The customer is king. He is the centre of the marketing universe, the Golden Calf
every brand is bowing down to. Consumer insights are psalms – and in their entirety
they are the holy bible for about 99,9% of all brands.
A holy bible that has to be re-written quaterly.
“We need to give the customer what they want!”
“Only those who understand the customer needs will survive.”
“We are on the wrong track. The latest consumer insights show that…”
Sounds familiar to you? Well, if it does, you are on your way to effectively demolish your brand.
Or your partner´s brand.
The truth is: many brands let their customers lead.
But customers defintely do not want to lead. They wanna be led.
Today more than ever.
Why? Because their work & living environment is undergoing a constant change -
and so is the global marketplace. It´s easy to get lost. Which is why they are looking for lighthouses
to guide them and lead them their way.
What they definitely DON`T want is a brand that emposes another confusing burden on them.
Religion & family used to be the guiding lights for mankind over the centuries.
But today, brands are in charge of leading. Sadly, only few brands truly do.
Social media & digital applications are delivering the perfect excuse for brands to shirk responsibilty.
User generated content is great. Interactive brand experiences are nice.
But only as long as they are not a pathetic way of leaving the customer holding the baby.
Leading brands lead. Always. Constantly. Unflinchingly.
Take BMW, for example. BMW owns driving pleasure.
Had they listened to some stupid consumer insights that indicated
a growing need for loading space that pays tribute to the upper middle class
familys desire for spontaineous recreational activities and had they bulit
cars with huge luggage compartments, they would have diluted their core brand values.
But BMW resisted the trappings of consumer insights and truly led their customers to buying
a brand with an outstanding & distinctive profile.
Ignore miniscule consumer insights. Listen to higher-ranking, fundamental societal changes.
What BMW DID listen to, was the growing indications for a dramatically changing definition of mobility
and the societal requirements connoted with it. Sustainability, eco-friendliness, flexibility.
They took those requirements and transformed them into SHEER DRIVING PLEASURE, resulting
in the new BMW i-series. Ahead of it´s time. And far ahead of all brands that still have the consumer insight
as their song of songs.
Here´s your “to do”-list for the next few decades:
Don´t act like a politician shifting convictions every fortnight.
Hold tight to your beliefs.
