Comments on: “If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse” http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0616/if-i%e2%80%99d-asked-my-customers-what-they-wanted-they%e2%80%99d-have-said-a-faster-horse/ Irish Communications Consultant - Be Noticed Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:32:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Piaras http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0616/if-i%e2%80%99d-asked-my-customers-what-they-wanted-they%e2%80%99d-have-said-a-faster-horse/#comment-111301 Piaras Mon, 19 Mar 2007 18:57:54 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0616/if-i%e2%80%99d-asked-my-customers-what-they-wanted-they%e2%80%99d-have-said-a-faster-horse/#comment-111301 Not sure where I found it or heard it first to be honest. Not sure where I found it or heard it first to be honest.

]]> By: Steve Wood http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0616/if-i%e2%80%99d-asked-my-customers-what-they-wanted-they%e2%80%99d-have-said-a-faster-horse/#comment-111292 Steve Wood Mon, 19 Mar 2007 18:44:36 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0616/if-i%e2%80%99d-asked-my-customers-what-they-wanted-they%e2%80%99d-have-said-a-faster-horse/#comment-111292 nice discussion ... but where does this quotation actually come from? Can you attribute it to a specific Henry Ford speech, interview, etc? Thanks. I'd love to know. Swood Bernstein-Rein Kansas City, MO nice discussion … but where does this quotation actually come from? Can you attribute it to a specific Henry Ford speech, interview, etc?

Thanks. I’d love to know.

Swood
Bernstein-Rein
Kansas City, MO

]]> By: Oliver Smith http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0616/if-i%e2%80%99d-asked-my-customers-what-they-wanted-they%e2%80%99d-have-said-a-faster-horse/#comment-26873 Oliver Smith Mon, 24 Jul 2006 10:04:33 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0616/if-i%e2%80%99d-asked-my-customers-what-they-wanted-they%e2%80%99d-have-said-a-faster-horse/#comment-26873 The Ford quotation gives market research a bad name. Good research would not expect the customer to do all the work, but would have identified the underlying needs (going faster, further, longer, smarter, safer, etc) and then the company can work on the solution. Also, consumers find it easier to respond when prompted with things than to come up with their own ideas - shown a picture of a car with its benefits would probably have gone down well even among the equine loyalists. The Ford quotation gives market research a bad name. Good research would not expect the customer to do all the work, but would have identified the underlying needs (going faster, further, longer, smarter, safer, etc) and then the company can work on the solution.
Also, consumers find it easier to respond when prompted with things than to come up with their own ideas - shown a picture of a car with its benefits would probably have gone down well even among the equine loyalists.

]]> By: John Wagner http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0616/if-i%e2%80%99d-asked-my-customers-what-they-wanted-they%e2%80%99d-have-said-a-faster-horse/#comment-18528 John Wagner Fri, 16 Jun 2006 16:12:07 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0616/if-i%e2%80%99d-asked-my-customers-what-they-wanted-they%e2%80%99d-have-said-a-faster-horse/#comment-18528 Piaras: As with everything, moderation is the key, right? Sometimes we get so caught up in social media and "the customer owns the brand" that we forget how the world really works. For example, yesterday I read a post by a PR blogger that said consumers don't want to engage with a brand ... they want to engage with the PEOPLE behind the brand. While that may be true in some cases, most people don't want either. They just want to buy a product. I love diet Coke but I don't care who makes it or who sells it or even how it's made. I just want it to be there at the store when I go to buy it. Piaras:

As with everything, moderation is the key, right? Sometimes we get so caught up in social media and “the customer owns the brand” that we forget how the world really works.

For example, yesterday I read a post by a PR blogger that said consumers don’t want to engage with a brand … they want to engage with the PEOPLE behind the brand.

While that may be true in some cases, most people don’t want either. They just want to buy a product.

I love diet Coke but I don’t care who makes it or who sells it or even how it’s made. I just want it to be there at the store when I go to buy it.

]]> By: Tom http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0616/if-i%e2%80%99d-asked-my-customers-what-they-wanted-they%e2%80%99d-have-said-a-faster-horse/#comment-18416 Tom Fri, 16 Jun 2006 08:55:20 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0616/if-i%e2%80%99d-asked-my-customers-what-they-wanted-they%e2%80%99d-have-said-a-faster-horse/#comment-18416 I think the key is to realise that while you may feel a strong sense of ownership for a product that you have developed, there may be ideas and feedback that can enhance the product. Take a lead, develope the products, but be willing to accept feedback on potential improvements. Henry Ford's customers may have asked for a faster horse, before they knew what was possible with the production line and the car, but when they saw what was possible and started looking for different colours, his 'take my product as I produce it or go somewhere else' attitude didn't do the Ford Motor Company any favours. I think the key is to realise that while you may feel a strong sense of ownership for a product that you have developed, there may be ideas and feedback that can enhance the product. Take a lead, develope the products, but be willing to accept feedback on potential improvements.

Henry Ford’s customers may have asked for a faster horse, before they knew what was possible with the production line and the car, but when they saw what was possible and started looking for different colours, his ‘take my product as I produce it or go somewhere else’ attitude didn’t do the Ford Motor Company any favours.

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