“Consumer needs” as a concept steamrollers over “consumer wants” which IMO are frequently more interesting, as well as more profitable than tedious needs. I need dental care. I want perfume. That was my shopping day today. They cost about the same. I know which one was more pleasurable and engaging, even though my new dentist put up a heck of a fight with his bubbly personality and his arcade gaming machine in the waiting room that was playing Tekken 3.

Did you know that there are two main kinds of consumer wants?
– Pleasures. Fast-delivery rewards. Sensory impact. A burst of fragrance. A tangy flavour. Music that gets better when it is louder. Sunshine in Ibiza.
– Desire. Longing and waiting for things which are not out yet, or are barely available, or where you have to go on a list. See also collecting (50% poring over the collection you have, 50% anxiously fantasising over the items you don’t have yet).

What makes the difference? Some of it is down to demographics and the type of work that people do, as well as their values. All is revealed in new book “Using Semiotics in Retail: Leverage consumer insight to engage shoppers and boost sales”. Find out WHEN to deliver pleasure and desire, HOW and to WHOM. Simple changes in packaging design, POS displays and ecommerce platforms yield big results when you know what you are aiming for. But don’t take my word for it, read the reviews – there’s one below.

“Using Semiotics in Retail” is out 3 February. Amazon, publisher koganpage.com and all good booksellers. Available worldwide.

There’s still time to get a 20% discount when you pre-order from publisher Kogan Page, use the code KOGANPAGE20, I’ll post the link in the comments.

#semiotics #consumerinsights #research #mrx #marketing #needs #wants #pleasure #desire #retail #shopping #ux #ecommerce Lawes Consulting Ltd Naurin Rashid Kogan Page Natasha Tulett Audrey Madden #games #tekken BANDAI NAMCO Europe