Abstract:

The paper introduces an actionable way of understanding how brands express their core values to address consumers' fundamental motivations. We believe there are a set of universal needs that brands can effectively use to really hit the 'hot buttons' which drive consumers' brand choices. These needs can be applied to different product categories and across cultures. It sets out to show how the authors derived the list of needs initially and then how they were tested and applied in the local context based on studying two very different markets, namely shampoo and automotive, in China.