Humor me for a moment. Imagine going into a clothing store tomorrow. You’re on the hunt for a new pair of jeans. A salesperson comes over as you enter, hands you a shirt and points you to the register for purchasing. Confused and caught off guard, you obediently step into the line before your wits arrive. A glance at the shirt in your hands quickly shows it’s not your size, a color you hate, and you have more than a slight suspicion it’s intended for the opposite gender. And, wait, didn’t you come in to buy pants, anyway?
What a ridiculous scenario, right? (I made it up, so please don’t agree too heartily.) But is it really so farfetched? One of the trickiest parts of our jobs is connecting with consumers. We aren’t always sure of what they want, so we frantically throw something at them and cross our fingers for the best. (If we’re of a surlier sort, we throw products at patrons and cross our arms, daring them to say it isn’t just what they needed and forcing them to purchase as it’s the only option given.) Not only do we have to know what our consumers request, but we also need to engage them. Why? It goes back to avoiding the whole brand-isn’t-listening thing. Humans fancy knowing someone is hearing them. Think about it — every one of us is a consumer, and how frustrating is it when we feel a brand doesn’t understand what we want or need? People aren’t static beings but ever-changing creatures with rather elusive desires. What appeals to buyers today is not what they want tomorrow. How they shop one week is not how they prefer to shop the next.