Hidden in Plain Sight - How to Find and Execute Your Company’s Next Big Growth Strategy

Mar 09, 2009 in Sales & Marketing

Know in 10 minutes what it takes others hours, and keep up with the latest trends in your industry.
In this summary you will learn:

How to use the “demand-first innovation and growth” model
How to see opportunities for growth in an unbiased way by looking from the “outside in,” and seeing the customers’ viewpoint
How to define demand around the behavioral episodes of people’s lives
How to research behaviors using “the Episodic Reconstruction Method”
How to connect and engage with consumers

Why you should read Hidden in Plain Sight
You need look no further than Starbucks or the iPod to understand Erich Joachimsthaler’s take on marketing, innovation and corporate growth. He says that identifying customer need is a surefire recipe for being in a blind spot, and not seeing your biggest opportunities for innovation and growth. Instead of focusing on making a tastier cupcake or a faster automobile, he recommends understanding the serial and behavioral episodes that make up people’s lives. Then build on that reasoning when you go to the marketplace. Joachimsthaler offers plenty of business stories as evidence to support his assertion that the leaders of thriving, cutting-edge companies try to understand and analyze the structure, pattern and emotional code of consumer behavior in context. Instead of studying needs and wants, market leaders first study behaviors. Progressive organizations understand the ecosystem of products or services, and how they intersect in the context of episodic behavior to help people take care of what matters to them: their daily projects, tasks and activities. Joachimsthaler assembles a compelling case for innovation and growth. He says the consumer paradigm has shifted from pushing for products to longing for peace of mind. getAbstract says that if you think he’s right, this book will leave you with plenty to ponder.

About the Author
Erich Joachimsthaler, author of more than 60 articles and several books, is the founder and CEO of a consulting company that focuses on strategy, marketing and innovation.