The recent Mailorder Gardening Association conference included an excellent presentation by Robyn Waters, former Vice President of Trend, Design and Product Development for Target, on the subject of designing with heart.
Robyn dramatically illustrated that a crucial element of success is not identifying and jumping on the latest trend, but listening to what’s truly important to your customers on an emotional level.
One of my favorite examples was the one she cited about the London Underground. After years of declining ridership, London transportation authorities set about cleaning up graffiti, installing wi-fi, remodeling dining cars and making other improvements. They introduced them with an advertising campaign announcing “We get you to work faster!”
Nothing happened. Ridership levels remained virtually unchanged.
So they reworked their message and announced “We get you home faster!”
Ridership soared.
Getting to work is a given. Getting home was what really mattered to people, the point at which they could be reached on an emotional level.
Food for thought, isn’t it?
