Using new brain science to address the quarterdeck dilemma.(analysis of archetypes)

Marketing the Quarterdeck may be a matter of touching on the emotions of current and potential customers.

Keywords: qualitative research; archetype; memory; emotion; metaphor; childhood; sensory

**********

Clearly this is a case with fuzzy or emotional consumer research issues. The Quarterdeck experience lends itself readily to such research exploration. As Robert Kwortnik explained in his April 2003 Cornell Quarterly article, getting at emotions in consumer decision making necessitates carefully designed qualitative research. While surveys of various kinds provide useful initial data, to get to the essence of the consumer experience and what they felt and what might motivate customers to consider off-season offerings at the Quarterdeck needs to go much deeper. Kwortnik provides a useful explanation and overview of how these techniques might be applied to get at the emotional underpinnings of patronage. However, recent research based on modern brain science has revolutionized these qualitative techniques for much deeper insight and hence such would apply most readily to the Quarterdeck case in the sense of elucidating archetypes and other useful insights into potential off-season customers.

While the Quarterdeck case is "live" in that we are provided with a snapshot of where things stand as this complex off-season positioning is analyzed, there are major steps that can be taken now to zero in not only on what customers think but also on what would motivate them to consider a summer resort like this one in the winter. Several techniques based on modern brain science have been developed to get researchers below the waterline of the consumer iceberg for a deep understanding of the thought complexities that go into such a potential patronage decision. While the construction of the current information system for the property is helpful, I argue that to really personalize the experience to the point of attracting winter customers and to engineer a special experience as is stressed in the case, the research paradigm needs to shift.

Research has established several key points as to the way that customers really think, and these insights are crucial to engineer from the ground up a new off-season experience for Quarterdeck customers. First, emotion is far more influential than surveys may reveal. Yet all too often, we fail to acknowledge the overrationalization of consumer response. We are all creatures of emotion, both consciously and subconsciously. Certainly, given the nature of "escape" the location provides, understanding of such at a deep level is crucial. In addition, people remember experiences primarily in imagery, yet we use surveys to semantically capture aspects of their perceptions of the experience. Yet again, this is a common research misstep to define our consumptive world in terms of semantics, because that is a much easier research process to manage. Yet people do not think semantically. Clearly, traditional surveying does not seem to be a match of appropriate research method to the nature of the challenge at the Quarterdeck. Third, one's memory for experience can be molded or even distorted by postexperience advertising. That is, we do not operate like computers but rather reconstruct our memories without being consciously aware we are doing so. Three people can observe the same phenomenon and report widely discrepant results, and none of them would be lying in that they truly believe in what they report. Hence, memories of Quarterdeck experiences can be enhanced postexperience. Fourth, most behavior has its roots below our conscious awareness, and therefore it makes sense to consider more implicit techniques to get at what really drives demand. So the true, complete structure of the Quarterdeck as memories is very much hidden from management view, especially given traditional explicit feedback mechanisms. Given these new parameters in the "mind of the market" several research techniques could be applied in the case to get the biggest bang for the buck. These techniques include early childhood memory elicitation and depth sensory memory interview techniques. (1)

Early childhood memory elicitation. Introduced in a recent Journal of Marketing study (see Braun-LaTour, LaTour, and Zinkhan 2007), early childhood memories are key to getting at the deep roots of how an individual relates to a consumption experience. A common misperception of the application of this technique is that one must have direct experience with the product or service offering in early childhood for such elicitation to be of value. While that is helpful (see also its use elsewhere in this issue of Cornell Quarterly [Braun-LaTour and LaTour 2007]), it is not mandatory in that elements of early memory can reveal archetypes and deep metaphors that can still be harnessed as a vehicle for service positioning for a new experience. For example, while the Quarterdeck summer experience may well be something research subjects have only experienced in adulthood, nevertheless they do have early childhood experiences that deal with vacations. This technique exposes the underlying nature of the relationship between the consumer and product and surfaces emotions, sensory aspects, and sometimes memories that have not been felt for some time.

Depth sensory memory interview. This is a one-on-one interview that uses images, sounds, smells, and other sensory cues to guide the interview session. As an example, after careful consideration of potential targeted individuals for the off-season offering, participants may be requested to bring childhood photos as well as songs, clothing, or other sensory-based information relating to their childhood involvement with vacation experiences. As the subjects are interviewed, olfactory cues (smells) may be used to enhance their memory recollections as well. These types of sensory information become the cues for guiding the interview to delve into participants' associations with memorable past vacations. These interviews can be analyzed at several levels, such as looking at the overall themes represented in the interviews or in the construction of a semantic memory map of what makes the vacation experience special. To aid interpretation, the maps are broken down into specific themes or submaps with managerial actionable points readily flowing from such.

Summary

For the Quarterdeck case, using a combination of multiple approaches would provide an optimal road map of experiential elements that could be directly applied to a specially positioned promotional campaign as well as unique service offerings during this off-season period. Service providers need to shift paradigms and realize that effective long-term strategy is anchored by dissecting the psyche of would-be customers using these methods. Then surveys are useful as a follow-up rather than starting off with such. Key to all of this is the strategically actionable output provided by these multiple in-depth qualitative analyses. That is, service positioning is clarified as are more ideal positions for a service offering. Applying brain science does not have "legs" unless it points to managerial actions, and these refined techniques do.

Therefore, positioning of the off-season Quarterdeck experience needs to first be grounded in a thorough dissection of what is going on between customers' ears. Pushing emotional hot buttons for a vacation experience can then be matched with specific actionable strategy so that the timing, nature, and scope of the service mix and marketing communications is appropriate.

References

Braun-LaTour, Kathryn A., and Michael S. LaTour. 2007. Using childhood memory elicitation to gain insights into a brand at a crossroads: The In-N-Out Burger situation. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 48 (3): 246-73.

Braun-LaTour, Kathryn A., Michael S. LaTour, and George M. Zinkhan. 2007. Using childhood memories to gain insight into brand meaning. Journal of Marketing 71 (2): 45-60.

Kwortnik, Robert J., Jr. 2003. Clarifying "fuzzy" hospitalitymanagement problems with depth interviews and qualitative analysis. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 44 (2): 117-29.

(1.) Greater detail on these and other complementary techniques can be found at www.MarketingMemories.com.

Michael S. LaTour, Ph.D, is a professor and chair in the department of marketing at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Michael.LaTour@unlv.edu).

Print Get the Mag Weekly Updates