First published 2016
Martin Lindstrom operates as a corporate detective, traveling the globe to decode consumer behavior through microscopic observations. His method involves spending hundreds of nights each year inside the homes of ordinary people, scrutinizing every object and detail to uncover hidden desires that major brands can exploit. Lindstrom connects seemingly insignificant discoveries to multimillion dollar product innovations. A headset on an airplane becomes Pepsi's signature sound. A child's worn sneaker in Germany triggers LEGO's corporate comeback. A Siberian refrigerator magnet sparks an American retail transformation. Through these case studies, Lindstrom demonstrates how tiny behavioral clues reveal massive market opportunities. The book chronicles his detective work across continents, showing how a stuffed animal influences fashion chains across twenty countries and how a simple bracelet boosts Jenny Craig's customer retention by 159 percent. Lindstrom's approach treats consumer research as anthropological fieldwork, finding billion dollar insights in bedroom corners and kitchen drawers.
Genres: psychology, business, non-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: hidden-insights, investigative-journalism
Setting: Germany, Siberia, United States
Period: 21st-century
256 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press