30 Reasons to Obsess Over Consumers

This collection of speeches and keynotes not only explains why putting consumers first is so important, but also hones in on the crucial reasons to obsess over consumers. Prioritizing a customer's needs can mean many different things in the modern world of business because of the multitude of ways business is carried out. New mediums of interaction like social media not only give consumers a voice and more power; they also offer insight into their purchasing motivations and preferences.

Award-winning author and CEO of Trend Hunter Jeremy Gutsche insists that success comes from creating cultural connections with consumers, and that in order to make those connections, brands must "intimately [observe their] customer." He also states that "innovation starts by intimately observing [a] customer."

Tony Hsieh, the CEO and founder of Zappos.com, believes so much in the value of obsessing over customers that he will give a client the name of another company from which they can buy another pair of shoes. This, he argues, creates a "wow" moment for consumers that will be more beneficial in the long run of his company than that one transaction.

These speeches offer ample reasons to obsess over consumers in all businesses, as well as case studies and stories of what can happen when brands apply this approach.