Laddering: Unlocking the Potential of Consumer Behavior

Praise for Laddering " Laddering is your challenge to get to know your customers better. Before you share your next social media update, learn from Eric's insightful experience to improve your communication with the people who buy and use your products." —BRETT FARMILOE, Employee 01, Markitors "Big data isn't about the numbers. It's about the people who are represented by the numbers. Laddering shows you how to effectively build and nurture relationships with your customers." —JOHN DAVIDSON, CEO, Curious Analytics "This is the manual on interview techniques that anyone in the customer discovery phase of their lean startup should religiously read. Put this book next to Eric Ries's and Steve Blank's books on lean startups. Without it, you're just fooling yourself about what your customers want." —MICHAEL MEALLING, cofounder, Pipefish "The new economy requires that you get to know your customers intimately. Eric provides the techniques you need to ask, listen, and learn from your customers. The approach he outlines in Laddering drives new strategies that lead to increased customer engagement." —SCOTT FREY, President and CEO, PossibleNOW "From Bernays to Blakley . . . Holtzclaw goes beyond big data and asks the crucial question of consumer behavior: why? Eric is the consumer's champion, diving deep into our DNA. He explains why Groupon is failing and why big data is not our savior." —BRANDY NAGEL, author of Digitally Famous

Preface ix Chapter 1 History 1 Chapter 2 The Need for Laddering 19 BellSouth Case Study: But Would You? 37 Chapter 3 Laddering Defined 45 Cruise Line Case Study 59 Chapter 4 The Steps to Laddering 65 The Social TV Case Study 80 Chapter 5 Confirming and Fine–Tuning Your Ladders 91 The Social Media Family Case Study 106 Chapter 6 Latticing: Finding the Overlap in Ladders 117 Travel Personas Case Study 135 Chapter 7 Lensing 143 Chapter 8 Practical Application of Laddering 165 BISSELL Word–of–Mouth Marketing Case Study 182 Chapter 9 The Way Forward 189 Index 203

ERIC V. HOLTZCLAW is founder and CEO of Laddering Works, a marketing strategy firm, and Vice President at PossibleNOW, the industry leader in preference management. Eric has spent twenty-plus years identifying and capitalizing on emerging trends in technology. Eric's professional experience includes founding User Insight, a user research firm that advises Fortune 500 brands on consumer strategy. Eric's weekly radio show, The "Better You" Project, shines a spotlight on entrepreneurs' business journeys. His column, "Lean Forward," appears weekly on Inc.com, and he is a regular contributor to CMO.com.