute to sales. A similar situation that I have learned of occurred at Procter and Gamble in their Bounty paper towel sector. Studies revealed that customers look for centered, bright logos when considering which paper towel brands to purchase. By adjusting the positioning of Bounty to front and center and tweaking bright greens and yellows, the company has reacquired market share from their greatest competitors.
The average consumers, barring those that have experience in the marketing workforce, are unaware of their subconscious decisions that happen instantaneously and by the thousands per day. Just entering a supermarket, we can see that consumers generally turn right immediately out of habit and preference (Sue Riha, Retail Merchandising class). Marketers that are trying to gain insight to the consumer mind would do well to take into consideration every step of the purchasing system when it comes to their industry. Questions such as do they physically grab the product, how long is the package examined, and what setting is the product used in are all part of the three dimensional analysis that Gladwell stresses in his article. Overall, we see that consumers hardly ever make rational decisions and patron brands based on the actual contents of the product.
Uncertainty in Consumer Driven Markets
Marketing in essence is a science fortified with a substantial amount of doubt and uncertainty. Around every corner and with every decision there will always be inherent risks that companies and strategists will have to undertake. Estimations and research can be done, but in the end, it is a consumer driven market we live in and it is solely to them that we must adhere.
Gladwell’s first example concerning Kenna’s hardships and his depictions of Coca Cola’s struggle with New Coke are perfect examples of instructive lessons learned from the uncertainty of markets. In both situations, a certain product has tested very well, but failed to live up to predicted sales for unique reasons. Companies can assure themselves of profitable opportunities on multiple fronts and base them on supportive studies, but the consumer decides the fate of a product’s sales. In my personal experience, I note the competition between FireWire and USB 2.0 as a source of market uncertainty and failed product results. Based on simple speed tests and direct comparisons companies and consumers could see the superior quality in FireWire, but USB 2.0 has since ousted the product. As a product, FireWire failed to realize that consumers value versatility over raw specifications, and has since taken a backseat to the widely distributed USB 2.0 format.
Consequently, markets in a capitalist economy are rapidly changing. A lesson for marketers to learn is that you must continually analyze what consumer’s needs and wants are, and cater to them or failure is inevitable. Industry success is never a sure thing, and nothing should be taken for granted in the marketing world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)