Why You’re Not Immune to Marketing and Branding

While researching a new marketing article idea, I came across this Research showing that women are struggling more with the effects of COVID than men.

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Let me tell you a story.

Client meetings have been fun since the movement restrictions triggered by the pandemic have been relaxed. I had this one meeting where I allowed the Client to pick the spot. It turned out to be my favorite Café.

I exchanged greetings with a familiar barista as we placed our order and took a seat. A chess board was laid out on our table. While I made a small conversation, we played a game. The café had a lounge playlist playing overhead. Think an acoustic cover of John Mayer’s XOXO.

When we delved into conversations about her audience data and what an ideal customer looked like, she shared, “I mean, I’m not the target audience. Especially as I don’t think I’m moved by marketing.” After a pause, said again for emphasis, “I’m immune to marketing.”

My eyes fell on her branded coffee cup which she shook between moves, either to center herself or to ensure the sugar caught.

“Would you like another cup?” I asked. “No.” she answered. “Typically, I would be having mocha but after this one cup, I think I maxed out on my sugar quota for the day.”

“Mocha at this same café?”

“Especially at this café.” She said, “They get me,” and gave her cup a swirl before taking another sip.

I rounded up my pitch for a campaign idea with the promise shy of a suggestion that the expected reaction from our target was, “They Get Me.”

My client said, “Don’t be cheeky,” and added, “You’re still picking the bill for this coffee.”

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About Neuromarketing 🧠

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There is a cocktail of chemicals that trigger action in response to a stimulus.  One of these chemicals is called dopamine, and it is a key element in your reward system. Your brain releases large quantities of dopamine whenever you find pleasure in something; eating sugar or coffee, having sex, discovering new and exciting hobby, and when you enjoy some content on social media.

Marketers understand this about your psychology (positive association) and seek to (re)create experiences, stories, and content that trigger dopamine release so that you can repeat these experiences that reward this perception of feeling good. Understanding consumers’ behaviour is a valuable skill for delivering the value of your product and services through marketing and branding.

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