Selling Blue Elephants

About the Authors

Dr. Howard Moskowitz is a renowned experimental psychologist specializing in psychophysics. He is the CEO of i-Novation, Inc. and president of Moskowitz Jacobs, Inc., where he has developed numerous market research technologies. Moskowitz's innovative work has significantly impacted how businesses understand consumer preferences and develop products.

Alex Gofman serves as the VP and CIO of Moskowitz Jacobs, Inc. He is an architect of globally recognized market research technologies and holds multiple patents. Gofman's expertise complements Moskowitz's vision, making them a powerful team in advancing market research methodologies.

Main Idea

"Selling Blue Elephants" introduces Rule Developing Experimentation (RDE), a systematic and disciplined approach to creating products that people will desire even before they realize their need. Moskowitz and Gofman argue that traditional methods like focus groups and guesswork often fail to predict market success. Instead, RDE offers a structured process to identify and develop product features that drive consumer acceptance, ensuring that businesses can launch successful products consistently.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Problem with Traditional Market Research
3. What is Rule Developing Experimentation (RDE)?
4. How RDE Works
5. Case Studies of RDE Success
6. The Science of Mind Genomics
7. Implementing RDE in Your Business
8. Conclusion

Introduction

Launching a new product in today's competitive market is a daunting task. Traditional market research methods like focus groups and surveys often fall short in predicting what consumers truly want. The authors introduce Rule Developing Experimentation (RDE) as a revolutionary approach that goes beyond these conventional methods.

"Really great products and really huge successes don't come from focus groups." - Howard Moskowitz

The book emphasizes that the key to creating breakthrough products lies in understanding and leveraging the hidden rules of consumer preferences. RDE provides a framework for discovering these rules through systematic experimentation and analysis.

The Problem with Traditional Market Research

Focus groups and trial-and-error approaches have been the cornerstone of market research for decades. However, these methods are flawed due to their reliance on consumer self-reporting and the inherent biases in small group settings. Consumers often cannot articulate their needs and preferences accurately, leading to misleading data and suboptimal product designs.

Traditional market research tends to focus on what consumers say they want, which is often influenced by social desirability and other biases. This can result in products that fail to meet the actual needs and desires of the market.

"In many cases, consumers cannot articulate exactly what they need, want or like." - Howard Moskowitz

What is Rule Developing Experimentation (RDE)?

RDE is a structured, disciplined process that systematically explores various product features to determine what combinations will be most appealing to consumers. It involves creating prototypes with different feature sets, presenting these to consumers, and using statistical analysis to identify which combinations are most effective.

"RDE breeds market success through knowledge by clearly and dramatically revealing how specific factors drive consumer acceptance and rejection." - Howard Moskowitz

The essence of RDE is its focus on empirical data and systematic testing. By presenting consumers with a variety of systematically designed prototypes, RDE can uncover the hidden preferences and priorities that drive consumer behavior. This approach eliminates guesswork and provides clear, actionable insights.

How RDE Works

RDE follows a systematic process to develop successful products: