Shortlisting for Business BooK of the Year 2022

Asking For Trouble is your indispensable guide to asking people what they think.

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It’s only natural to ask people what they think of your ideas. After all, you can’t launch, create or do something of value if you’re not interested in the opinions of your intended audience.

Trouble is, the answer doesn’t always help.

Reviews

  • If I’d read this book sooner, I could have wasted so much less of my life failing to understand a very simple truth. So much of what we do in marketing simply starts from the wrong place. A super book! I enjoyed every word.

    Rory Sutherland, Vice Chair of Ogilvy, TED Global speaker and author of the Alchemist
  • “Jon Cohen has brought a fabulous dose of common sense, clear thinking and terrific examples to the subject of market research.

    Asking for Trouble is inspiring and funny. I found myself nodding along in agreement to Jon’s wisdom and wit. I thoroughly recommend this book.”

    Rita Clifton CBE, Portfolio Chair and Board Director.
  • This book should be compulsory for anyone daft enough to think research is about asking questions. I nodded manically and laughed out loud reading Jon’s brilliant, often hilarious, tales of encounters with research respondents whilst in the pursuit of truth. It’s an original and a total joy. I loved it.

    Suzanne Lugthart, Research Leader, ex eBay, ITV and Rightmove
  • A brilliant book. A genuine blueprint to elevate customer research to insightful interpretation.

    James Stevens, Director of Group Product Design
  • If you’re in the business of asking people what they think, stop reading these words and buy this book immediately. Your job is about to become much more rewarding.

    Dan Hulse, Chief Strategy Officer St Lukes
  • An incredibly usable field-guide that is also wonderfully readable and intellectually stimulating. Quite a coup!
    I came away from it feeling like I do when I have looked at a really high-end cook book from someone like Ottolenghi: I’m glad I’ve read it and understand the complexity of the food. I’m even more glad he has restaurants so I don’t have to try and do this myself!

    Adam Martin, Managing Director Tesco Hospitality
  • If you are even remotely interested in asking questions and/or finding answers, Jon will take you on a fabulous journey- this is his guiding metaphor- to the Land of Asking. He is a warm, witty and insightful guide- perhaps the  Michael Palin that market research didn’t know it needed.

    Antony Tasgal, Strategist and author of The Storytelling Book
  • Asking for Trouble is a must read for anyone wanting to understand their consumers and customers better. Its packed full of great advice, easy to understand frameworks and Jon’s engaging and entertaining anecdotes from talking to numerous people over the years. Highly recommended.

    Christine McCauley, Global planning director, Diageo
  • Entertaining, jargon free, insightful and thought-provoking.

    Dr Jenny Mindell, Professor of Public Health at UCL
  • Asking For Trouble is a Really Good Book. It is an extraordinarily easy read and very human. I would recommend this highly as a touchstone for all levels of marketers.

    Charles Cadell, Ex President and CEO McCann Asia Pacific & Japan

Jon has spent 25 years helping businesses, government and charities better understand their audiences, enabling them to make good decisions, produce great ideas, develop effective policies, and create compelling marketing communications. Jon is managing partner of consumer insight company Kindling.

His first research company, Rosenblatt, was acquired by the Cello Group in 2007. He lives in North London with his wife, four sons and a dog.

About Kindling

Kindling is an award-winning insight consultancy. We help our clients develop great ideas through a deeper understanding of behaviour and response.

Go to Kindling
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