The Certainty Principle

"Consumer engagement" may be the most used phrase of this new marketing century, yet brands still struggle with how to define it, let alone actually achieve it.

But any definition needs a starting point, and the Ideal for any product or service, the consumers' core of the world of brands, is where certain understanding of loyalty and engagement begins. Properly measured, the Ideal and how brands measure up against it is predictive of consumer behavior - 9 to 18 months before it shows up in the marketplace.

In this book you will find validated case studies demonstrating how measuring the consumer's Ideal can be the most valuable benchmark you can have -- far exceeding any average of past performance, no matter how specific. And once you know the Ideal, you will know for certain what consumers think - as opposed to what they say they think - how they view the category in which you compete and how they will behave toward your brand. You will be able to predictively measure any marketing or communication effort: your brand, your brand in combination with various media platforms, programs or touch points, sponsorships, events, co-branding opportunities, and any brand advertising or marketing communication.

Any brand, no matter the size, can profit from understanding the central principle behind the case studies in this book: that only a deep, consumer-generated understanding of what creates customer loyalty and engagement will take brands profitably into the future. Knowing what the consumer really expects, and what they are willing to believe will always get the greatest ROI.

Real-world examples like Starbucks, Dove, Apple, Target - even Barack Obama - bring the dynamics of engagement into sharp relief, and offer a validated road map of how to guarantee profits in today's ever-more-challenging consumer engagement marketplace.

Robert Passikoff is my fellow warrior in the fight against creeping commoditization in Brandworld. Anything he writes is worth reading. Jack Trout, Brand Guru and author of In Search of the Obvious

Passikoff's and Shea's new book is crucial for any marketer focused on ROI.. The centerpiece of this much-needed book is that brand loyalty is an interactive play, not a spectator sport. Joe Plummer, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing, Columbia University School of Business

Brand Keys' analytics provides strategic planning tools helping to forge a brand's strategic path and it's ensuing marketing efforts. Brand Keys provides the most actionable metrics I've ever worked with. Catherine Gordon, SVP, Marketing, Wall Street Journal Office Network

Brand Keys is what all customer research should be: simple, intuitive, elegant, and above all predictive of success. Mark Loughney, Vice President, Sales & Strategy Research, ABC TV Network

Amy Shea is a brilliant researcher and a real thought leader in the science of brands. This is a game-changing perspective on brands that can help you to craft a new, more effective template for improving brand equity. Craig S. Boaz, Market Research Manager, Bob Evans Farms

More confirmation that Robert Passikoff is right! Don E. Schultz, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus-in-Service, Northwestern University

Much has been written about engagement in communications but unfortunately the majority of this literature is either too vague or lacks application. The Certainty Principle stands apart providing a unique, well thought-out, and insightful perspective on how to embrace engagement - in all its flavors. For those who are involved in developing and evaluating communications this is a must read. Simon Hough, Senior Campaign Insights Manager, Microsoft Corporation

Passikoff and Shea have written a really practical guide to measuring brand performance, backed by years of valuable, trail-blazing research. Roderick White, Editor, Admap

Well-written and easy to read - a required reminder to the profession that effective advertising is not simply about entertainment - it has a job to do! Great lessons on how to achieve success in advertising and engagement with the brand in this complex media environment. Abby Mehta, Senior Director, Global Marketing Research, Monster Worldwide

The art of customer loyalty and brand differentiation is a learned skill. Only Robert Passikoff shows you how it's done in today's 24/7, multifaceted consumer world. With The Certainty Principle, your business will be unbeatable. Farnoosh Torabi, Senior Correspondent, TheStreet.com TV and author of You're So Money

If you've ever scratched your head wondering why some brands succeed and others fail, you need The Certainty Principle. Shea and Passikoff get to the heart of what drives consumers' loyalty to brands. Thoroughly engaging and at times humorous, their tales of how business leaders inadvertently overlook key drivers is akin to Jon Stewart's stories about the mishaps of government! Leslie Zane, President, The Center for Emotional Marketing

Smart, savvy, and honest. if I were President, I'd nominate Robert Passikoff for Commerce Secretary because it would be nice for someone in Washington to understand what consumers really want. Buy the book, save the nation - and your brand. Roxanne Roberts, Columnist, The Washington Post

Not every TV Rating is created equal. Take this book home and read it, so that next time your Media Director gives you the same old, well worn, media plan they have used for donkey's years, ask him which of those media channels will actually enhance brand engagement and loyalty by delivering increases in brand sales & revenue, rather than just measuring eyeballs and warm bodies for media impact allocations. Then next time, you may have a media plan that actually works. Noel Gladstone, Vice President, Research & Development, MTV Networks, USA

Abundantly insightful and strategically sound, Shea demystifies what effective advertising is, and what drives it. If you are in the business of marketing or researching, your brands will benefit from The Certainty Principle's expertise and guidance. You must read this! Amy Gantert, Consumer Research & Insights, US Smokeless Tobacco Brands

Robert Passikoff is a geneticist of sorts. He profoundly understands brand DNA: what makes a brand great, and what happens when just one gene mutates, for better or worse. To understand your brand - and the basic underpinnings of all successful brands - consider The Certainty Principle your textbook. Lenore Skenazy, Syndicated Columnist

Robert Passikoff is every marketers' 'go-to' guy for loyalty marketing. Nobody else has as firm a grip on the factors that cause consumers to feel a connection with brands - a responsibility that goes deeper than simply building brand awareness, trial and use. Pamela N. Danziger, President, Unity Marketing and author of Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience

Certainty in predicting the outcome of major marketing investment is, seemingly, ever more elusive. Until, that is, the system outlined in The Certainty Principle, which helps brands actually predict profit delivery. For any CEO or Marketing Director operating in a brand-intensive marketplace not to consider this approach to marketing investment planning is just plain dumb, if not career compromising. Kerry O'Connor, Business Enterprise Director; MGN limited, London

Call it brand psychotherapy. Dr. Robert Passikoff has been asking thousands of consumers for decades to talk about their favorite brands. The Certainty Principle has culled together years of insights to help marketers understand what engages consumers and drives behavior. Considering people's tastes can change faster than a teen can triple tap a text message, such bits of wisdom might just help keep marketers from going insane.Kenneth Hein, News Editor, Brandweek