Thanks for passing along the link. That’s some very interesting data.
In my experience, positive user experiences do reinforce a connection to the brand and encourage repeat purchases. However, I also know plenty of companies that have spent money on large research initiatives and failed to sell-through. Mainly the failures were due to marketing, positioning and strategic shortfalls that had nothing to do with the product experience at all.
Sometimes products are placed in the wrong channel and can’t reach their target, sometimes they’re marketed so poorly or incorrectly that consumers can’t even understand them, and sometimes all of that research isn’t even applied in the first place b/c companies have no idea how to execute.
I fundamentally believe in the value of front-end development, as appropriate for each project. I encourage everyone, especially young designers, to stick with it even if some of these other roadblocks have derailed your valuable insights. It’s easy for a company to say, “boy we shouldn’t have wasted our money on that research!”, when in truth the value of the research shows up only after a product has sold through.
Marketing and advertising must do their jobs for the research to have a chance to shine. That’s why companies like OXO are heralded now as champions of the user experience. Consumers trust that their products will offer a great experience, but that’s because their early products such as the salad spinner and good grips handle had a chance to sell-through and establish the brand.
melanie