Michael’s mantra: We don’t buy products because of what they do. We buy them because of what they mean. Michael Solomon advises global clients in leading industries on marketing strategies to make them more consumer-centric.
What are the core subjects of your keynote speaches?
consumer behavior, marketing, advertising, retailing, social media
Which audience or which branch do you reach with your speech?
Marketing, retail and advertising executives, members of industry associations in areas such as apparel, footwear, home furnishings, automotive, fragrances, food and beverage and financial services
Why are you a Premium Speaker? Where do you get your insights from?
I have advised companies such as BMW, Levi Strauss, Intel, etc. on marketing strategies and showed them how to be more effective by understanding how consumers think about what they do and sell. I use my talks to take the audience on a visual tour of the hidden aspects of consumer behavior so they can understand why people buy. I get my insights from my own research, as well as colleagues who do consumer research around the world. Because my textbooks on consumer behavior and marketing are the mostly widely used in business schools globally, I have access to the latest thinking about these topics.
What will be in the future? Does "time" play an important role in your work?
In my keynotes I talk about the fundamental changes we are seeing in how consumers relate to the marketplace and how we will think about marketing in the future. These changes involve the elimination of categories we take for granted today, such as the distinction between producers and consumers, work and play, and shopping and entertainment. Time plays an important role, because time is a fixed resource so consumers must constantly make crucial decisions about how to spend their time. That explains why some of these boundaries are falling – for example, today people want to shop and be entertained, educated and stimulated all at the same time.
What is your life motto? What would you like to give your listeners on the way?
I want my listeners to appreciate the crucial role that what they sell plays in people’s lives, over and above an object’s literal function. We do not buy things because of what they do, we buy them because of what they mean.
"We are what we buy and we buy what we are. (Michael Solomon)"