Throughout this book, the author, Martin Lindstrom, attempts to prove to his readers that through neurological testing, advertisers can discover what consumers really want, because sometimes their words aren’t the complete truth.  Each chapter offers a different example of a test done often times through fMRI testing that show which parts of the brain consumers are using when making purchase decisions and simply viewing advertising.  The first of these tests was done on smokers, and whether or not they really understand what advertisements for cigarettes are attempting to tell them.  There were three chapters that really stuck out from the…

Jonah Berger’s book Contagious explores why certain things catch on and become popular. He starts by dismissing the belief that many, including myself, thought to be true; that a small number of “influencers” cause idea or products to catch on. He opens this discussion by stating that all people hold the same importance in word of mouth, which he considers to be the strongest form of communication of products and ideas. How interesting an idea or product is does not always translate into sharing and word of mouth. Throughout the book he outlines 6 aspects that he calls STEPPS, which…

Throughout Consumer.ology, Philip Graves discusses market research. He explains what exactly it is and what needs to change within it in order to gather reliable information. While I went into this book with the idea that market research (i.e. collecting consumer opinions through in-depth interviews, focus groups, customer satisfaction questionnaires, online surveys, etc) was incredibly imperative in the advertising world, I came out of it realizing that these methods are not helping companies gather reliable data, and as a result, many products are failing. As stated by Graves, “at the very moment that any consumer research works on the presumption…

Why We Buy   When you step into a store or shopping environment, have you ever wondered why signs are placed where they are or why there is two feet of walking in between isles? Paco Underhill, the author of Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, created a company in which he and his colleagues credited themselves on mastering the science of shopping.  Big name corporations would hire him and his company to execute research in their establishments, whether it is a department store or a family restaurant, and determine how they can be more efficient in their selling…

Thinking of advertising and marketing industry today you realize that it has come a long and far way from where it began. Authors Terry O’Reilly and Mike Tennant give a comprehensive history of how advertising started, where it’s been, and what it has evolved to currently. Previous to becoming the author of this book O’Reilly had a radio series, “O’Reilly on Advertising”. His follow up to this was the “Age of Persuasion” where he looking into the ways marketing and advertising have affected everyday life. This book serves as a way for him and his partner author to expand on…

Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy. Phil Barden. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, 2013. 270 pages We can’t always explain why we buy what we buy. Some product aspects, such as price and quality, are obvious factors in our decision-making process, but often times, it’s the less obvious product attributes that get us to buy. Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy, written by Phil Barden, explores human psychology and how it plays a role in marketing and consumers purchasing decisions. Author, Phil Barden, is an experienced marketing professional, who has done brand development for big name companies…