| This is Article five of six in a series of lessons for small | | | | and complex." (p. 179). Kenna's music is different and |
| business marketers from Malcolm Gladwell's Blink. | | | | hard to put a specific label on, so the music market |
| Wow, what a great chapter for marketers Chapter | | | | research can't adequately measure him. |
| Five in Blink is. This quote on p. 160 outlines the | | | | Gladwell also relates the story of the Aeron chair--a |
| thoughts a great marketer (Louis Cheskin) had on | | | | new product with a completely innovative look that |
| packaging: | | | | even experts said would fail. But with this chair, which |
| "Cheskin was convinced that when people give an | | | | looked so different, people didn't know how they |
| assessment of something they might buy in a | | | | themselves felt about it; Gladwell says consumers |
| supermarket or a department store, without realizing it, | | | | "misinterpreted their own feelings" (p. 173). Market |
| they transfer sensations or impressions that they have | | | | research indicated the chair would fail, but it didn't, |
| about the packaging of the product to the product | | | | because it was a great product. |
| itself. To put it another way, Cheskin believed that | | | | What's this chapter mean for the small business |
| most of us don't make a distinction--on an unconscious | | | | owner? Two lessons. |
| level--between the package and the product. The | | | | For one, we need to understand the limits of market |
| product is the package and the product combined." | | | | research. This method is not fool-proof nor will it |
| A key concept in this chapter is that experts are often | | | | guarantee market success or prevent market failure. |
| more reliable at identifying what will work--or won't--in | | | | Second, the small business owner should learn to |
| the marketplace than market research based on | | | | recognize in just what areas she is expert and in what |
| consumer surveys. For small business marketers, then, | | | | subjects she is not. In areas where you know you are |
| this chapter is a must-read. You know full-well you | | | | an expert--where your years of experience have |
| rarely have the money for consumer surveys. | | | | taught you well and you can now realize something in |
| Gladwell explores the New Coke debacle and the | | | | a blink about your industry or your industry as it relates |
| incompleteness of the market research that led up to | | | | to your customers-well on those topics it's a safe bet |
| it. Although this is a well-known marketing mistake, | | | | that you really are an expert. |
| Gladwell supplies his typical journalistic | | | | However, a key pitfall is to then think you are expert in |
| behind-the-scenes story, and clues us in on why the | | | | all areas of your business. You aren't, and even your |
| marketing information that Coke marketers used to | | | | customers aren't. They are super-savvy purchasers, |
| base their decision on was flawed to begin with. | | | | but they, too, are not always aware of why they do |
| Even more fascinating is his exploration of the | | | | what they do...so, where possible, study what they do, |
| musician named Kenna, a person music experts agree | | | | and then find out ways to alter that behavior in your |
| should be a smash, but can't get Top 40 airtime on | | | | favor. |
| radio because market research can't capture the | | | | Remember: Brand (who you are) + Package (your |
| same information the experts see in a Blink. | | | | Face to the Customer) + People (customers and |
| Why? Because as Gladwell points out, the "...first | | | | employees) = Marketing Success. |
| impressions of experts are different ...more esoteric | | | | |