Rating: 
Summary: Incredible
Review: This is by far the most revolutionary book on marketing to be released to the public in the past two decades. Frankly, I was astonished as to the level of depth and detail Zaltman revealed into his methods. Backed with hard data, validated by huge windfall profits where implemented, and celebrated by Fortune 50 firms, How Customers Think will transform your perceptions of business marketing strategy.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: This is the best book about marketing research and understanding both your customers & yourself that I have ever read. Having applied lots of cutting-edge research results from other disciplines, such as philosophy of mind/psychology and cognitive science makes this book a must read for those in today's bloody business world, not just traditional marketing peoples. Much valuable than those books with fashion titles as "experiential marketing".
Rating: 
Summary: THOUGHT-PROVOKING INSIGHTS ON METAPHORICAL MARKETING
Review: To summarize broadly, Zaltman's work is multi-disciplinary -- it scuttles through neuroscience, psychology, surrealistic art, marketing etc. -- and offers a viewpoint that the strip-mining form of quantitative market research that is predominant in our businesses fails to uncover a lot of hidden (or tacit, or latent) forms of consumer thought. Through an array of exciting examples of his own work, he builds a theory of information processing and thought formation in the human brain. This romp through a coterie of different fields is gratifying, as is Zaltman's captivating writing style. I bet you will come away with some thought-provoking ideas. For instance, there's a suggestion that you could segment your markets along entirely new lines. Among other things, brain scans could be used to classify your customer base into people who prefer visual communications and those who prefer auditory ones, and then target the first group with a newspaper display ad and the second with a radio spot. But now for my paltry quibbles. While I adore the way the theory is constructed, I do not entirely agree with the author's ideas. Some ambiguous findings are shrugged off with "Qualitative research is not a replacement, it is complementary." The truth in some of the cases is that all his metaphorical attempts with showing of eccentric visuals etc do not always lead to any more exhilerating insights than could have been attained through other forms of research, or plain gut instinct. For instance, consider his study of executive MBA students at Harvard Business School who were questioned: "What do you mean by customer focused?" Part of the answer: It means collecting information, analyzing data, anticipating customer needs - all exactly what customer-service gurus advise. But further elicitation revealed another part of the answer: Being customer-focused means having integrity, caring about customers in an authentic way, being a company worthy of trust. This leads Zaltman to the conclusion that "The executives were surprised by how much of their individual thinking was shared by others, although they had never discussed these things with anyone." I am not sure how "having integrity, caring about customers, being a company worthy of trust" translates into something seminal? This is not to trivialize the impact of this book. I love it. I love the WAY in which the theory is constructed. Chances are you will indeed be goaded into thinking of issues pertinent to your function and gain a good deal of insight into how human beings assess and operate (spoiler: in images, not in linguistically confined words.) I recommend this book wholeheartedly, perhaps even a must-read book for anyone involved in psychology or strategy, but just keep your reality hats on.
Rating:
Summary: A must for producers and consumers of market research
Review: With "How Customers Think," Zaltman provides an interesting perspective on the field of market research as it relates to consumer behavior. According to Zaltman, (1) thought is based on images, not words; (2) most communication is non-verbal; (3) metaphors are central to thought and (4) memory is fragile. The book is very well researched (and footnoted) and well written, with abstract concepts presented with real-life examples that support the thesis being presented. In the end you may not buy into all of the conclusions reached by Zaltman, but the material is sufficiently compelling to least warrant serious consideration. The material will clearly make you think about previous assumptions. If you do market research or make decisions based on market research, Zaltman's book should be part of your professional reading for 2005.
Rating:
Summary: Advertising and Neurology Brought Together
Review: With the advances made in the last 15 years on brain research and understanding, creating advertising is a whole new ballgame. Consumers conscious thoughts are only 5% of their thinking, so it is often that most research doesn't address the incredibly important 95%. Zaltman explains how to do it and how to do it effectively, of course plugging his own firm here and there. Being in a big ad agency, I know that most work isn't produced with solid research behind it, but instead for a client who has "dictated" what the advertising needs to do or how it should appeal to consumers. The best account planners and managers can take the knowledge from this book and guide their clients to understanding the benefits of this type of research (through ROI) and ultimately achieve better results.
Rating:
Summary: This may be first great book of the 21st Century.
Review: Wittgenstein said: "An 'inner process' stands in need of outward criteria" (PI1,580). Well, we have it now! Lets face it! Customers are the most opaque problem we have. How do we develop, promote and sale our products in a highly aggressive and competitive world, if we do not have any insights into how customers make the choices they do. Certainly focus groups, refined listening and the staggering advances in statistical techniques have been some help. But for the most part they have added to the noise and we are no better off than our mentors who grew up in the world of mass marketing. Now we have a truly 'new' and finely tested way to know the customer. Zaltman's book is the culmination of his valuable insights and just plain, sound inter-disciplinary thinking at the Mind of the Market Lab at Harvard. If you do not read this book, you will live to regret it! This is certainly the first great marketing book of the 21st century. Get It!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant insight. Left me breathless.
Review: Zaltman's book contains critical insights on every page. It is a wonderful read for anyone seeking insight into how customers think - and how you, the reader, thinks. Equally applicable for B to B or B to C markets. I used the words "brilliant" and "breathless" intentionally and with care. Both are metaphors that create images for the reader. The use of metaphors and images in customer thinking are key concepts in this book and fundamental to understanding your target market. A pleasure to read. Sean Gallagher
Gallagher Management, Inc.
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