I have always been intrigued by this quote from Henry Ford. It challenges my approach to business every day.

Isn’t Ford contradicting the basic principles of marketing that have been taught in business schools for decades?

Isn’t it the role of marketing to determine what consumers want, help businesses address these wants and position that product or service in a manner that makes the individual or business more keen to buy than we are to sell?

I still recall the morning Steve Jobs launched the iPad. I sat wondering why I would ever want (or need) something that appeared to be simply a replacement for my laptop but didn’t do everything as well and was like a big mobile phone that didn’t make calls. Wasn’t this a product looking for a market that didn’t exist? I couldn’t see a need. But now, like so many others I am a devotee of tablets. Read more →