In making the analogy between business and warfare the business corollary to the "enemy" is one's business competitor. To take the analogy further it is clear that the business terrain that must be won is the customer. Just as a commander must know the terrain he will fight for, the business leader must know the customer he hopes to win. The Art of War states, "When employing troops it is essential to know beforehand the conditions of the terrain. Knowing the distances, one can make use of an indirect or a direct plan. If he knows the degree of ease or difficulty of traversing the ground he can estimate the advantages of using infantry or cavalry. If one knows where the ground is constricted and where open he can calculate the size of force appropriate. If he knows where he will give battle he knows when to concentrate or divide his forces."
I have personally spent many years doing market research focus groups, surveys and customer councils to learn all I can about customers. These are all valid methods of knowing the "terrain." However, one shortcoming of these methods is their reliance on customers' logic-based responses to questions. It is clear that logic may only play a small part of the customer decision process. Psychological research has shown that the emotional part of the brain (the limbic) has an important role, often being stronger than that of the logical part of the brain (the cortex). Research has also shown an even deeper part of the brain, the reptilian (which guides our survival and reproductive instincts) is even more powerful in determining why customers buy certain products. The premise is that biological drives from our evolution as a species and the strong imprints of our cultures reside in the reptilian brain and guide our buying choices. In fact, many choices are made based on instinct or emotion, with a logical "alibi" being made up to justify the decision.
This method of learning about customers' deepest drives is known as archetyping discovery. I have had the pleasure of learning this methodology from a leader in the field, Dr. Clotaire Rapaille. Dr. Rapaille has used his archetyping methodology to drive the design of the PT Cruiser in the United States and the creation and marketing of many other very successful products and brands. Using a unique process that allows buyers to reveal what a product means to them at an emotional and instinctual level, archetyping unlocks the "code" in buyers' minds. Using this profound knowledge, smart marketers and designers create the right offerings and marketing strategy to set off those evolutionary and cultural hot buttons.
If you would like to learn more, I would urge you to pick up a copy of the book The Seven Secrets of Marketing by Dr. Clotaire Rapaille or visit his website at http://www.archetypediscoveriesworldwide
