Understanding Behavioral Science & Neuroscience is Imperative for Brands!
Carolyn Permentier
I Deliver #MeaningfulMarketingMessages. Brand Strategy/Brand Messaging. DR & DM. Digital. Social. Video. Radio/TV. B2B, B2C. Certificate in Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT. Author, 'The Wacko From Waco.’ Intuitive Empath.
What can marketers learn about human behavior, and how human brains are wired, that will provide deep insights into HOW to communicate with consumer audiences?
Calling on the wisdom of the 'Father of Advertising,' David Ogilvy, we can take a lesson about why market research ain't all it's cracked-up to be.
Ogilvy on the problem with market research...
“People don't think what they feel, don't say what they think, and don't do what they say.”
I'm in the camp that thinks traditional research techniques that rely on 'asking' consumers what they think about a certain product-idea (or service) is flawed from the get-go because...
Most decisions are made, based on unconscious motivations.
What a consumer says is important may actually have nothing to do with the real reason they said it.
And behavioral science bears this out.
"Marketers, and the creative geniuses who think consumers' self-analyses of what they would or wouldn't like is about as valid, as a 5-year-old's answer to 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'" - Carolyn Permentier
Consumers are just really BAD at self-analysis. We don't intend to deceive marketing researchers... we just don't really know what runs us on any given day.
And Neuroscience teaches us that emotional responses can often override logical decision-making processes.
The interplay between these two, distinct regions of the brain (amygdala = emotion and prefrontal cortex = logical/decision-making) can explain WHY people may not always ACT according to their stated beliefs or intentions.
The reason is because emotional responses are more powerful and overtake the logical side.
So, what's a marketer to do?
I think that savvy marketers should LEAD customers, instead of following them.
And to do that, we MUST become acutely aware of unconscious reasons for why people don't always DO what they say they'll do.
As Adam Ferrier, a consumer psychologist and founder of THINKERBELL, has said:
"Don't listen to what people say, but hear what's behind what they say."
Ferrier has a great book on Amazon, "Stop Listening to the Customer: Try Hearing Your Brand Instead.
He says that brands should be 'brand-led,' and not 'consumer-led.'
My sentiments, exactly!
Brands that follow the demands of the maddening crowds are driving homogeneity. Translated: UN-remarkable.
Most brands are generic... and forgettable.
Most brands are driven by journey-mapping, customer-centric design, and an obsession over consumer-driven data.
Ferrier's contrary approach is the same as mine...
Adopt the attitude that your customers are investing in YOU, when they buy your product or service.
Lessons from Steve Jobs and Apple...
Remember Steve Jobs, and his iPhone gift to the world in 2007?
No one even knew they wanted one, until they saw it.
And he certainly didn't follow consumer research, focus groups, or creative by committee, did he?
Nope, he believed in his BIG vision. And many, many millions still resonate with it all over the world.
If your brand has a snowball's chance in H*LL of standing out... you gotta understand human behavior better than most humans understand themselves.
Some will like your unique brand offering. And some won't.
You only want the ones who want what you're selling.
Just like Apple's first 'Think Different' campaign in 1997, brands today must also put their brands first and telegraph what they are and what kind of customer they want.
I absolutely LUV Steve Job's original, B&W version... Here's to the Crazy Ones!
He wanted to attract the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the trouble-makers — the ones who see things differently.
"The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world... are the ones who do." - Steve Jobs
In Conclusion...
Are you a CEO, CMO, or a DOM and need a non-conformist to help elevate your brand in a way that says:
"Here we are. Here's what we do better than anyone else. Would you like to buy some?"
If so, I'd be happier than a pig in mud to help you rise above the noise, cut through the clutter, and build trust with an audience that 'gets you.' And ignore the rest.
You do this, by stating your Brand's position, unapologetically, boldly, and uniquely in a world crammed full of 'look-a-likes.'
Don't be a Look-A-Like.
Be You. Be Memorable. Be Meaningful.
Yours in Success,
Carolyn
#MeaningfulMarketingMessages
#Go4MoreIn24
#KickAssCopywriter
As SETA Contractor, focused on Strategy, Advisory, Design and, Technology Evolution to Keep Up With Mission Evolution across the 18 Intelligence Agencies and the Department of Defense
10 个月This thinking should apply to many of the assignments in the consulting profession. Way to many of the leadership of corporate and governmental clients are trapped in the past of thinking “we have to ask for the requirements” instead of thinking that they have the opportunity to craft a real break through.
CHIEF FREQUENCY OFFICER at Omniverse City | Dream Weaver | Cultural Connector | Architect of Dreamology | Storytelling Magician | Chronicler of the New AI Era | Gamifying w/AI the "New Immersive World"
10 个月Carolyn Permentier Hey Carolyne! ??♂? hello, what if we just jump to some "case studies" and focus on the backstage example: Case 1: How Amazon HACKS YOUR BRAIN for purchase and so on....ready go! ?? Imagine browsing Amazon, one click away from owning that desired gadget. No lengthy forms, no checkout struggles – just instant gratification. This is the power of ?? Amazon's One-Click Ordering, ?? a system built on understanding HOW OUR BRAINS MAKE BUYING DECISIONS ?? The key lies in "simplicity and speed" and also provides "speed and efficiency". for stress-to-the-max shoppers. Our brains crave these factors, and Amazon removes any obstacles that might cause friction. Filling out forms creates a mental hurdle, while "one-click eliminates it." This reduces the "cognitive load," the mental effort required to complete a task. By simplifying the process, ?? Amazon satisfies "our brain's desire for ease, making purchases a breeze".
I Deliver #MeaningfulMarketingMessages. Brand Strategy/Brand Messaging. DR & DM. Digital. Social. Video. Radio/TV. B2B, B2C. Certificate in Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT. Author, 'The Wacko From Waco.’ Intuitive Empath.
10 个月Thank you all for your ‘likes’ and shares!! I really appreciate it! ??
The Michael Jordan of Marketing ??
10 个月Kickass copy again Carolyn Permentier. Some great quotes, my favourite could be "Marketers, and the creative geniuses who think consumers' self-analyses of what they would or wouldn't like is about as valid, as a 5-year-old's answer to 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'" Might even use that one myself ;-)
I Deliver #MeaningfulMarketingMessages. Brand Strategy/Brand Messaging. DR & DM. Digital. Social. Video. Radio/TV. B2B, B2C. Certificate in Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT. Author, 'The Wacko From Waco.’ Intuitive Empath.
10 个月Hey, thanks for the thumbs up, Mike Ward RME and Neil Singh... appreciate it! ??