416.967.3337

www.proteanstrategies.com

Inner Directives is a proprietary system that employs a one-on-one in-

depth psychological probe methodology combined (in most cases) with a tra-

ditional layer of consumer focus groups. This combination uncovers core-

level relationships between the consumer and the category (through the one-

on-one interviews) with an applied understanding of how this relates to the

specific brand. Ultimately, this results in entirely new ways of thinking about

the positioning and communication platforms.

Inner Directives® has been used by major transactional and experiential

brands, consumer product and automotive marketers, as well as service pro-

viders and advertising agencies. In every case the insights provided have re-

sulted in completely new understanding of the underlying subconscious fac-

tors that are determining how consumers relate to the brand

The learning from Inner Directives® has been used in brand strategy de-

velopment to clarify the boundaries of the brand both in terms of product of-

fering and the limits of consumer acceptance. It has been used by advertis-

ing agencies and brand managers to develop a new way of looking at the

consumer and develop new communication tactics; as part of new product

development programs to understand the relationship between the product,

the brand and the consumer and as the key to repositioning brands in newer,

more competitively intense environments. We employ a one-on-one in-depth

psychological probe combined (in most cases) with a traditional layer of con-

Psychoanalytics

Understanding the subconscious relationships

between consumers and brands

Inner Directives

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sumer focus groups. It is the understanding from this combination that aids

Protean strategists in uncovering core-level relationships between the con-

sumer and the category with an applied understanding of how this relates to

the specific brand. Ultimately, this results in entirely new ways of thinking

about the positioning and communication platforms

The one-on-one process is a series of personal interviews conducted by a

trained psychoanalyst who uses specific techniques to reveal the needs and

motivations driving specific attitudes, beliefs and behaviours, and applies a

Jungian interpretation to this learning.

The methodology includes two components: The self-scoring Myers-Briggs

Type Indicator (MBTI) and a one hour in-depth individual interview conducted

by a clinical psychoanalyst. Participants complete the MBTI on arrival for their

interview, and the interviewer uses their final score as a springboard for the

conversation.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is based on a theory of personality devel-

oped by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung to explain differences among people.

Jung concluded that differences in behaviour result from people's inherent

tendencies to use their minds in different ways. As people act on these ten-

dencies, they develop patterns of behaviour.

The MBTI identifies four predispositions of personality that are an inherent

part of our nature. Using it makes it possible to get a sense of:

How an individual prefers to focus their attention - the El scale - Ex-

traversion Introversion

When they have focused their attention, how they acquire informa-

tion - the SN scale - Sensing Intuition

When they have information, how they make decisions about it -

the TF scale - Thinking Feeling

And given the effect of these three functions, how they orient them-

selves to the outer world -the JP scale - Judging Perceiving

In the interview that follows, the participants are asked questions based on

their responses to the MBTI to confirm and further define their typology and

to explore their relationship to the topic at hand. Typically, 5 or 6 threads

(some of which are identified prior to the research and the balance emerge

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during the process) are probed during the interview. Threads might include

areas such as:

Arousal/excitement/thrill

Control/power/spell

Risk/danger/aggression

Personal ego/identity/style

Security/status, etc.

The findings are reported in a user friendly presentation that incorporates not

only the Inner Directives findings, but how this learning can be overlaid on

other learning (especially qualitative and behavioural research) to build a

360° understanding of why your customers behave the way they and how

you can most efficiently communicate with them. Using language they re-

spond to, strategies that fit their lives and media they read.

Call or email us today for more information on our suite of market

research and consulting services

Protean Strategies

80 Cumberland Street, Suite 1503 Toronto M5R 3V1

Canada

416.967.3337

strategy@proteanstrategies.com