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buy-ology
Martin Lindstrom
If you do a 'blind' sip test on 2 glasses of drink, one coke, one pepsi, subjects marginally prefer pepsi. But if you label them, they prefer coke 75:25. (In Blink Malcolm Gladwell explained that people prefer slightly sweeter drink in a sip, but not when have to drink whole can) MRI scans show that coke activates the values judgement area of the brain - it's the brand they're reacting to.
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Offer someone a $15 voucher now or $20 one in 2 weeks - both offers activate the rational parts of brain, but '$15 now' activates emotional parts as well.
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In Steven Spielberg's ET, the little boy lures out the alien with trail of candy. Script originally had M & M's but company wdn't pay for the placement so Spielberg approached Hershey, who did. And of course sales of Reese's Pieces went through the roof when film came out.
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Product placement only works when becomes part of the story. In Pop Idol viewers remember coke bc presenters drank it, and contestants sat on coke red sofa. But Ford ads had no impact, even tho same number as coke ads - the product has to make sense within the narrative.
Mirror neurons discovered in Italy in a lab experimenting with macaque monkeys, who had brains wired up to monitors. An experimenter walked into lab after lunch holding an ice cream, and one of the monkeys staring at him, taste sensation area of brain started firing off, even though he wasn't eating anything. We do the same thing when we punch the air in triumph when our side scores - vicarious triumph.
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When Nintendo released Wii one of first buyers went home and videoed himself unpacking it and setting it up. Got 70,000 hits on YouTube in next week. Almost as much pleasure watching someone else enjoy unveiling. Now websites www.unboxit.com dedicated to clips of people opening new purchases.
'Fred West sweater'. Psychologist offered audience £10 if they'd wear a sweater he held up. Then he revealed the sweater had been worn by Fred West. When the few volunteers left put the sweater on, people around them edged away. Even when he revealed that it hadn't actually been worn by West, most people still didn't want anything to do with it.
We adopt rituals to help us through stressful or novel situations. They help us maintain the illusion that we're in control. They do actually work - kids who grow up in homes with predictable routines have better health and better school results.
Kids who have social difficulties at school are far more likely to take up collecting - stamps or anything - gives them sense of mastery and control.
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Irish and Jews in US import soil from their homelands - some just small packets, others enough to fill their graves, so that they can be buried in Irish or Israeli soil.
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Importance of associations. A British brand of toilet paper outsells rivals simply bc its ads always include a cute puppy - happy childhood memories. A bank painted all its buildings and cars pink, gave staff pink uniforms. Everyone hated it but after 6 months cut advertising budget in half bc brand recognition so strong.
Some smells remind us of childhood. If born before 1960, new-mown grass. If later, synthetic smells such as Play-dough.
Smell of cleaning products makes bathroom visitors tidier.
Bang & Olufson put unnecessary block of alimunium in remote controls - when test subjects given lightweight remotes they judged them broken or inferior.
Tested 2 different bottles of mayonaisse. One bottle narrow in middle, thicker top and bottom, the other bulbous at bottom, thin at top like a magic genie bottle. Everyone wanted the bottle that resembled human shape - it's food, so it's going into the body, and no-one wants to be reminded of a big fat buddha when eating.
Calvin Klein pioneered the technique of starting an outrageously sexual ad campaign, spurring outraged groups to start a campaign of outrage, thus generating scads of free publicity, then pulling the campaign.
User-generated ads - Heinz ketchup ads with vote for favourite.
Vampire effect of sex and humour. People remember the joke or the body, but blinded - forget the content.
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