| "The technique cuts through the difference between what customers say and what they do" THE WALL STREET JOURNAL |
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© 2007. Moskowitz and Gofman. All rights reserved.
Testimonials from corporations
Selling Blue Elephants
By Howard Moskowitz and Alex Gofman
By Howard Moskowitz and Alex Gofman
| Moskowitz Jacobs Inc. |
| Using RDE, Howard helped us grow the Prego Brand to twice its size. The optimization and category assessment methods of RDE led to the launch of the highly successful Prego Extra Chunky line and the double digit growth of the base Prego business.. In the spaghetti sauce market, we did a category audit. RDE uncovered a huge untapped niche that existed in the marketplace. We developed products for this niche and grew our market share to twice its original size by following the insights identified in the RDE-based category audit and optimization. This brilliant identification of a food segment was responsible for the success of the Prego brand in the market. Monica Wood VP, Global Marketing Research Head, Novartis OTC (Formerly Director, Market Research at Campbell Soup Company) |
| Moskowitz and Gofman have opened up to the business world a new dimension for creating innovation from the consumer's perspective. Up to now, consumers often told us their feelings about innovations after the fact, when it was already too late. Now we can implement the consumer's ideas early in the innovation process in order to create new products that have a greater chance of succeeding. It looks like Moskowitz & Gofman's powerful development tool can be a welcome additional to your innovation portfolio. It can provide a blueprint for the future success of your product. Essentially the tools makes the consumer your invention partner. Sven Gohla VP R&D, The La Prairie Group, Switzerland |
| Selling Blue Elephants is a must-read for anyone in business – whether you are an entrepreneur, an employee of privately held company or a member of a billion-dollar multinational corporation. Moskowitz and Gofman introduce readers to the world of Rule Developing Experimentation (RDE) and illustrate its applicability and value through a number of beautifully explained real-world examples ranging from pickles, pretzels and pasta to credit cards, magazines, and Presidential elections! I can’t imagine that there will be a single reader who does not get something of value out of this book. Phil Perkins, Sr. VP & Director of Research, Development and Innovation Bush Brothers & Company |
| A captivating, clear and concise view on how to proactively approach information overload. Everyone thinks they need to break rules, but Moskowitz and Gofman skillfully show us how to develop and use the rules to define new perspectives and make better business decisions in virtually any field. An absolute must-read for any businessperson facing fierce competition! Sean Bauld, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Marketing, Sales & Trading Reuters |
| Over the last 15 years significant shareholder's value have been destroyed by "insightful and creative" marketers resulting in the shocking statistic that more than 90% of launches and re-launches do fail. The predictability between success and failure has become now so narrow that launches become gambles! Moskowitz and Gofman are serious geniuses that have dedicated their work to help all of us to increase our chances of success significantly. RDE is a new tool that all marketers should acquire if they love their profession and are serious about creating shareholders value out of every launch. Tex Gunning, Group Vice President, Unilever Asia |
| Again, Howard Moskowitz has manifested with this book that he is truly the leading personality in the consumer research world. It is one thing to write a meaningful book for the market research community -- it is quite another thing to write it in such a fascinating and comprehensive style as he and Alex Gofman have done. The reader will get more than just an intellectually appealing learning experience. He will enjoy the journey, discovering how wonderfully this book has been written. Johannes Hartmann Vice President Consumer Insight Foods, Unilever |
| You will know (and use to your benefit) more about your competitor than he knows about himself. More about his advertising, his brochures and the flaws in his marketing. What you do need is the breakthrough called RDE -- Rule Developing Experimentation. Read this book. Experiment. And discover the biggest competitive advantage you've ever had. Jerry Lee, Owner, WBEB Radio Philadelphia |
| Moskowitz and Gofman take us through the commercial beginnings of RDE with a series of case studies in consumer packaged goods that are still exciting today. They then lead us through later applications in the area of services, communications, design and packaging. But where the rubber really meets the road is when they lead us into the "algebra of the consumer mind" and Mind Genomics. RDE comes alive as a powerful social, political and commercial tool as it is applied to the construction of It! databases that have the capacity to become an amazing library of insight into the consumer mind for marketers, politicians and social engineers alike. One of the most original marketing books in decades. Simon Chadwick Partner, Cambiar LLC |
| Engaging and Powerful Product Success Stories. Not for the fainthearted or the linear minded. The Prego story is particularly close to my heart as I lived the intensity of the planning and design sessions, the various tastings, and the logistics of getting the product, the pots, the pans and the ladles to the right cities. The rich results from this study provided ‘focus’ for new product development, and ‘broke the paradigm’ by looking beyond “texture” and “color” as key drivers of consumer liking. Bravo to the authors for bringing this story and their approach to the business world, and to readers in general. Cecille Feliciano Former Gravies and Sauces Research Manager Campbell Soup Company |
| RDE is an intuitively compelling, powerful concept, but somehow that simple powerful elegance was lost in the academic treatment of the subject. Finally, there’s a book that explains how RDE can be applied to marketing and product development in simple, clear, and (dare I say) entertaining terms. A breath of fresh air! Jeff Ewald Founder Optimization Group, Inc. |
| We are in an age of the next killer application and it is elusive. Selling Blue Elephants is an absolute must read for any business moving from strategy to execution. The authors have built a process driven engine (RDE) that delivers actionable results that have a direct tie back to business directives. Bringing reality from concept is the key ingredient to a successful business idea, Selling Blue Elephants is the cookbook. Peter Tripp, Vice President, Strategic Programs Office Global Outsourcing and Infrastructure Services UNISYS |
| Selling Blue Elephants is a refreshing, user friendly approach to explain to business and marketing folks, something they need to know, but find hard to understand:- how consumers really make choices. We are creatures that communicate most about our inner preferences when we can just compare options or select alternatives, rather than attempt to analyse and explain our own behaviour or beliefs. Selling Blue Elephants helps us see how apparently complex questions can be scientifically resolved, through a mixture of everyday examples and light stories – I both enjoyed the read and learnt from it. Tony Cowling President TNS |
| Selling Blue Elephants through Rule Developing Experimentation (RDE) beautifully articulates the simplicity and power of systematic designs and strategic combinations to identify consumer relevant products. The approach is so simple that it is applicable in conceptual conjoint analysis and actual prototype use tests. As the authors pointed out, RDE is not new but their book shared the secret of successful renovations of old brands and introductions of new products. The handful of case studies from Fortune 500 companies cited in the book that leveraged this powerful research approach is just a fraction of the hundreds of successful product innovations using RDE. It is a powerful tool that shows optimized products are created through upfront design of the product space and strategic quantitative measurement of consumer reactions and not through single factor or stepwise testing. This book is a must read for anyone challenged with showing that systematic experimental design should be ingrained in the corporate mindset. Dulce Paredes, PhD. Director, Consumer Sciences Avon Products, Inc. |
| I have seen first-hand the dramatic impact that the creative use of RDE/IdeaMap can have on a business. Beyond this incredible technique to which Moskowitz and Gofman have dedicated their professional career, they personally bring unparalleled experience and insight into the realm of accurately predicting human behavior and preference. Anyone who believes that marketing research is limited by the current imagination of the consumer... that it cannot be helpful in divining emerging or completely new categories of consumer or business products or services ... is sadly mistaken. Those who use RDE wisely will not only leave their competitors in the dust, but will get to the future much more quickly and profitably, and enjoy lasting competitive advantage. Don Lowry Vice President, SEI Wealth Network (Former Marketing Executive, Campbell Soup Company) |
| This book is both deep in content and surprisingly easy to read. The book's ability to convey scientific information in a down-to-earth and even enjoyable medium is a tribute to the authors' enthusiasm and vision. I cannot wait to give a copy to my co-workers and friends so they appreciate the role and contribution of Market Research to business success. Roseanne Luth President and CEO Luth Research |
| Selling Blue Elephants is must read for anyone wanting to understand the DNA of consumer’s mind—how to create products that people must have even before they know it. Mark Thompson, Coauthor, International bestseller Success Built to Last (Wall St. Journal and BusinessWeek bestseller, the Top 3 of Amazon’s Best Books of 2006 Editors’ Picks: Business) |
| Moskowitz and Gofman managed to give a twist of storytelling to methodologies, crafting their highly informative case histories into good stories that cover a wide array of industries, from food to electronics, from advertising to stock markets. Beyond the unequivocal value of their actionable Rule Developing Experimentation, this book is in itself an enjoyable opportunity to read and learn. Marco Bevolo Director Foresight & Trends, Philips Design |
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| “Howard and Alex don’t beat around the bush. Selling Blue Elephants gets to the heart of the matter by Page 2, and never lets up. Executives will appreciate the accessible discussions. Analysts will love the plethora of actual examples and their lucid conceptualization. Five stars from me for this punchy, thought-provoking read for anyone in R&D, brand management, new market strategy, or just plain old marketing research.”. Shashank Tripathi Regional Director, Asia Pacific, Universal McCann, Singapore |
