Many times, marketers build their ads and other creative materials based on gut feel or other various forms of research such as focus groups or surveys. This approach is oftentimes highly successful, but it can just as often lead to companies losing direct touch with their customers.
Many products have applications that might not have been apparent at first. Nintendo's Wii is one of the hottest video games on the market. Who would have guessed that it would be used for physical therapy and as a source of exercise in retirement homes? Chances are that Nintendo's marketing team did not have this in mind in its initial plans. But new Wii commercials show a wide spectrum of generations playing the system.
The lesson learned is that your customers may use your products and or services in a variety of ways, including those you never thought of. Your company could invest a lot of money on researching how the product is used and still not nail down an opportunity that...
