Brands must go beyond solving a customer’s problem or relieving her pain and focus on the job she’s trying to get done at a particular moment in time.
Marketers have always tried to engage customers by talking about specific problems to be solved or pains to be relieved. Instead, author and disruptor Stephen Wunker points out that marketers might want to focus on the “job the customer wants done at a specific moment in time.” For instance, moms might not see ice cream as an indulgence, but see it as a “scream-stopper” to be deployed on a shopping trip while with the kids at the mall. She might also see a creamy, fruity treat not simply as ice cream to be consumed, but as a reward for a week of rigorous Zumba classes. In other words, “I’ve earned this!”
According to Wunker, a wise marketer would consider asking these questions in taking a more human-centric approach to creating value:
— Ask yourself what problem your product or service is really solving for in a strategic situation? (If you’re selling a car, are you selling safety, style or the fact that the customer can make an exciting choice in their car-buying decision?)
— How can we focus on what customers really need without imposing our preconceptions or providing too much?
— How can we do this in an organized, disciplined and repeatable way?
Check out the above sketch notes from Stephen’s presentation at the Un-Conference in San Diego in May. It’s chock-full of great ideas and different ways of looking at satisfying the customer.
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