FC NOW: The Fast Company Weblog
January 4, 2006
Home Is Where the Focus Group Is
It's nothing new to come up with aggregate fictional personas and characters to represent the different kinds of customers and clients a company might work with. Knowing more about who you're trying to do business with can only help you -- and them. What's interesting is when companies take that a step further. Working with the marketing agency Organic, Chrysler has done just that.
Organic and Chrysler have developed a series of persona rooms -- physical living spaces "inhabited" by the company's target customers. (Online subscription required.) Gathering demographic and psychographic data, a profile of the potential customer is created. That's common practice. What's uncommon is that they then outfit an apartment of sorts with the furniture, personal effects, and accoutrements of those characters.
Think of them as furnished apartments for people who don't exist -- except in the aggregate. Where do your customers, clients, and partners live? What would you find on their coffee tables and kitchen counters?
Posted by Heath Row at January 4, 2006 1:35 PM | Category: sales + marketing |
5 Comments
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I read this same article with interest, but couldn't help wonder if the creation of these fictional individual personas might unintentionally cause the marketers to think too narrowly about their target audience and get too pigeon-holed.
An interesting read...if possible, it would be good to have some current employees do the same.
too bad they are not making better cars. Toyota now overtaking America as top car builder, once an American top slot. Maybe if we focused on what we liked in cars...not apartments we could do that again. Remember when??
Recent list of SAFE cars almost all were foreign save only 2 which were American.
www://spaces.msn.com/members/rogerroost/
I'm not sure I understand how the belongings of aggregate groups of people really offer insight into usage of those belongings by that segment.
I could see some value if the marketers use this as a brainstorming space to be "one" with the customer. Beyond that, it seems a bit frivolous.
I hope that they are spending at least as much time and money watching how customers interact with their cars, i.e. are they designed to offer value and benefit to their target customer?
On another note: I did look at one of the rooms that they created. It looks very much like a room in my house and the style I prefer. However, I really do not like Chrysler cars. Go figure.
Usage and spending start from home and its residents.Unless their likeness or choices are not properly looked into,any product will fail.
The market begins from home.And the great marketeer is the beggar whom we find in Asia and pacific.Her knows when and where to beg.Person may get annoyed with the timing or place,but he knows when and where to beg and he gets it.