{"id":29177,"date":"2022-10-27T00:00:40","date_gmt":"2022-10-26T23:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/?p=29177"},"modified":"2026-05-06T17:23:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T16:23:16","slug":"brands-need-to-put-consumers-at-the-heart-of-their-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/brands-need-to-put-consumers-at-the-heart-of-their-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Brands Need to Put Consumers at the Heart of Their Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matt Johnson, PhD<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, is a neuroscientist, author, and professor of consumer psychology at Hult International Business School. As a consumer scientistist, his specialty lies in applying a human-centric perspective to marketing. In his newest book, <\/em>Branding That Means Business<\/em><\/a>, Matt Johnson and his co-author, Tessa Misiaszek, combine the latest business thinking with psychology, sociology, and anthropology to show readers how to harness a new perspective on branding\u2014one that goes beyond the fundamentals of business and into the fundamentals of human behavior.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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Why businesses need great branding <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Fans of Simon Sinek will know his famous adage: \u201cConsumers don\u2019t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.\u201d This is a compelling idea, but it only gets us part of the way there.<\/p>\n

The \u201cwhat\u201d\u2014your product\u2014does of course make a massive difference. There\u2019s a difference between buying a car that works vs. buying a car that doesn\u2019t. And while consumers are sensitive to your<\/em> motivations, what\u2019s actually most crucial here isn’t your motivations as a brand. It’s the motivation of your consumers.<\/p>\n

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But how can you find that? <\/strong><\/h3>\n

In each marketing class I teach at Hult, we go through an exercise called the \u201ctrue why.\u201d First, I ask my students each to pick their favorite brand. The results aren\u2019t too unexpected. The most popular global brands feature heavily: Apple, Nike, Coke, and AirBnB are all common responses.<\/p>\n

Then I ask them why. Why is this your favorite brand? And here, again, the answers aren\u2019t too out of the ordinary. For Apple, they \u201chave the best tech.\u201d For Nike, they \u201cmake me feel cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

But then we really get into the true<\/em> why. The why behind the why. Why does it matter to have the best tech? Why does it matter to feel cool? And this is where we get into uncharted territory.<\/p>\n

The true why test forces us to get to this deeper level of analysis. And, ultimately, how we can utilize that to develop, craft, and refine our brand strategy.<\/p>\n

Why does it matter to have the best tech? Why does it matter to feel cool? And this is where we get into uncharted territory.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The role of the \u201ctrue why\u201d in brand strategy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

But before we get to the test itself, we discuss what the \u201ctrue why\u201d represents, and its role within a brand\u2019s strategy. At the heart of what the brand should deliver is the consumer\u2019s core motivation. The brand must address the deeper, human needs that a customer has that drive their behavior, such as the need for security, accomplishment, self-esteem, belonging, or perhaps family.<\/p>\n

This goes beyond the simple, obvious need the product might be solving. Lego, for example, makes toys for kids but the essence of what it delivers is the ability to \u201ccreatively pursue mastery.\u201d<\/p>\n

This speaks directly to a deep, core motivation of the consumer. In this way, the brand goes beyond sheer utility and into a deeper, emotional domain that the product on its own doesn\u2019t deliver.<\/p>\n

A stellar product imbued with a deeper motivation is a formidable combination. Think about Airbnb. At a basic level, the need is simple and straightforward: a place to stay that isn\u2019t a hotel.<\/p>\n

But the key insight that enabled Airbnb to flourish was tapping into a much deeper need that its competitors had overlooked: that sense of belonging.<\/p>\n

And this brings us back to the \u201ctrue why\u201d test.<\/p>\n

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The \u201ctrue why\u201d test<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Finding the true consumer motivation requires market research and consumer insight. The end goal is to find the ultimate \u201cwhy\u201d of the consumer. It requires you to ask a series of probing questions until you get to the \u2018true\u2019 motivation. Start with the product, and then go deeper.<\/p>\n

Consider this \u201ctrue why\u201d for Airbnb:<\/p>\n

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