New tools and methodologies involve the consumer in the development and review of the creative process more than ever before. The best marketers bring the consumer in early on to find out how people will react to a particular message.

rnQuestion: How has the creative process of marketing changed?
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rnBob Lord:  The creative process within the marketing world is rnbeing challenged and it’s being challenged because there are tools and rnmethodologies now that involve the consumer in the development and rnreview of the creative process more than ever before.  The marketing rncompanies that are doing things well are the marketing companies that rnare bringing the consumer in early on to test and learn about how peoplern will react to a particular message to understand what they would want rnin product development, so when the product actually launches the rnconsumer has already been involved with the evolution of that product, rnso if you think about Starbucks again My Starbucks has been a great boonrn for them where people are helping to design new drinks for them and rnthey’re harnessing the power of the consumer to bring their ideas into rnwhat will be potentially the new drink for them.  There are automobile rncompanies that are enlisting the help of the general public to help to rndesign the car of the future.  What do they want the car of the future rnto look like?  What attributes do they see as important?  And those rnfeatures are being fed into the product design element and the rndevelopers that are then being inputted into the cars, which ultimately rnyou now have a virtual focus group to help you in your marketing messagern and your design process.
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rnRecorded on June 16, 2010
rnInterviewed by Jessica Liebman