Getting Closer to the Consumer

If your goal is to develop and market products that consumers want, then you must find ways to get close to the customer. You need to get into the customer’s head, find out how they think and make consumption decisions.

Ethnographic Observation and Research

A product design company was approached by a food company that wanted to create new food-in-a-box type products for large families. Teams of employees from both organizations visited the homes of large families and watched mothers work in the kitchen. They watched as meals were prepared, as the moms interacted with their children, and as food was organized in the pantry and refrigerator. The team asked copious questions as the moms worked away. The team acted ...

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