Stop Listening to the Customer

chapter 13 the closing argument

So I think that just about does it. As a recap, this book set out to explain the reasons why listening to the customer can be at the expense of growing a brand. Throughout my life, I've been fascinated by the power of marketing and branding. I'm amazed at how marketing and advertising can encourage us to make completely illogical decisions, such as buying a product that's twice as expensive as a near-identical one. Creating brands is complicated and sensitive. There needs to be clarity in how the brand is established and consistency in taking it to market. This balance of clarity and consistency needs to be derived from the brand itself, not the consumer.

Marketing and branding have a terrible reputation. The publisher of this book, John Wiley & Sons, is branding it as a business book because marketing books don't sell. I think this sullied reputation is contributing to marketers looking in all the wrong places to justify their marketing decisions. These include consumer research and consumer insight, rather than marketing and branding strategy, with marketing sciences. 

Hopefully I've made a compelling argument that listening to the consumer will ultimately destroy your brand. This is because fundamentally, consumers don't need your brand or product. If it exists in an established category, there is at least one alternative to satisfy the consumer. Listening to the customer makes you smaller. You'll stay out of the consumer's way and meet generic ...