What do people and bees have in common? From BpM Beats per minute to SpM Signs and Symbols per Minute will show how there has been a significant change in the way people cope with feelings. And through this a fundamental shift in the roles they play also as consumers. We will explain why people have to become autodidact ethnologists in order to travel successfully within the increasing symbolic maze. We will further show how this development is decisively influenced by the people's ways of dealing with emotions and what the consequences for future strategies of research could be.
In an environment of increasing product parity, the need to innovate has become critical. The key input for innovation is robust and insightful data from customers. Given this scenario, this paper explores the triggers and barriers that exist within typical companies in the drive to gain better customer insights to fulfil the end need of innovation. This has been illustrated using the simple but interesting scenario of trying to target non-Muslim customers for Islamic banking products and services.