The Neuroscience of Marketing
Last week on the Crazy, STUPID Marketing Show, Stuart Webb and I discussed the SCIENCE in Marketing. And since then, I've been absorbed in exploring the role the brain plays in the brand relationships we build from a marketing perspective. And today, I'd like to share some of those learnings :)
Let's jump right in!
Asking The Right Question
One of the greatest - and most often ignored - things about marketing is that what WORKS is what we REMEMBER. Every human has a proclivity to remember specific things and not other things. And when marketing "works", what we're really saying is that:
People REMEMBER us, and
People DO SOMETHING with us.
So this exploration today is based on those two things: what processes are happening in the brain that make someone remember us, and what processes are happening in the brain that make us make a decision to do something.
With that, here we go.
Creating Memories
According to my friend, Perplexity.AI, "the process of turning experiences into memories involves several stages and mechanisms", but for the sake of this article, I'm going to focus on ONE...Synaptic Plasticity.
First, some definitions. Synapses are the connections between our neurons. They strengthen (or weaken) over time in response to patterns of activity. So, the more times you experience a specific pattern of activity, the stronger the synaptic connection.
Frequency and timing are big factors in creating these patterns, which is why these things are also important pieces of the marketing formula. If I can get something in front of someone often, and get the timing JUST right, THEN I can create a memory.
But there's more to it than that.
First of all, if all you're focusing on is frequency and timing (be honest, you've totally looked up WHEN you "should" send an email newsletter for optimal opening, or at what time of day you "should" post on social media), there's a big piece of the puzzle missing...TWO actually.
WHAT people are consuming, and how CONSISTENT it is, and
HOW people FEEL about that 👆
Logic vs. Emotion (in Synaptic Plasticity)
Ok, so we're getting a little more science-y now, but go with me on this. And remember, I'm not a neuroscientist, but a marketer, so if YOU are a neuroscientist, and I got something wrong, please let me know.
Simply put, different things happen in our brains when we are being logical vs. experiencing emotion.
During emotional events, our bodies release stress hormones. This then turns on the amygdala (remember that from high school biology?), the brain region critical for emotional processing.
When the amygdala gets turned on, we are more likely to mark the experience as important, which means, it's more likely to strengthen that synaptic path.
Additionally, in this process, the stress hormone norepinephrine regulates synaptic plasticity by activating the receptors at central synapses, increasing the likelihood of the patterns being recognized and strengthened.
In contrast, logic, or "being rational" does not have the same level of impact. The amygdala and the stress hormones aren't coming out to play, so while we might be meeting the frequency and timing requirements of creating memories, we aren't getting any kind of BOOST when it comes to synaptic plasticity.
People don't FEEL the same way about logical information as they do about emotional events. Yet so often in marketing, we get caught up in what our audience needs to KNOW. That's logic. And yes, it's important in a part of the buying process. But is marketing the right part?
Look at your funnel; from first contact to sale. Where is the FEEL?
If it's not there, how COULD an investment in FEEL - from a marketing perspective - improve the connectivity that people have to your business?
A Consistent Experience
The second piece is equally important here, and actually, a little easier to deliver on than emotional connections (which are difficult to predict).
Let's take the frequency component OUT of this part of the conversation for now and simply look at what a consistent experience is.
When we're talking about strengthening synapses, there needs to be enough "in common" to identify this fits with the current pattern. This is where frequency only breaks down, because frequently showing up but creating disparate experiences will NOT build the same pattern.
I mean, it might, but then the pattern being built is "Inconsistency" and I'm not sure that's what any brand is intentionally trying to do💡
And assuming that people are interacting with your brand at multiple touch points, virtually and IRL, sometimes with people, sometimes not, there are a LOT of opportunities for a brand experience to become inconsistent.
So, what do you want to be known for? And how is that LIVED every day? Internally and Externally?
That's the CORE of the consistency. And if we're not tapped into that CORE from a marketing perspective, our chance of breaking the brand experience is much greater than ADDING to that experience.
Moving from Like & Trust to DO
Assuming we've actually done a good job with these neuro-principles in our marketing, we've now gotten people to LIKE us. Maybe even TRUST us. But we don't just want people to Like and Trust us, we want them to DO something. Ideally, do something WITH US.
Now often, this part of the process is left to Sales. We tell them, "here are a bunch of people who like and trust us, go get 'em!" But is there something more marketing could be doing, from a neuroscience perspective?
I'm taking some liberties with this next part of the conversation, because honestly, I couldn't find anything specifically documented in the arena of marketing's impact on doing.
But let's look at it this way:
Have you ever decided to choose something that felt WRONG?
Usually, we choose things that FEEL right. And that we have enough logic to back up. So while "decision making" is about bringing the KNOW into the conversation, it needs to be led with FEEL.
And if marketing is touching all the parts of the funnel, the right thing needs to be in the right place.
So, what are your Awareness outlets? Those need FEEL.
And what are your Conversation outlets? Those need KNOW.
And if the two get confused, it's unlikely to lead to a buying decision in your favor.
Bringing It To Life
I feel like when it comes to concepts like this, a lot of people read them and are like, "YEAH! That totally makes sense!" And then they go right back to doing what they've always done before.
Spending time analyzing at what time posts get the most likes, and doing MORE of those. Spending time figuring out what day we should send out newsletters, and sending MORE of them.
And yes, more contributes to being memorable. But it doesn't stand alone.
Especially if the MORE you're creating isn't being SEEN.
My recommendation?
Ask yourself..."what am I hoping that people FEEL when they experience my marketing efforts?" And, "how can I give them MORE of THAT?"
THAT👆 will lead to the DOING. But if we focus FIRST on what we want people to DO, we end up in Logic zone, which is actually taking us FARTHER AWAY from our people.
Let's bring them closer.
And if you need an Authentic Marketing Advisor to help you do that, let's chat.
