Learning from the recession, the Japanese way
by Hiroshi Makioka, Jean-Philippe Biragnet and Mike Booker
Driven by sophisticated consumers, Japanese companies are highly evolved as innovators. And they've been dealing with downturns since Japan's financial crisis began in the 1990s. Demanding consumers and prolonged economic hard times have taught Japanese companies how to adapt, and some are emerging as winners.
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What do customers really want?
by Eric Almquist and Jason Lee
Most preference-rating tools are flawed because customers have a hard time articulating their true desires. To remedy that problem, companies need a way to help their customers sharpen the distinction between what's "nice to have" and what they "gotta have." Maximum Difference Scaling (or "Max Diff") ratings ask customers to make explicit trade-offs, allowing their real preferences to emerge.
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