Some sobering stats in Mark Lindstrom's recent post in the Branding Strategy Insider
blog. The average US consumer is exposed to two million TV commercials
before reaching the age of 65. That's equivalent to watching eight
hours of TV commercials, seven days a week for six years. It could be
worse - the average Japanese consumer watches seven years' worth of TV
commercials. He goes on to point out that as the number of TV
commercial hours increase, the success rate of new brands falls.
What can traditional brand marketers do to gain traction in
this environment? Number one, claim your territory by owning your
unique differentiator. Nothing new here. Second, be sure your messaging
supports that single word. Again, something we all know, but amazing
how many brands ignore, or worse, throw amazing amounts of time, effort
and money at it and still come up short.
Third, enable your brand as a somatic marker. Have to admit, I
hadn't heard this term before, but it definitely appeals to the
cognitive psych major in me. A somatic marker can be likened to a bookmark in the brain - often created by an event so dramatic, that you'll never forget it. Experiential marketers live in this realm, but I'd argue that traditional brand marketers
should take it into consideration from the onset of positioning and
creative ideation. What defining "experiences" can your brand own?
Doing so can help ensure brands have the momentum to drive or influence
behavior.
Somatic markers are probably stored in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
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