Archive for the ‘Motivation’ Category

Preparation for separation

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

I have found recently that I am spending an increasing amount of time working with mums on various projects; for several different clients; for a host of different brands and services. All seem to have similar overarching questions – at least at the core – and surprisingly similar objectives. In each project we are keen to understand what really motivates mum, and then ladder this up to a positioning that makes sense and can be developed into a compelling, unique and break-through proposition for that specific brand (no mean feat!).

After a lot of laddering exercises, in lots of different contexts and with many scenarios posed, all seem to lead to one key issue – the fear of impending loss and separation. And though I have alluded to this in a previous blog, what I find particularly amazing is that no matter the start-point of understanding drivers of these mothers’ behaviour, the real focus is always defined by the future in which the child will be without her. Her strong need to prepare the child for life’s challenges (emotional and rational) drives her to make different choices – but no matter the choice or outcome, the need is the same: preparation for separation.

Importantly, it doesn’t matter the country or cultural background, there is this common connecting point. Admittedly, at first glance, it appears that there are so many different types of mums and loads of different emotional drivers – I would now argue (especially after the past several weeks of intensive work with mums) that these are merely different facets; different expressions of the same deep-seated need.

Perhaps I am observing a basic biological force, or inalterable evolutionary or spiritual need that must manifested – but even so we must ask ourselves, what are mum-targeted brands doing to capture the deeper mum need state of ‘preparation for separation’?

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Raise your hand and be counted

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

I started that year with a great deal of travel. It was New Year’s Day and I was flying to China for a project for a pan-Asian client. It was an early morning rise after a late night – though not as bad as it could have been. It was my second occasion in China, and I was looking forward to the chance to work with Chinese kids. We needed to run the project before Chinese New Year, and that lengthy holiday period.

The experience was memorable, particularly because of the young people with whom we conducted the project. We spent a couple of days with them – the first day we took them shopping at a local supermarket, letting them choose products that they felt were appealing for various criteria. They did a remarkable job, and attacked each assignment with energy and interest.

When responding to our questions, they were bright, energetic and eager to be heard. One can understand this in the context of the ‘one child policy’ in effect for a number of years, compounded by the sheer numbers of people. Parents are keen that their ‘one child’ will stand above the crowd in some way, and because of this, the kids are expected to raise their hands in class for every question the teacher asked (amusingly, even if they had no idea of the answer). They were also eager to show off their just-learned English – and impressively, even though only about 9 years of age, could carry on a basic conversation in English.

It is certainly different than our frequent experiences in North American or European schools. So often we see that students will sit at the back, and choose locations in which they are least likely to be seen or called upon. And though I have learned techniques to get young people engaged, these take effort and time – in China, we didn’t have to work hard to get engagement and response.

When I work with their young people, it is understandable why the Chinese economy is growing in leaps and bounds, and the pace of change in China is incredible – with each of the 1.2 billion people eager to make their mark. If we want to keep up, we need to teach ourselves to raise our hands, and be counted.

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