Consumer Needs exploration

In the telecom industry, many innovations are technology driven. Obviously, the customer is not the expert, so they are typically not the ones inventing new products and services. However, they are the ones that will buy the products in the end. At some point there should be a link between their needs and the new technologies, otherwise the product introduction may fail.

Linking needs and technologies is crucial for two reasons. First of all, it can help in directing and focusing product development. Secondly, it helps in explaining how to trigger latent needs for new applications.

SKIM helps you to make these links by revealing underlying emotional motives for using specific communication technologies. We will clearly show you what needs customers have and how they could be satisfied by new applications. You will learn what developments to push in order to trigger consumers to buy your products and how you can trigger latent needs when communicating about the new product.

We use laddering or means-end chain analysis methods to explore needs. Traditional laddering methods however, can be complex, expensive and hard to quantify. In case quantification is needed, SKIM applies "Structured Open Association Patterns" (SOAP), a quantitative form of laddering, developed by SKIM, which enables validation of qualitative results.

Read more about SOAP and Laddering in our Methodological Partner section