Michael Solomon
Michael Solomon partners with marketers and leaders to help them understand the minds of today's consumers in our volatile economy.
Michael Solomon partners with marketers and leaders to help them understand the minds of today's consumers in our volatile economy. Nothing keeps business leaders up at night more than knowing how quickly their brand can be negatively impacted.
Regardless of the size of a company, fully understanding consumer behavior is paramount to not only surviving in today's market, but also thriving. This is exactly why Michael is THE go-to expert when it comes to knowing the psychology of the buyer, he's been studying consumer behavior for decades, across all generations. He understands that today's buyer is NOT your cookie cutter consumer.
Michael's presentations provide a visual excursion into the minds of consumers and what influences them to buy. Michael's latest book, “The New Chameleons: How to Connect with Consumers Who Defy Categorization,” recently won the NYC Big Book Award for the Marketing & Sales/PR category. The book stitches the trends of today to the future of consumerism in a way that is both provocative and inspiring.
The marketing guru Philip Kotler summed it up when he stated, “Solomon has the mind of a scientist and the writing flair of a journalist.
Michael advises global clients in leading industries such as apparel and footwear (Calvin Klein, Levi Strauss, Under Armour, Timberland), financial services and e-commerce (eBay, Progressive), CPG (Procter & Gamble, Campbell’s), retailing (H&M), sports (Philadelphia Eagles), manufacturing (DuPont, PP&G) and transportation (BMW, United Airlines) on marketing strategies to make them more consumer-centric. He regularly appears on television shows including The Today Show, Good Morning America and CNN to comment on consumer issues, and he is frequently quoted in major media outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, Adweek and Time.
As a Professor of Marketing (in the Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia) and an industry consultant, Michael combines cutting edge academic theory with actionable real-world strategies. He helps managers get inside the heads of their customers so they can anticipate and satisfy their deepest and most pressing needs – today and tomorrow. An executive at Subaru said it best: “The man is a scholar who is current and street-wise.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN THE NEW NORMAL
The food value chain includes organizations that span the gamut, from chemical and fertilizer producers at the beginning of the chain to grocery stores, restaurants, and hospitality services at the end. Regardless of where a company sits in this chain, it is essential to align production and marketing priorities around the needs of the end consumer (a “market back” perspective) rather than the far more typical “molecule forward” approach that focuses on the production capabilities of the vendor.
In this presentation, Michael discusses how today’s “postmodern consumer” uses food and beverage products/services to express their ever-changing social identities. He also reviews pathways to heightened consumer engagement for food marketers who are ready to adopt a “market back” view of what they sell.
WALK A MILE… IN YOUR GUESTS’ SHOES
The dictionary defines a hotel as an establishment that provides food, lodging, and other services to guests. But of course, a hotel is much more than that to the people who stay there. A hotel stay can symbolize a range of possible experiences, such as romance, adventure, or escape.
Michael shares how consumers rely upon specific environmental cues to choose and evaluate a hotel stay, and how they interpret these cues to make sense of their lodging experience. He reviews a set of fundamental changes in consumer behavior over the last decade (including the Pandemic) that should radically change how hospitality executives and designers offer new spaces to accommodate today’s “postmodern consumer.”
Michael Solomon is a great resource on today’s consumer and customer expectations. His presentation on building a brand that engages customers in the wild new world of marketing provided a wealth of needed knowledge to our direct selling executives.
Direct Selling Association Washington, D.C.
Michael is a constant source of inspiration and knowledge for any professional in any relevant market who wants to understand consumer behavior more deeply. His work is constantly being updated and his presentations bring powerful ideas that take us out of the comfort zone and pushes our need to act with more strength to develop strategies able to transform the culture of the companies and make them customer-centric organizations.
Jacques Meir, Chief Knowledge Officer, Grupo Padrao CONAREC 2018 São Paulo, Brazil
Michael Solomon’s perspective is exactly what 21st century marketers need to succeed. His presentation at HOW Marketing Live provided a relevant and easy to understand foundation for a world where the lines between marketing and design are blurring and everyone needs to think like a marketer.
Ilise Benun, Speaker, Author and Programming Partner for HOW Design Live
Michael was perfect for what we were looking for. He was a great mix of academia and practitioner. He was flexible onsite with timing issues and that was greatly appreciated. Many from the Audience gave great feedback and referenced thought provoking examples that they could use. Many would recommend Michael to others.
Taylor Alas, The Frontier Project
I highly recommend Michael Solomon to be a speaker at any event where you want to educate and entertain your audience. Michael has a wealth of knowledge in the consumer space that was very relevant to our audience of retailers. Not only was he poignant with them, but I received overwhelmingly positive responses from the attendees. The use of media in his presentation also added some flair that took the data from your standard presentation to something memorable.
Sally Stephens, Sr. Channel Marketing Manager, Consumer Marketing, Symantec Corporation
I found Dr. Solomon to be a great asset to the programme through his willingness to adapt the focus and content of his presentation to suit the audience as well as the timely delivery of the presentation in advance of the conference…. I wouldn’t hesitate to ask Dr. Solomon to speak at future events as I am confident that he would deliver excellent value for the conference.
Fiona McCallum, Global Events Manager, NCR Corporation (Prague)
I hope you were able to see how many in the audience — and on the dais — were taking notes. We were extremely delighted with your presentation.
Kathleen Frederick, International Furnishings and Design Association
…an enlightened resource on consumer motivations and shopping habits…. he brings forth new consumer insights that resonate with our diverse audience… I highly recommend Mike Solomon as a speaker if you want your audience to be truly engaged as they learn about fresh, trend-setting consumer insights that are impacting how marketers can use technology to better connect with today’s consumers.
Libby S. Johnson, Market Engagement Manager, Microsoft Advertising
Prof. Solomon…was able to make us think of new ways to use consumer behavior to frame our own activities…. He was able to inject humor to maintain attention yet did not deviate from the basic task at hand that was to educate and provoke thought.
David Friedman, V.P. Marketing, U.S. Cellular
The man is a scholar who is current and street-wise.
Joe Barstys, Manager, Customer Satisfaction, Subaru of America
I knew Michael’s presentation was a big success when our attendees took out their phones and started snapping photos of his slides! Michael’s presentation includes a mix of history, pop culture and statistics that kept the room engaged. We thank him for this high quality seminar!
Karen Giberson, President, Accessories Council
Marketers, tear down these walls!
Conquering Consumerspace
What Customers Really Want
Consumer Behaviour
Marketing - Real People, Real Choices
Social Media Marketing
Consumer Behaviour in Fashion
Consumer Behaviour - A European Perspective
The Psychology of Fashion
Consumer Behaviour - Buying, Having, Being
Better Business
Marketing - Real People, Real Choices
