In Mac’s article, “Selling with Story”, he points to scientific literature on why stories are an effective selling tool. Since we’re getting all academic up in here, I thought I’d take it a step further and see if I could drum up exactly how stories could be used in advertising.
I failed miserably.
It turns out, the data is a little too inconclusive to accurately say how stories enter our minds and how they impact our purchasing decisions. But all is not lost. Through my search, I learned a few things and thought I’d share my findings.
Neuromarketing studies how advertising affects the mind. Sensory information – words, sounds, images, colors, smells, textures, etc. – creates a response to advertisements. By understanding the relationship between senses and products, advertisers hope to create ads with the highest impact. Anyone surprised? I didn’t think so. We know advertisers conduct research all the time to get us to buy more stuff. But here are five things you might not know about the brain and branding.
1. Multiple Inputs
Your eyes, ears, tongue, nose and skin are the data collectors on your body. They’re located in different places and so it makes sense that each input goes to a different spot in your brain. What gets tricky is how your brain processes that input to determine what the sensory information is. If you see a round, red object, your body needs to compare it to all the data it has about red round objects. Is it a dodgeball, a clown nose or an apple? You can tell by its stem that it is, in fact, an apple. If you close your eyes, you could touch all three red objects and come to the same conclusion. And if you tried to taste it, well, you get the idea.
What advertisers are trying to do is take sensory information a step further and associate persuasive sights and sounds with their products. It’s not the subliminal voodoo made famous by 1950’s B-horror movies, but it is a little spooky. By unlocking where sensory information is processed and where it “lights up” brain activity, advertisers can learn what things are associated with their products.
For a little more light reading material, check out this Wizard of Ads article on Broca’s area.
2. Perception Matters
Neuromarketing attempts to influence our perception; one of the most powerful factors of purchasing decisions. Perception tells us that a luxury car performs better than a mid-range sedan. Perception reminds us that name-brand shoes allow us to run faster. Perception confirms how our home-security system keeps us safe. One study eluded to the fact that Coke’s branding alone plays a pivotal role in capturing consumer preference. Marketers, and I have to assume a fair share of consumers, understand the impact of perception.
3. Logic Doesn’t
Perception matters. Logic doesn’t. The same study about Coke illustrated this point when it examined Aspirin. To summarize the paragraphs, people bought Aspirin over its generic counterpart with identical properties. Something else drives consumers to buy products for a higher price, which–on paper–has equal value to the lower-priced item. That’s perception. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs probably fits into the equation too. Assuming people have the security and resources to choose either a less expensive pain reliever or a more expensive one, the choice to purchase Aspirin must help support one of the top-tier needs. That’s why the race to unlock the brain is so important to advertisers. If a brand identifies which elements trigger the senses and association, it can match its product to human needs.
4. Sound Could Be Key
In the Wizard of Ads article, the author discusses Broca’s area, a part of the brain believed to link sound with action. Admittedly, Wizard of Ads has a reputation for being biased towards radio (but so do I). Even so, the article introduces a few unique concepts. If Broca’s area connects sound with emotion and that emotion links with action, then sound could play a role in spurring commerce.
On the flip side, the article also brushes on Wernicke’s area, a part of the brain responsible for communicating concepts. The word “apple” is really a concept. It’s the result of a red, round shape with a stem and a sweet taste. To take it all sci-fi and such, you get the feeling that brands are trying to convince consumers to fill in the blanks when it comes to sensory information and brands. For example, one might say, “a small, shiny dot that sparkles is a diamond. A diamond has value.” After a little advertising that same person might make the leap and say, “Jared’s Gallery of Jewelry is value. A small, shiny dot that sparkles is Jared’s Gallery of Jewlery.” It will take a lot of work to create that perception. Using sound might cut out a few steps. If you hear a woman’s voice and she says, “That’s beautiful,” your mind thinks diamonds. Put Jared’s Gallery of Jewelry around “That’s beautiful,” or similar sounds, and it could move people to act.
5. Orwell Or It Won’t
Hold on, Big Brother conspiracy theorists. Neuromarketing might seem like mind-control, but there are a few things that make me feel okay about this kind of research. First, these studies are expensive. In the articles I was reading, neuromarketing studies cost over $100,000 a pop. Conspiracy theorists, I already know what you’re going to say: “The big, multi-national companies spend millions on ads, a $100K is a drop in the bucket.”
True, but remember, the information available to these companies so far is about perception. In other words, a brand can only make itself as attractive to the consumer as possible. It can’t take the next step and force a consumer to buy. You ultimately have the choice. Also, companies trying to look inside your head isn’t new. Advertisers have been doing consumer research for decades. Instead of surveys and focus groups, they’re using fMRIs and other high-tech tools to get more accurate results.
So what can smaller businesses do, you know, the one’s who don’t have six figures to spend on researching an ad concept?
I don’t have the data to back this up, but if you assume that neuromarketing is just a form of consumer research, and consumer research is about seeing how people react to something, the cheapest way to test your theories would be with online advertising. Run split tests on your email marketing campaigns or social media ads. Change the wording, imagery or call to action to see how people react. After a while, review what words and images generated the most impact. It won’t be as accurate as a brain scan or be completely conclusive, but it will give you clues.
And that’s what both neuromarketing research and regular research are looking for – clues. Until we have answers, all we have are questions. And as long as there are questions, there will be attempts to use creativity to capture your imagination. Brace your senses, it’s going to be a fun ride.