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Mental associations
Exploring the mental associations and -images that your customers hold of your product or company can lead to innovative and out-of-the-box ideas, which you could subsequently use in revising your marketing concept, brand positioning, promotion and product assortment.
This mental game can be a very fun exercise as nothing is off limits! Interview questions could simply start with asking for words that come to mind, but then turn to more creative cues relating to sensory information, role-playing, symbols, stories, idols (hero’s or industry champions), dreams, nightmares or metaphors related to animals, celebrities, sports, songs or movies. Even the strangest of metaphors can hint at a kernel of truth which you can use to surprise and endear your customer.
In addition, photos and images, which the respondent relates to a particular experience, can be used as an additional trigger for finding associations (e.g. “tell the story behind the photo and the feelings it evoked in you”)
References
Coulter, R. A. (2006). Consumption experiences as escape: an application of the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique. In Handbook of qualitative research methods in marketing. Edward Elgar Publishing.