When we talk about Brand Narcissism, we don’t mean to suggest the researchers or the brand managers themselves are narcissistic. Rather, the origins of market research are rooted in narcissistic thinking and today’s rapidly changing consumer no longer connects with our "best practice" questions on brand health. Think about how we ask metrics along the brand funnel:
While these are all questions that interest marketers, brand managers, and researchers, they are not empathetic nor connected to how people actually make purchase decisions. Shoppers are thinking about what they need, what their priorities are, and how they want to solve that need.
The good news is that
brands can overcome Narcissism
by becoming consumer-centric.
Alter Agents has developed a questionnaire to provide you with a quick snapshot of your brand’s current approach to research. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it should give you a sense of how your organization is currently oriented and if it is time to consider a change.