Laddering: Unlocking the Potential of Consumer Behavior

Chapter 2

The Need for Laddering

Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.

—Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

I’VE ALWAYS BEEN a great swimmer and feel at home in any kind of water: beach, lake, pool, or river—you name it. My dream is to live by the water and walk on the beach every day, and my favorite form of exercise is swimming laps at a local pool.

I was, apparently, a fan of the water my entire life. My parents tell stories of me as a toddler running toward the pool and jumping in at full force, unaware—due to my lack of experience—of the dangers that existed. I went on to become a very good swimmer and spent my elementary years at the pool and participated in our neighborhood’s swim team.

However, I can distinctly remember one instance where the water became a new and frightening environment for me, different from the familiar one I’d come to know. I was nine years old, visiting a local water park and playing in one of those huge wave pools. With each crashing wave, an undertow pulled me farther and farther out to a sudden drop-off in the pool that put the water well over my head. I was out of my mother’s reach and in serious trouble. Luckily, she quickly realized I was in trouble and jumped into action. She had the strength to pull me back to safety, but not before I took several gulps of water and saw my short life flash before my eyes.

This is what has happened in the world of product development and marketing in the past few years. The calm, predictable waters—that ...