Brent Niemuth, President / CCO
Well, the secret is out. For decades, creative types working at agencies across the country knew instinctively a few secrets they could rely on to create brand stories, campaigns and messaging that would resonate with consumers. The Don Drapers of the world knew these little secrets could help sell more products. We knew if we used them, our chances of connecting with consumers on a deeper level would go way up (and so would sales). We knew these little secrets worked. We just couldn’t prove it.
But now we can. We have evidence, thanks to recent neuroscience research and studies, that these gut instincts we operated on over the years are, in fact, true. They have proven, without a shadow of a doubt, to be as effective as we thought. So now that the secret is out, I can break my blood oath as a creative professional and openly share what writers, designers and art directors have known for decades.
Here are five proven Basic Human Truths that you should always keep in mind as you’re trying to figure out how to connect more effectively with your customers or prospects. Ignore them at your own risk.
1) The human brain craves EASE & ORDER
It will always choose the easy route. It hates complexity. It will automatically seek out shortcuts. Consumers want an EASY experience, more than anything. Unfortunately, most brands make everything harder than it needs to be.
Marketing Implication:
Eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary can shine. Don’t overwhelm. Simplify everything.
2) Humans have a very limited ATTENTION SPAN
(See my last blog post.) Our attention span has now shrunk to a mere eight seconds. Sad. We hate too many choices. It confuses the brain. If we’re presented with too many choices, we end up choosing nothing. It’s a defense mechanism. Are you losing sales because you’re offering your customers too many choices and they’re simply walking away?
Marketing Implication:
Thin out products within a category. Remove items that don’t sell. Make choices clear and easy to understand. Push customers online for more choices or for more information, where they expect to find it.
3) Humans are VISUAL
90% of what we learn is visual. We learn by seeing. People prefer images over words, by far. Ever wonder why YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are so popular? Images, baby! Consumers no longer read, we scan. How much copy are you asking your customers to read? It’s probably too much.
Marketing Implication:
“Show” rather than “tell.” Edit copy dramatically to be scanable. Large images get noticed first. People love looking at faces. Color increases brand recognition by 80%.
4) Humans respond to EMOTION
The brain remembers events triggered by emotion. We remember first impressions—the first time we meet someone, the first time we see a new place, the first time we encounter a new brand—because of how we felt at that moment. 90% of the decisions we make are driven by emotion (in our subconscious). Want someone to remember your brand or your product? Make them feel something.
Marketing Implication:
People are 65% more likely to buy from brands they feel a connection to (shared values). Don’t just sell your products and their attributes, sell your brand story. Tell them what you stand for. Give them something to believe in.
5) Humans are attracted to BEAUTY
Thank you, Captain Obvious! This one is a no-brainer. We are naturally drawn to what is visually pleasing. Consumers have developed an elevated design aesthetic. We all appreciate good design more than ever (thank you, Apple!). Not only do we appreciate it—we expect it. We see it every day all around us, so we now demand it from the brands we buy from. In other words, design matters! Way more than you’d think.
Marketing Implication:
People will react to good (or bad) design before anything else. It’s the first thing they notice. They will make a judgment about your brand within the first seven seconds of seeing something. Remember, first impressions last.
Well, now you know our little secrets. These things work, I promise. Post these on your cubicle wall and refer to them often. To summarize…
Make it EASY.
Make it QUICK.
Make it VISUAL.
Make it EMOTIONAL.
Make it LOOK GOOD.
If you need help making these things happen, we do it every day here at J.Schmid. We’d love to help. By the way, we have other secrets that work, too. Just give me a shout at brentn@jschmid.com. I’d be happy to fill you in.
Tags: branding, Brent Niemuth, catalog design, Customer Behavior, marketing