This paper addresses the values of, and applications for, a new qualitative research approach that uncovers consumers' innermost emotional drivers for product and brand choice. It is also an innovative process that encourages participants to be truly creative in coming up with ideas that will meet their emotional needs. The approach is based upon new theories derived from neuroscience on how the mind works, which the presenters have been developing and refining since mid-year 2000 and officially launched in Autumn 2001. As well as setting out the theoretical framework that lies behind the approach and the analysis procedures employed, the presenters also discuss several examples of the approach in action. These range from an exploration of how people feel about their mobile phones, to uncovering opportunities for changing the marketing paradigms for pensions and investments, to ways of encouraging creativity in the workplace.
This paper is based on the results of a global qualitative project covering 14 countries across North and South America, East and West Europe,Asia and Australia. Advertising clearly plays a substantial role in the construction and support of a brand's image in the mind of the consumer. Yet what do we understand about the media that carry these ideas, images and messages, their role in creating a relationship between consumer and brand, or how these vehicles may affect consumers' willingness to engage with the advertising and the interpretation of their message?