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November 20-21, 2013 | Singapore

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Emotionalizing Performance

Ajay Mohan

1

Emotional Inquiry: Methodological

Approach Use visualization techniques to Gain a Deeper Understanding of the unarticulated emotional drivers and

motivations behind “performance.”

• Consumer behavior is most often driven by unarticulated, unconscious drivers

• During one-on-one interviews, Brandtrust asked respondents to visualize with their “mind’s eye” pictures associated with

formative experiences in their life

• Using a beginner’s mind, the research team employed a dynamic, indirect probing process to circumvent rational “scripts,”

avoid priming and tap into deeper emotional landscape

• Over the course of the research, Brandtrust identified and isolated thematic patterns that are embedded in the evocative

language and metaphors that respondents used to share their stories

2

30 in-depth

interviews

were

Conducted

in US

36 in-depth

Interviews were

Conducted

internationally

Sao Paulo

Brazil

Munich

Germany

Shanghai

China

Further

EM

Deep

Dive 40

In-depth

Interviews

conducted

Lanzhou,

China

Mumbai,

India

Insights are organized by Human & Computer

Performance Insights about

Human

Performance

– The Drive to

Perform

– The Transcendent

Performance

Insights about

Computer

Performance

– Speed and the

Manipulation of

Time

– Open to

Windows of

Potential

Conducted

across 4

different

continents

Human Performance

Human Performance: The Drive to Perform

Human performance is the process of organizing chaos into order

It is dependent on a person’s ability to harness chaos and make sense out of it so that it can either be minimized or used

in a meaningful way

Participating in specific rituals of preparation provides instruction for how to tame the chaos

Through practice and training, people discipline themselves to perform up to their potential—they learn to focus in a

productive way

Performance is a journey of discipline, not a single event

People talked about performance in three distinct stages:

– Preparation and training for the performance

– Giving the performance itself

– Receiving approval from others

In Brazil and Germany, the entire journey is important but more emphasis is usually placed on the performance itself

5

Human Performance: The Drive to Perform

Human performance is the way to prove something to self and others

-Approval is like a drug—it feels good but one never gets enough approval.

-Germans, Brazilians and Chinese need self approval but they tend to see their own performance from those that

dole out the approval.

The result of a good performance is the transformation of identity

-Americans seek out challenges that will take them to their “personal edge” to become their inspirational self.

- In Brazil, China and Germany, performance did not seems to be part of the consumer transformation journey—a

finding that should be validated further.

6

Human Performance: The Transcendent Performance

Flow is the evidence of mastery over chaos

When a performance is being successfully delivered, people describe this moment as being “in the flow” or “in the moment”.

This hyper-focus on the present situation helps people maximize the investment of preparation time and energy.

Flow allows people to act out of their natural instincts

When people are in a state of flow, they process the environment around them without conscious management.

Flow is born out of self-confidence

The state of flow does not happen at random—confidence and self-assurance due to preparation is required to deliver a

successful performance.

Computer Performance

Computer Performance: Speed and Manipulation of Time

The computer is a portal that transports people away from their everyday lives

When a computer is performing optimally, the user is able to transcend the limitations of time and escape to a state of flow

with the computer.

During these moments, the computer is so responsive to the user’s commands that it creates a separate sense of reality.

A fast computer creates an enhanced experience of time

When the computer facilitates a seamless, undisturbed experience, computer users lose themselves in this experience and

become completely unaware of the passage of time.

Additionally, some people believe that they are able to overcome the limitations of time when the computer works efficiently

because it irrationally gives them more time to do other tasks.

9

Computer Performance: Speed and Manipulation of Time

Speed is not a rational measurement; instead, it is an evaluation of the emotional and qualitative

experience of time

Generally, consumers do not understand how product specifications (i.e., processor speed) will impact the desired experience of flow.

Consumers evaluate computer performance in terms of its ability to create an uninterrupted experience.

When flow is interrupted, the illusion of time instantly disappears

People are consciously aware of the computer’s performance only when it is not performing well.

10

Computer Performance: Windows of Potential

Multi-tasking is not about doing; it is about connecting with an aspirational, multi-dimensional

sense of being

The ability to multi-task and productivity are less about doing several things at once and more about the desire to connect

with different aspects of their identities.

When people are using Skype, perusing different food websites, and reading news feeds at the same time, they are

declaring that they are open to exploring how they can become better family members and friends, better moms and

cooks, and smarter, more current members of society.

Leaving multiple windows open is symbolic of being open to the multi-dimensional aspects of the

self

Open windows and applications represent “windows of potential,” where people feel free to investigate their different

identities—each expressed within a window left open.

On the other hand, shutting down an application or closing out a specific webpage is synonymous with closing off to that

part of themselves.

11

Patterns Across Emerging Markets: Human Performance

Human

performance is

the process of

organizing

chaos

into order.

Participating in

specific rituals

of preparation

provide

instruction for

how to tame

the chaos.

The drive to

perform at

one's best is

ultimately to

receive

approval from

others

When a

performance is

being delivered

successfully,

people

describe being

“ in the flow",

where they

process their

environs

almost

involuntarily &

feel impervious

to failure. The following insights are consistent across Brazil, China and

India:

Patterns Across Emerging Markets: Computer Performance

When the

computer

facilitates a

seamless,

undisturbed

experience,

computer users

lose themselves

in the moment.

.

Speed is not a

rational

measurement,

but rather an

evaluation of the

emotional,

qualitative

experience of

time. When flow

is interrupted,

the illusion of

time instantly

disappears.

The following insights are consistent across Brazil, China and

India:

Patterns Across Emerging Markets: Areas of Misalignment between Brazil and Emerging Markets in Asia:

The use of multi-

tasking while on

the computer in

order to achieve

an idealized,

multi-faceted

version of the self

was a stronger,

clearer theme in

Brazil, as it was

in the United

States and

Germany

Despite a culture with a rich emphasis

on family and social connections,

Brazil had a more individualistic

focus, which was also more closely

aligned with the findings in the United

States and Germany.

While it was a common experience to

value extrinsic validation more than

an intrinsic sense of achievement

across the globe, western

respondents also lent emotional

importance to the cementing of self-

belief through internal validation.

Thank You

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Twitter Hashtag #QUAL360

November 20-21, 2013 | Singapore