When should companies begin to consult consumers when building brands and creating new products?
Boulware: It starts and ends with consumers — the deep and meaningful insights you garner from consumers. What are their hopes, wants and fears and how can you translate that into a high ground, emotional benefit? Then you need to translate consumer needs into product features, attributes and a value proposition that delivers. From a development perspective, you probably could go in a myriad of directions. But your brand promise provides a true north that helps you understand what features and benefits will most appeal to your target audience. PressPass: You have built your reputation developing extremely recognizable brands. What was the attraction of moving to Microsoft to work on the MSN brand? Boulware: I’m excited to join Microsoft and MSN because the online industry is dynamic, evolving and changing the way we live, work and connect with others. The fundamentals of marketing apply well to online services. Microsoft already has incredible cachet in the marketplace. MSN can build
