Father of Motivational research

Dichter Ernest
(14 August 1907 in Vienna – 21 November 1991 in Peekskill, New York) was a psychologist and marketing expert who is widely considered to be the "father of motivational research."

Dichter pioneered the application of Freudian psychoanalytic concepts and techniques to business—in particular to the study of consumer behavior in the marketplace. Ideas he established strongly influenced the practices of the advertising industry in the twentieth century. According to a 1998 New York Times article, he "was the first to coin the term focus group and to stress the importance of image and persuasion in advertising."

Dichter was the author of 17 books, including:
* The Handbook of Consumer Motivations
* Motivating Human Behavior
* The Naked Manager
* Packaging, the Sixth Sense?: a guide to identifying consumer motivation
* Total Self-Knowledge
* Getting Motivated
* The Strategy of Desire
* How Hot a Manager Are You?
* Marketing Plus: finding the hidden gold in the market place