From: Bill Alberti
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 1:59 PM
To: Julie Wittes Schlack
Subject: Reflections on Shopper Insights…
Whadidja think?
From: Julie Wittes Schlack
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 2:02 PM
To: Bill Alberti
Subject: RE: Reflections on Shopper Insights…
Well, my conscious and rational mind says that the Shopper Insights conference was all about dichotomies – conscious vs. unconscious, planned vs. unplanned, habit vs. change, what people think vs. what they feel, etc. But since according to one speaker, 84 percent of what I do is unconscious, what the hell do I know?
From: Bill Alberti
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 3:42 PM
To: Julie Wittes Schlack
Subject: RE: Reflections on Shopper Insights…
What YOU know is just point … what you know, how you act, how you feel … My big takeaway was about treating shoppers as unique from one another and getting intimate with them. From understanding how their brains work, to exploring the richness of the emotional territory of their lives, you quickly realize that data alone just doesn’t cut it anymore. You need to get intimate with customers to earn permission into their lives to see their experiences from their points of view.
From: Julie Wittes Schlack
To: Bill Alberti
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 4:01 PM
Subject: RE: Reflections on Shopper Insights…
Amen, brother! Understandably, a lot of shopper insights work focuses on measurement, because this is one domain in which measurement is not only strategically important, but relatively easy. So there’s reams of data on what SKUs are moving and how quickly, length of time in aisle, where shoppers eyes are roaming – on WHAT people are doing … but not on WHY they’re doing it. The neuroscience work aims to get at the latter in an objective way, and it is fascinating and powerful research.
But what struck me as I listened to several presentations is that while a variety of sensory cues may inform the unconscious and stimulate the desire to touch or acquire, ultimately the act of purchasing is a pretty conscious, intellectually mediated act. That’s why shopping is one behavioral domain where self-reporting and reflection – affording people the time in space in which to wonder aloud, “Hmm … why DID I not only have the impulse, but follow through on it?” – is really important. Reflection is a powerful insight-generation tool.
And so is Dan Arielly. My other big take-away, in fact, was a deeper appreciation for just how daunting, even paralyzing, choice can be. I’m heading out for vacation in an hour, but as I weigh the question of beach vs. pond vs. hammock next week, I’ll reflect a little more on that… :)
From: Bill Alberti
To: Julie Wittes Schlack
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 4:44 PM
Subject: RE: Reflections on Shopper Insights…
And that’s why I asked … always very insightful to hear your perspective.
Enjoy your vacation. When making your decision, you may want to throw in the “decoy” option of beach minus a beach blanket. The asymmetrical dominance might make the decision for beach (my preference) unconsciously easier ;) See you next week.










Lorena – This is a true confession of a born-in-America Baby Boomer: the World Cup is barely on my radar screen. My brother-in-law is from Spain, and every four years he rattles the chains of his provincial in-laws to get with the World Cup program! But we barely do. I keep an eye on the headlines to see how Spain is doing – but that’s about it. So…I have not purchased World Cup apparel.
I do pay some attention, however, to the socially responsible actions of sports apparel brands. For example, I avoid Nike products because a number of years ago they were exposed for engaging in exploitive sweatshop practices in oversees manufacturing facilities. Their continued endorsement of Tiger Woods as a Nike spokesperson has alienated me even further.
Patagonia, on the other hand, is an excellent example of being an environmentally and socially responsible business, so I try to buy their sports gear when I can.
I like what PUMA is doing in Africa. Will it give them a good return on investment? Probably not with American-born Baby Boomers like me. But perhaps yes given the rich diversity of World Cup enthusiasts around the globe.
Janet, thanks for your message… your point of view is quite interesting! I wasn’t aware of Nike’s involvement in sweatshops and I’m glad you brought that up. I don’t necessarily lend all of my support to a particular brand because of their social responsibility efforts but it does help. However, I am appalled by companies that are involved in immoral manufacturing practices and I try to boycott these -such as Guess, whom I’ve been boycotting since the 90’s for having children in sweatshops in Central America.