Don’t Listen to Your Customers: A Tip for Marketing Consultants
A guest column in Financial Times last week by luxury brand experts Jean-Noel Kapferer and Vincent Bastien of the HEC School of Management in Paris offers interesting “anti-laws” of marketing, chief among which is “Do not pander to consumers’ wishes.” Using case studies, Kapferer and Bastien convincingly demonstrate that a strictly customer-centric approach leads to products with built-in obsolescence and advocate that starting with a vision, realizing that vision and “educating elite clients who become role models” is better. Farfetched as it may seem, I see parallels between this principle and the way marketing and communication consultants should approach working relationships with clients.
I believe it is imperative for consultants to understand and make a distinction between client wants and needs. For example, a client may want a strong direct-to-consumer component in their marketing program, when the consultant determines that the client has yet to establish the brand firmly with the professionals. A client may want a new campaign to show management that something is being done about falling sales, while what is really needed is more effective sales training and sales promotion tactics. Very often, the consultant not only has to identify and separate wants from needs and convince the client to focus resources effectively, but also help the client see the distinction as they build internal consensus among marketing, sales and executive teams. All of this does not take away from the role of market research, because market research is a critical source of understanding and insights based on which visions and strategies can evolve. But, as the authors put it, “too much listening mitigates against the requirements to surprise and stand apart.”
And if you still believe that there is little correlation between luxury goods and consulting services, consider that consulting services are a luxury to many clients today as they juggle tighter budgets. The perspective that a consultant can bring is the added value that clients are looking for.