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Make Better Decisions
Posted on March 03, 2005 by Sarah Eaton.
What were you thinking?
How could you possibly have thought it was a good idea to tattoo the word "Mom" with a heart around it on the side of your neck?
And what about that colossally stupid marketing campaign you came up with last month that flopped beyond flopping and that has your boss looking at you with narrowed eyes?
According to this Marketing Profs article (and elucidating further the theory behind Gladwell's "Blink," reviewed in yesterday's post), you probably fell victim to your somatic markers:
The human mind has dealt with its information overload problems by allowing for the creation of mental shortcuts for decision making that require no explicit logic. This cognitive trick works by handling a countless number of decisions in our lives using hardwired responses and learned emotional cues, called somatic markers, while reserving the mind's more labor-intensive logical faculties for involved problem solving.
These somatic markers act like crib sheets for decisions in order to keep our minds free to do other things.
This solution is a mixed blessing. Although they are very effective, somatic markers are very prone to decision errors, especially when we are under stress or when our logical facilities become taxed.
They rely on a coarse matching of stimuli to response, which can readily misinterpret stimuli resulting in improper responses to a situation. It is in these moments that trouble can result and we can begin to make some very stupid decisions despite all our better judgment.
Emotion, apparently, affects even the most hardened marketing big-shots. What's the solution? To me it seems almost too simple: Relax. Breathe. There. Better?
Or is that too easy?
March 3, 2005 in award winning magazine, award winning newsletter, Blog Outsourcing, Brand enhancement, build credibility, business magazine, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, company newsletter, Company newsletters, corporate magazine, Corporate newsletter | Permalink
Comments
I liked this article. The situation of zoning out on the freeway is a familiar memory of mine that I have experienced time and time again, even without talking on my cell phone. Making decisions based off of conditioning, knee-jerk responses, and emotions obviously can impede our rational decision-making process. A quote from one of my favorite movies,” Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," the character of the chef puts it bluntly, "assumptions are the mother of all f*@#-ups."
However, when it comes to marketing, isn't it important to learn from past mistakes, be up-to-date with consumer trends, and follow the idea that if something isn't broken there is no need to fix it. If a good response, or stimulus, is a result from a good marketing plan, keep it going and run with it.
Maybe I might have a limited understanding of the ins and outs of marketing, but I know, without thinking, that sex sells to the younger crowd, wholesome qualities to the older, and humor is custom fitted for everyone. However, let us remember to take risks, always push the envelope, and step outside the box, or follow Taco Bell’s example and "step outside the bun." It’s good to invigorate and invite new customers, while setting a standard to be followed in the future.
It almost seems pretty cut and dry when contemplating how to sell a product or an idea to the masses, except for social security reform. President Bush you are on your own.
Posted by: kevin | Mar 4, 2005 2:57:50 PM
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