Adaptive and Authentic: The Power of Continuous Engagement in an Ever-Evolving Market Landscape
As a design researcher with 30 years of experience, I’ve discovered the power of continuous customer engagement in an ever-evolving market. My most successful client collaborations have prioritized adaptability, authenticity, and curiosity in nurturing strong connections with customers. By fostering a symbiotic relationship between design and marketing, organizations can create meaningful experiences that resonate with customers and fuel long-term success.
Phillip Kotler, widely recognized as the father of modern marketing, defines marketing as “the process by which an organization relates creatively, productively, and profitably to the marketplace.” This definition resonates with my understanding of design practice as the process through which a designer’s creative curiosity translates their understanding of human needs into an artifact of communication.
I first encountered the concept of “all design is communication” under the tutelage of the late Prof. Klaus Krippendorff, a communication professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School of Communication, while I was studying product semantics with his colleague Dr. Reinhart Butter at The Ohio State University. Product semantics is an interdisciplinary field that delves into the symbolic and cultural meanings associated with products, investigating how these meanings are conveyed and perceived by users.
Studying product semantics enables designers to develop products that not only serve a functional purpose but also resonate with users on a deeper emotional level. This involves applying principles from various disciplines, such as semiotics (the study of signs and symbols), sociology, psychology, and design theory, to analyze and design products that convey meaningful messages and associations.
In essence, product semantics aims to uncover the hidden language of products, exploring how people derive meaning from the objects they interact with and how designers can harness this understanding to create more engaging, effective, and culturally relevant products.
To understand how an inanimate product communicates, we can refer to psychologist James Gibson’s theory of the ecology of perception. Gibson proposes that individuals perceive their environment based on action possibilities, or affordances, rather than inherent qualities. Notably, emotions are also defined as impulses to action.
Motivated by my fascination with the influence of emotions in design, I applied the principles of product semantics to develop design strategies that inspire action. A new space of collaboration between marketing and design emerged in which we aimed to develop product strategies that foster deep and meaningful connections and ongoing communication between the organization and its customers.
In conclusion, Kotler’s concept of marketing as a process by which an organization relates creatively, productively, and profitably to the marketplace can be used as a space for collaboration between marketing and design. To break down Kotler’s quote, let’s focus on the key concept of “relating to.” In human relationships, “relating to” means empathizing with or understanding another person’s feelings, experiences, or perspectives, fostering shared emotional connections and common ground.
When Kotler discusses relating creatively, he suggests that an organization’s self-interest is best served by adopting a “how might I” mindset aimed at serving the interests of all stakeholders in its value chain. This approach involves taking an inclusive stance toward co-imagining and co-creating value, ultimately leading to stronger connections between organizations and their markets.
Refocusing on the field of marketing, we can observe two distinct approaches among marketing professionals. The first approach aligns with Kotler’s concept of marketing, emphasizing an inquiry-based method to establish authentic and sustainable relationships with consumers. Professionals practicing this approach are empathetic, curious, and seek to genuinely understand the needs and desires of their target audience.
On the other hand, some marketing professionals view marketing messaging as a means to influence and manipulate minds to meet predetermined sales and profitability goals. In this case, marketers see themselves as “hidden persuaders,” employing tactics that may lack transparency or genuine connection with their audience.
These two divergent perspectives shape the strategies and communication styles employed by marketing professionals, ultimately influencing how organizations engage with their markets and customers.
Over my 30-year tenure as a design researcher, I have extensively investigated the intersection of design and marketing. My most fruitful collaborations involved clients dedicated to creating and conveying value to customers while emphasizing the significance of cultivating a culture and practice of continuous customer engagement. This approach enables organizations to adapt to shifting customer needs and evolving market conditions.
These clients acknowledge the value of fostering an environment of curiosity, openness, and adaptability. By nurturing these qualities, organizations can maintain a customer-centric focus and stay competitive in a rapidly changing market landscape.
In today’s fast-paced, “move fast and break things” development environment, it is crucial for companies to invest time and resources in iterative design and communication processes driven by foresight. Traditional brand loyalty is no longer sufficient, as customers expect organizations to work tirelessly to earn and maintain their trust. To build long-term relationships with customers, organizations must embrace authenticity and transparency in communication, exhibit curiosity in learning from their customers, and prioritize continuous engagement — three pillars akin to the foundations of strong human relationships.
