Joan Treistman

BrainTrust Query: What if it all STARTS with the purchase?

August 6, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Traditional marketing theory tells us that the purchase is the successful outcome of consumer-directed messages that create awareness, which begets interest, desire, and action. Do you agree that for certain categories, at least, it all starts with the purchase?      [more...]

Joel asks if the research tools are there to capture this purchase decision process and I believe they are. However, they are not traditional and they require adaptation to the context of how the products are merchandised and how consumers think about them in from a risk averse perspective.

Many cough/cold products are examined at the store shelf for some time and the patient makes a decision on what the package tells him the remedy will provide (cough suppressant, decongestant, etc) and what the brand means to him in terms of quality and efficacy. When it comes to salty snacks it's another kind of story.

Research can help us identify the process, observe the decision making and evaluate the contribution of advertising, packaging, in-store displays, etc. You have to put the pieces of the puzzle together and create a sequence of appropriate research. Focus groups don't have all the answers, but neither do the neurosciences. Marketers need to consult with research experts who can identify the true objectives and the specific tools which will provide the necessary insights. Although the above is not exactly a recipe...I'd like to add a sprinkling of common sense.