Brainfluence

1. Tap into the 95%: Market to the Subconscious Brain

Ninety-five percent of our thoughts, emotions, and learning occur without our conscious awareness, according to Harvard marketing professor and author Gerald Zaltman.

The subconscious rules. Our brains process vast amounts of information without our conscious awareness, influencing our decisions and behaviors. This has profound implications for marketers:

• Focus on emotional and nonverbal appeals rather than just rational arguments
• Use subtle cues and priming techniques to influence behavior
• Recognize that customers often can't articulate why they make choices

Effective marketing strategies tap into this subconscious processing by:

• Creating positive emotional associations with brands
• Using sensory cues like smell, touch, and sound
• Crafting messages that resonate on an instinctual level
• Employing visual and nonverbal communication

2. Harness the Power of Sensory Branding

All sensory experiences aren't positive. One third of the patrons thought that the restaurants smelled like stale oil. Of McDonald's customers in Britain, 42 percent thought the same, and both groups indicated that this smell diminished their enjoyment of the food.

Engage all five senses. Successful brands create cohesive, multi-sensory experiences that forge strong emotional connections with customers:

• Sight: Consistent visual branding across all touchpoints
• Sound: Distinctive audio logos and background music
• Smell: Signature scents that evoke positive emotions
• Touch: Textures and materials that reinforce brand identity
• Taste: Unique flavors associated with the brand

Sensory branding is particularly powerful because it bypasses conscious thought and creates lasting memories. For example:

• Singapore Airlines uses a consistent fragrance across multiple touchpoints
• Starbucks carefully controls the aroma in its stores
• Apple stores have a distinctive look, feel, and sound

3. Build Strong Emotional Connections with Your Brand

Brain scans show that strong brands lit up areas of the brain associated with positive emotions, rewards, and self-identification. The weak brands, meanwhile, lit up areas associated with memory (perhaps trying to figure out if they had ever seen it?) and negative emotions.

Emotions drive decisions. Strong brands create powerful emotional connections that influence consumer behavior on a subconscious level:

• Positive emotions associated with a brand lead to increased loyalty and sales
• Emotional connections can override rational decision-making
• Brand associations are often formed through repeated exposure and consistent messaging

Key strategies for building emotional brand connections:

• Tell compelling brand stories that resonate with your target audience
• Use imagery and language that evokes desired emotions
• Create a sense of belonging or identity around your brand
• Consistently deliver on your brand promise to reinforce positive associations

4. Leverage the Psychology of Print and Visual Media

Clearly, paper marketers can benefit from a more personal approach to describing the recipients of their largesse. Don't contribute to the symphony's general fund; sponsor a cellist named Marie.

Make it personal and tangible. Print and visual media have unique psychological impacts that can be leveraged for more effective marketing:

• Physical media creates a "deeper footprint" in the brain than digital
• Personalization increases emotional engagement and response rates
• Vivid imagery can create false memories of product experiences

Strategies for maximizing the impact of print and visual media:

• Use high-quality, tactile materials for important communications
• Incorporate personalized elements like names and relevant imagery
• Create vivid, sensory-rich descriptions and visuals
• Utilize the power of photographs to increase empathy and connection

5. Master the Art of Persuasive Copywriting

Take a lesson from the bard and shake up the way you use your words. Take a word that people know, and use it in an unexpected way. Neuro your copy!

Words have power. Effective copywriting taps into the way our brains process language to create more persuasive and memorable messages:

• Unexpected word usage grabs attention and increases engagement
• Simple fonts are more effective for calls to action
• Complex fonts can increase perceived effort and value for luxury items
• Vivid, sensory-rich language creates stronger mental impressions

Key copywriting techniques:

• Use storytelling to engage emotions and create memorable experiences
• Employ simple, powerful words like "FREE!" and "NEW!"
• Craft headlines and taglines that surprise or intrigue
• Choose adjectives that evoke sensory experiences and emotions

6. Understand and Exploit Consumer Decision-Making

Timing Is Critical in the want versus should battle. A decision on food for immediate consumption favored want items. Purchases for consumption days in the future were more likely to be healthy and nutritious (should items).

Decisions aren't always rational. Understanding the psychological factors that influence consumer choices allows marketers to craft more effective strategies:

• Timing affects the balance between immediate gratification and long-term benefits
• Framing and context significantly impact perceived value
• Cognitive biases like anchoring and loss aversion shape decision-making

Strategies for influencing consumer decisions:

• Time offers to align with "want" or "should" motivations
• Use pricing strategies that leverage psychological anchors
• Create a sense of scarcity or urgency to drive immediate action
• Frame choices to highlight desired options

7. Tailor Your Approach to Gender Differences

Male viewers are influenced by photos of attractive women, and their decisions skew toward the short-term and impulsive.

Gender impacts perception. Men and women process information and make decisions differently, requiring tailored marketing approaches:

• Men tend to process language in a more sensory, less abstract way
• Women are generally more responsive to emotional and relationship-based appeals
• Attractive female images can prime men for short-term thinking

Gender-specific marketing strategies:

• Use simpler, more direct language for male-targeted communications
• Incorporate relationship and community themes for female audiences
• Consider the potential impact of gender in spokesperson selection
• Be aware of how gender priming might affect purchasing decisions

8. Optimize the Shopping Experience

Clearly, marketers can't control what shoppers combine in their shopping carts, and once the item is in the cart, the consumer is almost certain to buy it anyway. It's also doubtful that this negative association is a long-lasting effect that would tarnish the brand or the consumer's long-term feelings about the product.

Details matter in retail. The shopping environment and experience significantly impact consumer behavior and perceptions:

• Product placement and proximity affect perceived value and appeal
• Touch increases feelings of ownership and willingness to purchase
• Cognitive dissonance can make difficult-to-obtain products more desirable

Strategies for optimizing the shopping experience:

• Carefully consider product placement and groupings
• Encourage customers to physically interact with products
• Create a sensory-rich environment that reinforces brand identity
• Strategically manage product availability to increase perceived value

9. Craft Compelling Video and TV Advertisements

Physical actions outweigh words in every element of your marketing campaign—print ads, commercials, and sales presentations—pay as much attention to the physical actions of the people as to what they are saying.

Nonverbal cues dominate. In video and TV advertising, visual elements and body language often have a stronger impact than spoken words:

• Gestures and facial expressions are processed simultaneously with speech
• Mismatches between verbal and nonverbal cues create cognitive dissonance
• Emotional appeals tend to be more effective than purely logical arguments

Best practices for video and TV advertising:

• Ensure consistency between verbal and nonverbal communication
• Use visuals and body language to reinforce key messages
• Lead with credibility-building elements before making strong claims
• Focus on creating emotional connections rather than just conveying information

Last updated: March 21, 2025