Just don't ask the consumers

At first glance, all new ideas seem crazy. The British philosopher Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947) already knew this - as did several others before and after him. It is therefore in the nature of things that skeptics are quick on the draw as soon as new products or services see the light of day. When television was invented, quite a few people predicted that viewers would soon tire of the medium. It was the same with the "Walkman". Many simply could not imagine any reason why anyone would want to walk around with the portable device. 

Nevertheless, companies like to rely on their customers when designing a new product, building a brand or implementing a redesign. In surveys or focus groups, they ask consumers whether they bought the new product XY. They want to know what they think of their brand. You present them with the same product in two different packages and ask them which they would rather choose. Companies do this on the assumption that the survey will reduce the risk of wrong decisions. Give the customer what they want.

Nir Wegrzyn, CEO of the agency Brand Opus (UK), is convinced that they are better off leaving it at that. Consumers' decisions are influenced by far more factors than they are aware of. For example, the current context and cultural background. 

"When we are asked whether we would buy a product, we may think we know how we will decide. However, this is a fallacy," explains the branding specialist, whose agency is based on cognitive neuroscience. The psychological processes are neither cognitive nor rational. The decision-making process is susceptible to biases - without consumers being aware of it. "There is a deep gulf between what people think they are going to do and what they actually do." Wegrzyn therefore believes it is nonsensical to rely on customers to develop his brand. "They don't know themselves." 

So what is the alternative? 

Not asking explicitly, but measuring indirectly. In terms of methodology, the London and Melbourne-based agency uses semiotic analyses or the Implicit Association Test. The latter is a proven measurement method used in psychology to visualize implicit attitudes or unconscious processes. 

People are presented with words or pictures and their reaction to them is measured. For example, they have to assign adjectives to different images. The differences in reaction times are used to draw conclusions about the strength of the associations between the constructs. Short reaction times stand for strong links, long reaction times for weak links. In this way, it is possible to find out which characteristics and values consumers attribute to a brand. (Test your associations with various topics: Implicit.harvard.edu.) 

When Brand Opus helped the French fries manufacturer McCain to create a new identity, the existing appearance was juxtaposed with the new one. The "old" design evoked associations with modern product manufacturing among buyers. The new design with the sunshine, on the other hand, created a connection to nature for customers (see illustration). The identity of the brand changed in the minds of consumers. An "artificial", "cold" brand became a "natural", "warm" brand. "Unfortunately, many companies use brands primarily to organize products under a label," criticizes Wegrzyn. The focus should rather be on effectiveness. Does the brand influence consumers' purchasing decisions as intended? 

Branding and communication: two pairs of shoes 

Wegrzyn explains how branding works. The story begins in the 14th century with the marking of cattle with a branding iron. The brand made it possible to assign the animals to the owner. The "brand" thus established the link between the individual animal and its ownership. Brands work in the same way today: they connect a simple product with something bigger, with an idea. "The brand is like a pair of glasses. As soon as you put them on, things take on a different meaning, a value." 

According to Wegrzyn, the strength of the brand lies in the fact that it immediately evokes associations - without additional explanations or communication. The brand must therefore be seen as a separate channel, independent of communication. 

"A fire is like a person. It can communicate in different ways, appear in different roles. One day at a business meeting very sober, another day at a party completely exuberant. The way of communicating changes. But the person behind it remains the same." It's the same with fire. "The brand is a person's identity, their character." Communication is changing, especially with new media. The identity of the brand remains the same. Strategists are required to build a strong brand character independently of communication. The basis for this is knowing your own identity. Who am I? What role do I play in the world? "Why do I have the right to sell a product? Because I am a certified manufacturer? No. Because my products are interesting? That can't be the case. Products change, new ones come onto the market all the time," says Wegrzyn. "There must be something else behind it." 

Once the central idea has been found, the next step is to anchor it in people's minds - through a clear structure and consistent presentation of the brand. Once consumers have a clear representation in their minds, this paves the way for the launch of new products. "When Apple introduced the iPhone, people immediately accepted that the company was now also making a kind of phone. New products are always viewed through the lens of the brand." 

If the core has not yet been found or if the brand image does not correspond to the central idea, marketers should not shy away from rigorous restructuring. Brand Opus did this for honey producer Rowse, for example (see illustration). With the new identity and the new packaging, not much is reminiscent of the old packaging. "Marketing managers and consumers who were asked thought the changes were far too radical." Brand Opus ignored this and instead used implicit methods to predict how the brand change would influence purchasing decisions. With success. Since the honey has been on the shelves in the shape of a honeycomb and decorated with a bee, the product has sold 5% better. 

Wegrzyn is certain: you can change much more than people are cognitively prepared to accept. If you base a redesign on what customers or marketing managers say, you only take small steps. They usually react very conservatively. In fact, consumers get used to it very quickly. "The associations change immediately." If a product suddenly sells better after a redesign, there is often no rational explanation for this. If you ask customers for the reason, they often can't name one. Only implicit analysis reveals this: The perception of the brand, its meaning has changed for consumers. "Branding doesn't work on a cognitive level," emphasizes Wegrzyn. If a brand has to be explained first, this is a sure sign that it is not working. 

Asking questions doesn't help. But that also has its good sides. If you don't ask customers for advice, you run less risk of being swept into the mainstream. If everyone shaped their brands according to customer wishes, the result would be uniformity. They would all look similar, just the way most people like it. Or rather: the way consumers say they like it. Brands would become interchangeable - and ineffective. So don't ask the consumers. 

Isabel Imper

The interview with Nir Wegrzyn took place on December 5 as part of Eurobest in Lisbon