“Mine.” That’s it. The shirt in the thrift shop? Somebody gave it away. It doesn’t even exist until we see it and pay for it. Now, from the point where we say, “that could be mine,” to the point where we have made the purchase and made it our own, the value has risen exponentially. … Continue reading Nothing Has Value Until We Add This Word
Tag: behavioral economics
Breaking News: Human Nature Still Hasn’t Changed
So you think the world is changing? Well, humans aren’t changing nearly as much as whatever breaking/viral social moment or techno-gadget would have you think. Here’s advertising legend Bill Bernbach on the timelessness of humanity (emphasis added): Human nature hasn’t changed for 1 billion years. It won’t even vary in the next billion years. Only … Continue reading Breaking News: Human Nature Still Hasn’t Changed
You Sold Me A Lemon
Why do we call a car that turns out to be a crap car a lemon? Here’s one good (and important) historical reason, one good (and important) marketing-based lesson, and one good (and important) market/information-based concept. We want all of these lemons in our toolbox (or lemonade or… I don’t know, this is just really … Continue reading You Sold Me A Lemon
If They Don’t Want To, They Won’t
Fax machines were about as cool when they came out as they are today. Circa 1986 you might have heard, “So let me get this straight, I need to have one and so does the other person, who I’m quite sure doesn’t, and only then it’s useful? You have heard of mail, right?” No price-cutting, … Continue reading If They Don’t Want To, They Won’t
The Feeling Of Uncertainty Sucks
Do you have any idea what it feels like to be right? Of course you do. It’s pretty awesome isn’t it? Now, what about to feel… not right? What about confused, like when you can’t quite follow what’s going on? That sucks. Turns out this feeling of knowing is a big deal. It impacts when … Continue reading The Feeling Of Uncertainty Sucks
You’re Not That Great (A Motivational Post)
You’re not that great. Don’t take it the wrong way, I’m not that great either, but there’s a subtle point here. Overconfidence is a problem we - and the people we seek to serve - all suffer from. The good news is that just knowing it exists can help us deal with it. Organizational Psychologist … Continue reading You’re Not That Great (A Motivational Post)
Did We Learn The Right Lesson?
It’s one thing to look back and say, “What did we learn here?” It’s a whole other thing, and maybe even more important, to ask, “Did we learn the right lesson?” WSJ columnist and author Jason Zweig says lots of day-traders in the late 90s learned how to flip stocks in that environment, but they … Continue reading Did We Learn The Right Lesson?
Brand Building 101: Habits Are Good, Rituals Are Great
We talk about products, services, and brands all of the time. But, if we really want to go deeper, if we really want to drive better results, we need to talk about habits and rituals too. Habits and rituals are essential to the stories our customers tell themselves about what it is we do. Let’s … Continue reading Brand Building 101: Habits Are Good, Rituals Are Great
Why Betty Crocker Makes You Add An Egg
Betty Crocker almost blew the brand on brownie mix. Now, for the uninitiated, the modern process goes like this: you get a box of sugary magic powder. You add some eggs, some water or milk, stir it up, toss it in the over, and “Voila!” But, it wasn’t always this way. It used to be … Continue reading Why Betty Crocker Makes You Add An Egg
Stop Putting People On Treadmills With Your Marketing: Make It Easy, Make It About Them
People are, by design, not going to listen to us about our businesses, products, ideas, etc. People will, however, listen intently to whatever is going through their own heads - because that’s how survival works. We all scan our environment for things that will help us survive or thrive and tune everything else down or … Continue reading Stop Putting People On Treadmills With Your Marketing: Make It Easy, Make It About Them