IHA speaks with Michael Liebowitz, CEO of Magnetic Mind Studio, about his upcoming presentation at the 2017 International Home + Housewares Show. The Innovation Theater will feature 21 presentations over four days covering topics ranging from new product development to the smart home.
Magnetic Mind Studio, based in California near San Francisco, is a consulting agency that uses behavioral neurology to create brand strategies which target how the brain is wired to trust, engage, and ultimately make the decision to buy. They are sought by business leaders who want to learn how to more effectively differentiate their brand, and authentically connect with their audience to drive customer engagement. Magnetic Mind Studio works with their clients to clearly map what motivates their customer’s buying decision and craft a strategy designed to accelerate growth.
Michael is the founder of Magnetic Mind Studio and the creator of the neuro-branding workshop platform. He has combined over 20 years of design and brand experience with eight years of studying and teaching behavioral neurology to create an innovative and counterintuitive brand strategy program based on how our neurology shapes our decisions. He has worked with a wide range of companies and industries including GoPro, Clorox, Dole, as well as numerous small and mid-sized companies. His award-winning work includes an IHA Global Innovation Award for inventing, designing, and co-creating the Savino brand.
Michael, what is the most exciting or rewarding part of your work? What fuels your inspiration?
The potential to change the course of a business for the better is what drives me. We’re on the cusp of a big shift in the relationship between businesses and their customers. It used to be, “It’s not personal; it’s business” which has been the operating metaphor for so many decades. However, that is quickly being reversed. I believe that the companies that survive in the future will instead need to think, “It’s not business; it’s personal.” This shift has the potential to completely rework the entire business landscape. Honestly I get fired up when I help the people who run companies make this shift because I know we will all benefit for it.
Can you name a pivotal event or project that impacted your career or company?
Yeah, it started with one of those “a-ha!” moments while driving. I always seem to get those while I’m driving so I can’t write them down. This one, though, I just couldn’t forget because it merged two areas of intense interest for me. For over twenty years, it’s been my joy to have guided hundreds of companies through the branding and product development landscape. I also have a deep fascination for human behavior which led me to study behavioral neurology. For a long time the two experiences were separate until for some reason on this drive I had that moment when these two worlds combined and I saw the amazing overlaps between how our brain is wired and how brands perform. It was like being a kid and seeing the answers in the back of the teacher’s book. Suddenly I knew the secret! This combining of brand and neurology caused me to completely change the course of my business.
In the past few years, what has changed most in your business? How has your company met these challenges in the way you do your work?
By integrating behavioral neurology into our work we are able to do some really amazing things both creatively and strategically. One of the most surprising results we’re seeing by using these techniques is that our relationship with our clients has changed in a way that’s hard to describe. We are much more deeply invested with their business on a personal level and we’re seen as being more of an extension of their team rather than just an outside resource. The work we do brings everyone in the room together and it quickly creates a very cohesive team. I often tell our clients that what we do will feel like going through brand therapy. Afterwards everyone starts to understand not just the brand more deeply, but each other’s point of view as well. The result is everyone is more aligned in working toward a common vision.
Why did you choose to speak at the International Home + Housewares Show?
C’mon, who doesn’t get excited about seeing the answers at the back of the teachers’ book? This stuff is just too important not to share. Also, if you’re a little bit of a nerd like me then it’s also way too cool to know how we all work inside and I get excited to share it with everyone.
Why Your Customers Bought Your Competitor’s Product
March 20, Monday 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Innovation Theater, Lakeside Center Room E350
Tell us what you will be speaking about and how and this topic is important for Show audiences.
BRAINS! More specifically I’ll share how we are actually wired to make the decision to buy one product over another. I’ll also share some very specific strategies that you can start using to align your brand with how your customer is actually thinking and make that decision go your way. My goal is that by understanding how we are wired the audience will start to think about their relationship with their customer in a new way that will really energize their brand and translate that energy into positive growth.
What are some of today’s trends or issues that new product development professionals and/or retailers face in the housewares market?
Everyone’s talking about Millennials. OMG! Well, they should be talking about them because the next generations actually think about brands and making a purchase very differently than previous generations do. Their value and belief systems are much, much different and it is being expressed through their purchasing behavior. We’re at the leading edge of a major shift due to technology (some of the most important shifts haven’t even made it into the public sphere yet) which will have a profound impact on how we think. The Millennial generation and the ones just behind them will literally grow up in a world that will force them to adopt different behaviors. The companies that succeed will be the ones that can authentically connect with these values, beliefs, and behaviors.
Thank you, Michael, for opening our minds to such new thinking! Looking forward to exercising our brains with you on Monday, March 20 at 1:30 pm in the Innovation Theater.
For more information, contact:
Michael Liebowitz
Chief Mind Magnetizer
Magnetic Mind Studio
Innovation propels the housewares industry. Learn from experts about how to invigorate your new products and services by enhancing your innovation efforts. Critical issues such as global design trends, licensing, the emerging Smart Home category, branding, the needs of distinct consumer age and gender groups, the future of food and parenting – all impact the home goods market. Be sure to attend the free executive-level educational sessions at the Innovation Theater. These programs will give you a fresh perspective as you walk the Show and will inspire, inform and improve your business.
The four days of the 2017 International Home + Housewares Show will be packed with events and education. To help you plan your valuable time at the Show, we introduce you to the speakers and the 21 exciting presentations that will take place in the Innovation Theater in the Lakeside Center. Gain cutting-edge insights that you can apply to your work. All programs are audio-recorded and will be available at www.housewares.org after the Show.
