TMU

I rarely pay attention to the odometer when I’m driving, but when a series of like-numbers (199,999.99) rolls up, my eyes are immediately pulled toward it. We encounter about a thousand numbers every day (truth). So why does this one stand out?

It’s as if my brain has "notifications" turned on to recognize when a pattern of numbers or a significant milestone happens on my odometer. Or is it because I love things that stand the test of time, and this is how my brain rewards me for hitting a goal?

There is actual science behind how we recognize numbers. (If you want to read a cool but long article about our brains and numbers, check out this one from The Scientist: “Is Your Brain Wired for Numbers?” It’s where I got the “thousand numbers” stat.) But I’m not a scientist. I’m a marketer. I help people build brands. My theory is that we train our brains to recognize things that matter to us – whether it’s odometer numbers or something else. Knowing what matters to our audience is absolutely essential for our visual brands and messaging. Even the smallest of details can be significant. Something you don’t usually pay attention to could be the one thing that attracts someone to your brand.

Yes, knowing your audience is common sense and probably a useless observation. But that’s what we’re here for. And it was an excellent opportunity to show off my odometer. True Mileage Unknown.

Question: Do you have your audience’s number?