I like it, but I don’t know why …
Guest post by Cody Miles - Founder and Creative Director at BrandCave
In our world, perception is reality and gut feelings often override critical thinking. Consumers do not make most of their purchasing decisions based on facts or data, but on feeling. It’s accurate to say that we often see with our heart, not our eyes.
We have evidence to prove this. Researchers at the University of Toronto once tested brand association by exposing participants to made-up brands paired with pictures. Some pictures were positive and others were negative. After seeing hundreds of examples, the subjects were unable to recall which brands were associated with positive pictures -- but they still expressed a preference for the positively-conditioned brands.
Crazy, right? It’s called the “I like it, but I don’t know why” effect. It’s a neurological condition. Scientists have discovered our brain’s emotional system actually works independently of our cortex, where our consciousness operates. It’s why our feelings often supersede facts (and why I spend too much money on Apple products).
Need an example? Consider the Marlboro Man. A lifetime ago, Marlboro cigarettes were considered a woman’s brand. I know that’s hard to imagine. Today we know that brand for the Marlboro Man, the rugged cowboy who played homage to the heroes and villains of Western films of the time. He was the very embodiment of adventure, rebellion and masculinity. Before him, Marlboro ads often displayed ladylike slogans with illustrations of fashionable women. It was positioned elegantly. They marketed the milder taste of the cigarette as a “safer” option to traditional cigarettes. They even manufactured the cigarette with a red filter to hide a woman’s lipstick stains.
How do you change customer perception from feminine and elegant to fearless and intimidating? You change the association. That rugged cowboy type character didn’t just change our perception of Marlboro, it jumped sales 3,241 percent in its first year. That was a stunning $5 billion increase and it’s why many consider it the most remarkable re-brand in ad history.
That’s a lesson for all of us too.
When our customer’s associations shift, so do markets. It’s a challenge that defies logic. Your customers might even be unaware of it, but they are making assumptions of your organization based on how they associate you. We must identify those associations as the root of our marketing, PR and customer service efforts. Then, if necessary, we need to create new associations. Changing perception of a brand is a first step in that marketing cycle. When perceptions change, attitudes and behaviors do too.
If we want the needle to move, we must get to the foundation of our customer’s perception. They must be able to say they like you, but they don’t know why. Steve Jobs didn’t believe in market research. When asked how much research was required in producing the iPad, he famously quipped, “None. It isn’t the consumers’ job to know what they want.”
Now go tell your customers what they want.
To find out more about Cody Miles and how BrandCave is partnering with great companies worldwide to create powerful web applications and commercial video, click here.