e of her inner world. Maybe she'll draw in detail about her fantasy kid-friendly healthful frozen entree. Or perhaps she'll vividly describe her dinnertime battles and how much she hates being the "vegetable police."

It's possible to get at this kind of information by giving consumers a palette from which to discover their ideas, thoughts, fantasies, and needs. But equally important is the ability to listen to the stories they tell; because the stories are what reveal who they are and what they care about.

When a company takes the time to connect with a customer's hopes and dreams, it enters a relationship that is based on more than

Ssshhhhh.... Did you hear that? It's the whisper of another brand trying to be heard.

Against the clamor of consumer-controlled media and me-too product introductions with me-too pricing, it's becoming nearly impossible to find a voice that resonates. Marketers are grappling with the question of how to get consumers' attention. What does it take to get their ear?

The answer is simple, but the process is far from easy. The best way to get consumers to listen, it turns out, is to learn how to listen to them.

Many companies are paying lip service to this idea. "Storytelling" and "conversation" have become business buzzwords. But if marketers don't know how to elicit and interpret the stories that resonate most deeply with customers, companies may as well be having a conversation with themselves.

Women pose a particular challenge in this respect. Under social pressure to be polite and accommodating, they're more likely to tell marketers what they want to hear, rather than what keeps them up at night. As a result, we need to pay close attention, not just to their words, but to the truth that lies behind those words. Mining for Truth

For example, if you ask a customer "which do you like better? Butter or margarine?", she'll state her preference. But will she tell you that butter makes her nostalgic for her grandmother's oatmeal cookies? Or that she pores over nutrition newsletters for the latest information about fats? Maybe butter reminds her of a bouquet of buttercups she got from her very first boyfriend... Direct questioning will never get at these associations.

Focus groups have their place. But alone, they rarely reveal the succulent details that lead to a distinctive voice in the marketplace. Interviews need to be augmented with observation, in other words, watching what women do in a particular context. Equally important is a process we call "structured intuition." This creative approach encourages women to express their deeper thoughts and feelings non-verbally through the use of stimulus tools that dig deep for the unspoken, the unarticulated.

Structured Intuition

Structured intuition is not just a matter of asking a woman "how do you feel" about, say, cooking. Structured intuition involves giving her images and words, and asking her to tell a story - in this case, perhaps to convey her vision of an ideal meal with her son, and what stands in the way of making that vision a reality. The former approach will tell you her likes and dislikes (assuming she's honest). The latter, however, provides a much richer picture of her inner world. Maybe she'll draw in detail about her fantasy kid-friendly healthful frozen entree. Or perhaps she'll vividly describe her dinnertime battles and how much she hates being the "vegetable police."

It's possible to get at this kind of information by giving consumers a palette from which to discover their ideas, thoughts, fantasies, and needs. But equally important is the ability to listen to the stories they tell; because the stories are what reveal who they are and what they care about.

When a company takes the time to connect with a customer's hopes and dreams, it enters a relationship that is based on more than r

if marketers don't know how to elicit and interpret the stories that resonate most deeply with customers, companies may as well be having a conversation with themselves.

Women pose a particular challenge in this respect. Under social pressure to be polite and accommodating, they're more likely to tell marketers what they want to hear, rather than what keeps them up at night. As a result, we need to pay close attention, not just to their words, but to the truth that lies behind those words. Mining for Truth

For example, if you ask a customer "which do you like better? Butter or margarine?", she'll state her preference. But will she tell you that butter makes her nostalgic for her grandmother's oatmeal cookies? Or that she pores over nutrition newsletters for the latest information about fats? Maybe butter reminds her of a bouquet of buttercups she got from her very first boyfriend... Direct questioning will never get at these associations.

Focus groups have their place. But alone, they rarely reveal the succulent details that lead to a distinctive voice in the marketplace. Interviews need to be augmented with observation, in other words, watching what women do in a particular context. Equally important is a process we call "structured intuition." This creative approach encourages women to express their deeper thoughts and feelings non-verbally through the use of stimulus tools that dig deep for the unspoken, the unarticulated.

Structured Intuition

Structured intuition is not just a matter of asking a woman "how do you feel" about, say, cooking. Structured intuition involves giving her images and words, and asking her to tell a story - in this case, perhaps to convey her vision of an ideal meal with her son, and what stands in the way of making that vision a reality. The former approach will tell you her likes and dislikes (assuming she's honest). The latter, however, provides a much richer picture of her inner world. Maybe she'll draw in detail about her fantasy kid-friendly healthful frozen entree. Or perhaps she'll vividly describe her dinnertime battles and how much she hates being the "vegetable police."

It's possible to get at this kind of information by giving consumers a palette from which to discover their ideas, thoughts, fantasies, and needs. But equally important is the ability to listen to the stories they tell; because the stories are what reveal who they are and what they care about.

When a company takes the time to connect with a customer's hopes and dreams, it enters a relationship that is based on more than

ell you that butter makes her nostalgic for her grandmother's oatmeal cookies? Or that she pores over nutrition newsletters for the latest information about fats? Maybe butter reminds her of a bouquet of buttercups she got from her very first boyfriend... Direct questioning will never get at these associations.

Focus groups have their place. But alone, they rarely reveal the succulent details that lead to a distinctive voice in the marketplace. Interviews need to be augmented with observation, in other words, watching what women do in a particular context. Equally important is a process we call "structured intuition." This creative approach encourages women to express their deeper thoughts and feelings non-verbally through the use of stimulus tools that dig deep for the unspoken, the unarticulated.

Structured Intuition

Structured intuition is not just a matter of asking a woman "how do you feel" about, say, cooking. Structured intuition involves giving her images and words, and asking her to tell a story - in this case, perhaps to convey her vision of an ideal meal with her son, and what stands in the way of making that vision a reality. The former approach will tell you her likes and dislikes (assuming she's honest). The latter, however, provides a much richer picture of her inner world. Maybe she'll draw in detail about her fantasy kid-friendly healthful frozen entree. Or perhaps she'll vividly describe her dinnertime battles and how much she hates being the "vegetable police."

It's possible to get at this kind of information by giving consumers a palette from which to discover their ideas, thoughts, fantasies, and needs. But equally important is the ability to listen to the stories they tell; because the stories are what reveal who they are and what they care about.

When a company takes the time to connect with a customer's hopes and dreams, it enters a relationship that is based on more than

encourages women to express their deeper thoughts and feelings non-verbally through the use of stimulus tools that dig deep for the unspoken, the unarticulated.

Structured Intuition

Structured intuition is not just a matter of asking a woman "how do you feel" about, say, cooking. Structured intuition involves giving her images and words, and asking her to tell a story - in this case, perhaps to convey her vision of an ideal meal with her son, and what stands in the way of making that vision a reality. The former approach will tell you her likes and dislikes (assuming she's honest). The latter, however, provides a much richer picture of her inner world. Maybe she'll draw in detail about her fantasy kid-friendly healthful frozen entree. Or perhaps she'll vividly describe her dinnertime battles and how much she hates being the "vegetable police."

It's possible to get at this kind of information by giving consumers a palette from which to discover their ideas, thoughts, fantasies, and needs. But equally important is the ability to listen to the stories they tell; because the stories are what reveal who they are and what they care about.

When a company takes the time to connect with a customer's hopes and dreams, it enters a relationship that is based on more than

e of her inner world. Maybe she'll draw in detail about her fantasy kid-friendly healthful frozen entree. Or perhaps she'll vividly describe her dinnertime battles and how much she hates being the "vegetable police."

It's possible to get at this kind of information by giving consumers a palette from which to discover their ideas, thoughts, fantasies, and needs. But equally important is the ability to listen to the stories they tell; because the stories are what reveal who they are and what they care about.

When a company takes the time to connect with a customer's hopes and dreams, it enters a relationship that is based on more than rational decision-making. Connecting to what matters to a customer allows you to compete beyond price, upgrades, "bells and whistles," and a proliferation of brand extensions (as in the toothpaste category). "More," "better," and "cheaper," is not enough to attract or sustain women's interest. Women today are bombarded with so many choices that they experience "cognitive overload," which leads them to put off their purchase until someone reaches their soul.

The best brand stories are successful, not only because they are unique. They succeed because they show the customer that she has been heard and understood. That somebody knows her. And when it comes down to it, isn't that what everyone wants?