8: Meeting Societal Needs: Positive Roles for Emotion
"Emotion is fundamental to all that is human," as we engage with the world through our senses and experience emotional reactions. This seems to be well understood and well accepted, but little consideration is given to the emotional aspects of our nature in relation to consumer behavior - as if the essence of what we are is turned off for this one aspect of our lives.
Product development as a field concentrated on standards of quality intrinsic to an object, or at best its suitability to its functional application in a given activity. The way that customers feel about products has been of little concern, or pointedly ignored. Yet emotion is what stimulates us to purchase, determines whether we enjoy what we have purchased, and leads us to consider whether to repurchase or seek satisfaction elsewhere.
Firms that are attentive to emotion find that doing so is highly profitable: to make people desire your product, ensuring that they are happy about owning it, such that they desire to purchase it again, is the key to long-term success in business.
Case Study: Nike
There's a fairly extended case study of Nike's "Trash Talk" shoe - the first performance shoe made from manufacturing waste.
The concept arose when designers at the firm were touring a production facility and notice the huge piles of waste and scrap material. Given the enthusiasm for the environment, it was likely customers would have a negative reaction to the brand if this were discovered.
The first round of efforts was to reduce waste by more efficiently designing production processes, such that when materials were cut or stamped, a minimum of leather, cloth, or other material would be wasted. Then, some of the waste materials were ground down and reformed into reusable materials.
Nike was able to find an ally in a star basketball player who was big on environmental causes - even he was suspect that a shoe made of garbage might look like garbage, have pieces fall out, or fail on the court. After some testing and trials, we wore the shoe in an all-star game - which lent credibility to the product.
The problem with mass-producing a shoe made of waste is that it requires a mass of waste to be created in the first place, and is considerably more complex and labor-intensive, so the firm ultimately opted to produce a shoe that was made of some recycled materials and other environmentally friendly materials.
There was also the notion that "green" was out of line with its practices. If the firm started selling one line of environmentally-friendly shoes, and attempted to associate the brand with environmentalism, it would bring scrutiny upon its wider practices, as well as upon its retailers. Also, "green" may be of interest in some segments of society, but its primary market (kids who wanted basketball shoes) weren't really that concerned.
Ultimately, the Trash Talk line of shoes was a concept that did not go very far - the firm learned a few things about more efficient manufacturing, grabbed some free publicity for the experiment, but that was all.
Aging Boomers: Not Wanting What They Need
The author suggests that emotion-based opportunities can also be "derived" from target segments. As an example, consider the baby boomer demographic, who are currently approaching or entering their retirement years, and who constitute about a quarter of the US population.
There are distinctive characteristics of this demographic that translate well into emotions: the desire for recognition and their fear of age are chief among them. The author notes a curios trend as consumers, as buyers in this demographic want to have products, but don't want to feel like they need them.
Their desire to remain youthful, in the face of aging, is another contrast that provides opportunity to capitalize on their emotions - though they will likely be difficult candidates for healthcare services, preferring to pretend that they are as vigorous as they were in their youth. When their physical conditions become so sever they are undeniable, there will be a considerable shock and a difficult transition to convalescence.
There will also be considerable incidence of mental disorders that arise from the conflict between a desired state of youthful wellness and a reality of aging infirmity. Studies into noncompliant Alzheimer's patients are particularly informative: patients who resist taking medications because they cannot admit they need them, or those who insist on living independently in spite of needing constant care.
The good news is that the boomer generation has more wealth than previous generations and has the ability to pay for the health-related services they will need as they age. The bad news is getting them to accept the fact that they need those services will be extremely difficult.
(EN: It might be worthwhile to look into the sales tactics of the life insurance industry, who routinely face the problem of convincing a healthy and vigorous person that they could die at any time. Though I suspect that is a bit easier because a rational individual cannot deny that they will die, though many don't feel it will happen any time soon regardless of the visible evidence.)
Emotion of Social Action: The Product of Hope
Social causes are rife with emotion: seeing the deprivation of others arouses a strange brew of pity and contempt toward unfortunates, and supporters assuage their guilt and feel empowered while meanwhile fearing "but for the grace of god" they might be in the same situation.
In some instances, the more difficult role is in getting others to accept the help that is readily offered. A sense of personal pride often accompanies the unfortunate consequences of actions such as drug addition, dropping out of school, or teen pregnancy. Some people seem to gravitate toward the very things that do them harm - and it seems little wonder these are ongoing social issues.
The author considers Publicolor, which originally began as an experiment in painting schools in colors that allegedly have psychological effects. Regardless of whether the research proves out, a bright and cheery environment promotes pride and enlisting students to help with the projects teaches "commercial painting skills."
The author mentions a few of the positive side effects when companies get involved in charitable works: teambuilding among employees who are involved and good sentiments for their brands among the public who are aware that the firm engages in charitable activities.
Emotion of Globalization: Cultural Design for Local Markets
One of the difficulties firms face in entering overseas markets is that their products are not designed to the preferences of these markets. Companies typically use advertising and make a few superficial changes, but do not really resonate with the emotions of the customer base, and as such, their products fail. To have sustainable success, a firm must reconsider the design of its product, not only for the functional needs of the market, but also for the emotional needs that must be served.
(EN: This could be taken to a more extreme consideration of the negative reaction when foreign products "invade" a local market. Some of the serious political problems Americans face today is in the reaction to products entering foreign markets, attempting to convert the locals to American culture. Although, in reality, it tends to be the village elders who are outraged that their children are actually embracing American culture and rejecting their own - but considering some of the issues that have arisen, maybe it might be better to take a more covert approach?)
The author cites the suggestions of a professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic, that successfully entering a market means aligning the product to the specific needs of that market. A product that is successful in one location may not be welcomed by another - and cultural considerations are key to gaining acceptance. In particular, consider whether a product is appropriate to the social and cultural context of a market.
There's an extended bit on the user of rice cookers in Asia - the preparation of rice was traditional, and the appliance had to be considered not only for its functional benefits (it cooks rice fast) but the way in which it worked "within the cooking ceremony." Consider the utter failure of western appliance companies to establish a foothold in the market, in spite of products that have better and more flexible controls, can cook a variety of foods, and a number of other features.
On the other side, consider the success of Lotus brand skincare products (chiefly lotions), borrowing upon a symbol that is already familiar to the market: the Lotus is a local plant, recognized as an ingredient in traditional medicines, and a symbol of purity and well-being. Leveraging these emotions led to a successful product in a market that has traditionally taken a negative perspective on unnatural western chemical concoctions.
The author suggests that culture itself is an emotional experience: something that fits within a culture is embraced and accepted because it brings a sense of comfort, and what contradicts a culture is often viewed with suspicion because it arouses fear and defensiveness.
Product Emotions and Societal Needs
A product may be worthwhile to a customer because it fills a functional need - but it is acceptable to them only if it fills an emotional one. In fact, if there is a strong negative emotional reaction, customers may reject even the suggestion the product may be worthwhile.
Consider the perspective on healthcare in the east and the west. Most people in western nations reject the notion of herbal remedies, and many people in Asian countries reject the notion of western pharmaceuticals. Each side considers itself to be right, and the other side to be foolish in rejecting what they trust.
As such, the same cars, cosmetics, foods, and other product that are successful in one market may fail in another. If it were a decision based on price functional needs alone, the best and cheapest products would always succeed and entry into foreign markets would not be so dangerous and unpredictable.