Conducting consumer research in America presents its own set of difficulties, such as time constraints, budget concerns, and getting the right information from the right people. But imagine trying to do research in the Soviet Union, where until very recently capitalism was officially considered a dirty word and where "shopping" is little more than extended waits in several lines.
These were just some of the obstacles faced by Dr. Ernest Dichter, a pioneer in the field of motivational research, when he visited the Soviet Union this spring to investigate Soviet citizens' reactions to consumer goods and advertising, to uncover, as he puts it, "the soul of the Soviet consumer." It was one of the first of what will undoubtedly be many journeys into Soviet research as the U.S.S.R.'s nascent capitalism blossoms under Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika.
Dichter was asked to do the research as part of a joint venture between an Austrian communications company, M D Enterprises, and a Soviet publishing company, Vneshtorgizdat.
"MD hit on the idea of establishing a center in Moscow to facilitate East-West trade," Dichter says. "They called and asked if I'd like to be a consultant."
Born and educated in Vienna, Dichter emigrated to the U.S. in 1938 and began conducting his psychological research in marketing and communication. Over 50 years and 6500 studies later, he has established himself as an expert in motivational research. In addition to guiding his company, Ernest Dichter Motivations, Inc.—which is headquartered in Peekskill, New York, with branches around the world—he is professor of marketing at the Westchester Campus of Long Island University.
The work of a motivational researcher is devoted to uncovering the hidden reasons why consumers make decisions—reasons hidden especially to the consumers themselves. It is a difficult task, Dichter says, because to get at the "truth," you must ask the ri...