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ARTelevision · 11-17-2003, 02:27 PM

This story appeared today on internet.com. It's obviously intended as a smart strategy piece for, in this case, web/internet marketers.

It says a lot about the gloss put on advertising by advertisers and those who study and promote and it also reveals how blithely ignorant they are of how it makes them sound to everyone else.

The talk about seducing and snaring potential customers by hitting them where they live and penetrating the deep recesses of the brain is the sort of thing tossed around all the time by these guys.

I think I'll check out this book...

.........................

Seducing the Hippocampus

November 17, 2003

Body of Truth

By Dan Hill
267pp. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. $29.95.

There's to be a perennial discussion in marketing over whether to appeal to consumers' intelligence or emotions. While the simple answer may be 'both,' it proves difficult in practice. Marketers have instead adopted an approach based on the product. Purchases that demand a high level of consumer involvement generally receive in-depth treatment, while impulse sales get emotional bells and whistles.

Starting with a scientific discussion of the brain, psychologist and marketer Dan Hill argues in Body of Truth that all good marketing should push the emotional buttons. Long copy and rational appeals may be of interest to a select few, but the average consumer reacts better to less subtlety. The key to all this, Hill argues, is the part of the brain that creates a "sensory-emotive connection with consumers."

"The hippocampus is vital," Hill writes. "It's the screen door to a person's psyche. It lets in what it deems to be shocking, novel, emotionally significant, or networked to the familiar. Therefore, successful marketing seduces the hippocampus." That's all well and good, the marketer may say, but how exactly do we go about targeting that lump of gray matter?

The value of emotional advertising is hardly novel in marketing. The old saw that kids-and-dogs will appeal to any consumer is time-honored. Some may remember soda commercial of years back that combined a toddler and a pack of puppies. Heart warming and memorable, to be sure. But did it move the product?

Hill spares no effort detailing the steps required to engage in what he calls "emotional positioning." Entire chapters are devoted to discussions of images and colors that will best snare typical buyers. At times, Body of Truth reads more like a psychology textbook than a marketing manual. It begs the question, what small business marketer is likely to absorb all this interesting advice?

To be sure, Hill makes a valuable point. In an increasingly cluttered marketplace, it takes more than a celebrity and a smile to create effective advertising. Whether or not marketers can consistently penetrate deep recesses of the brain in the manner Hill advocates remains to be seen, but it's worth the attempt.

....

11-17-2003, 02:27 PM	#129 (permalink)
ARTelevision I change Location: USA	SEDUCED by my dang hippocampus again! This story appeared today on internet.com. It's obviously intended as a smart strategy piece for, in this case, web/internet marketers. It says a lot about the gloss put on advertising by advertisers and those who study and promote and it also reveals how blithely ignorant they are of how it makes them sound to everyone else. The talk about seducing and snaring potential customers by hitting them where they live and penetrating the deep recesses of the brain is the sort of thing tossed around all the time by these guys. I think I'll check out this book... ......................... Seducing the Hippocampus November 17, 2003 Body of Truth By Dan Hill 267pp. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. $29.95. There's to be a perennial discussion in marketing over whether to appeal to consumers' intelligence or emotions. While the simple answer may be 'both,' it proves difficult in practice. Marketers have instead adopted an approach based on the product. Purchases that demand a high level of consumer involvement generally receive in-depth treatment, while impulse sales get emotional bells and whistles. Starting with a scientific discussion of the brain, psychologist and marketer Dan Hill argues in Body of Truth that all good marketing should push the emotional buttons. Long copy and rational appeals may be of interest to a select few, but the average consumer reacts better to less subtlety. The key to all this, Hill argues, is the part of the brain that creates a "sensory-emotive connection with consumers." "The hippocampus is vital," Hill writes. "It's the screen door to a person's psyche. It lets in what it deems to be shocking, novel, emotionally significant, or networked to the familiar. Therefore, successful marketing seduces the hippocampus." That's all well and good, the marketer may say, but how exactly do we go about targeting that lump of gray matter? The value of emotional advertising is hardly novel in marketing. The old saw that kids-and-dogs will appeal to any consumer is time-honored. Some may remember soda commercial of years back that combined a toddler and a pack of puppies. Heart warming and memorable, to be sure. But did it move the product? Hill spares no effort detailing the steps required to engage in what he calls "emotional positioning." Entire chapters are devoted to discussions of images and colors that will best snare typical buyers. At times, Body of Truth reads more like a psychology textbook than a marketing manual. It begs the question, what small business marketer is likely to absorb all this interesting advice? To be sure, Hill makes a valuable point. In an increasingly cluttered marketplace, it takes more than a celebrity and a smile to create effective advertising. Whether or not marketers can consistently penetrate deep recesses of the brain in the manner Hill advocates remains to be seen, but it's worth the attempt. .... __________________ create evolution