This Business Insider posting takes on the themes outlined in earlier ?blog postings about how we can make our marketing more effective by understanding cognitive and behavioural science. ?If we know how we think — sometimes contrary our own perceptions of what is right — we can design our marketing campaigns to relate to client perceptions and motivate them to behave in the way we want. Yes, this stuff smacks of manipulation — and I suppose, like anything, can be abused as well as applied effectively and honourably.
Now, the extensive list here may cause you to hold up your hands and do nothing — and that is rational, because one of the principles behind the cognitive/scientific marketing approaches is that too many choices lead to “no choice” — or indecision. ?Conversely, a strategic “third choice” when you have two alternatives can (if planned correctly) steer the decision-making to one of the two original choices you really want your potential clients to make.
Most of us value some things too much, and others too little. We take greater risks than necessary and, at other times, give up far too much by declining rational risk. We are always better off understanding how we often get things wrong with our cognitive biases, but most of us, most of the time, will still let these biases rule our decision-making.
