NEW JERSEY, January 27, 2003:

So you let's say you want to create brand intimacy, and create messages that connect with the customer. How can you be sure that your conceptual approach speaks the language of the customer?

Two words: Market research. But when used to INFORM the process, not just for message validation, your work can rise above the mediocre, and form a strong emotional bond with your customer.

Get your research together and really get inside the world of the target. Knowing what the emotional drivers are can help your creative teams frame the discussions in familiar terminology, based on underlying beliefs and unspoken truths.

Customers will appreciate the effort you made -- by your willingness to reach out to them, and show you have a bead on what their needs and desires are, it will pay off in willingness to try, development of trust, and one day, loyalty to you, your brand, and your company.

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