Thank You, Mr. Packard

This chapter demonstrates the impact of Vance Packard in motivational research. The author tries to distinguish between “why” motivations and “how to” motivations. The Mexican government decided to develop a strip of peninsula, Cancun, and make it accessible for use as a new center to attract well-heeled tourists. They asked him to set up a center for motivational research and management techniques on this tropical island. The difficulty lies in freeing yourself first from your own reactions, to try to understand through interviewing and other techniques the motivations of people who might be quite different from yourself. When the Protestant Church, with great success, created not only the slogans, but also the accompanying philosophy that cleanliness is next to Godliness, they formed the foundation for the success of Lifebuoy soap. No one is aware any longer of the prejudice involved in the fact that you can be poor and also a better person and be rich and be a worse person.