Young Designers 2011

 
 
 
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Z-MET (Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique) and its Application
Strategic Design Management | PGDPD
Krishnesh Mehta
TMRC Delhi
Keywords
Zaltman’s metaphor elicitation technique
Cognitive metaphor
Brand development
Consumer study
My diploma project revolves around the ‘one-of-a-kind’ Zaltman’s Metaphor Elicitation Technique (Z-MET). This technique of market research could also be used for design research. It can be utilized for brand development, for finding brand equity, designing communication, or even designing spaces. Z-MET has been used in over twenty countries around the world by leading companies to explore business-to-business and business-to-consumer issues. It is also being increasingly used to address organizational issues.

A Z-MET interview is conducted with the help of pictures or images that come to the minds of the consumers. These pictures represent their innermost/subconscious and unconscious thoughts and valuable insights, which would otherwise have been lost, are drawn from them. Through the development of a creative workshop, these are preserved and then transferred to the client’s creative agency which can utilize the insights for communication or brand development.

My involvement in the project included conducting the complete Z-MET study and developing the creative workshop. As a consequence, the field of business development became much more interesting to work on. The knowledge and careful deployment of cognitive metaphors creates unimaginably powerful implications for creating brand positioning and communication. Ingrained conceptual metaphors define how consumers experience needs and desires, and how they ‘see’ and experience brands. They may obstruct brand meaning and personal relevance, and even the brand owner’s innovation efforts. However, if they are cleverly managed, they may be blended with new “new” cognitive metaphors to guide consumers’ perceptions and motivations, and beat the competition.

This project deepened my perception of the human mind and the subconscious. Working with an international team also gave me an insight into the kind of preparation that goes into a multinational project.
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