Great piece of research just released at Forrester, by Christine Spivey Overby, with Carrie A. Johnson, & Brian Tesch.  This makes the point very objectively for re-considering marketing.  While marketing claim to be the voice of the customer, they are not hearing the message, and in fact are completely ill-equipped to do that today.

Forrester Research: The Essentials Of Consumer-Driven Innovation

Marketers live by “the voice of the customer.” But shifts in consumer behavior and the high failure rate of products, services, and experiences suggest that companies must re-evaluate their listening techniques.

Products are failing, and trust in brands is extremely low and dropping.  it goes on to highlight why the current “listening” techniques are not working, with a range of deficiencies, including bias, and being misdirected.  The example I would use of mis-direction is my current pet peeve, of consumer research.  This is almost always designed to support an already decided position, which leads into the next point.

Innovation must become customer driven, and not top down.  Customers are the source of innovation, and insight, not Executives.

Finally it lists a series of methodologies that support customer driven innovation.  They are 100% aligned with the principles outlined here, but as a Forrester customer, I will need to stop there 🙂

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