Just What Are Consumers Thinking?

Research would indicate that consumers don't know what they're thinking. According to an article written by Jack Shimell (2002) for Quirk's Marketing Research Review, Consumers make their decisions and react to advertising based more on unconscious emotional processes than on conscious rational processes.

There appears to be an interplay between the conscious and the unconscious with the unconscious being the driving force, when it comes to reactions to advertising and purchase decision making.

There is also a distinct personality / temperament factor involved in consumer thinking and behavior. People with moderate extrovert traits tend to react more positively to advertising, while introverts and people with few extrovert traits would appear to be very difficult to affect through advertising.

Part of this may reside in the fact that introverts tend to be energized by solitary activities that are less affected by outside factors while extroverts tend to be energized by outside influences such as social status, social engagement, peer relations, and social value of products or services.

The introvert tends to be more affected by internal factors that can be analyzed and processed at their leisure. They operate based on facts, information, and internal beliefs and attitudes.

The above discussion is why you must develop a demographic profile of your ideal customer. From this profile you can develop advertising and a marketing campaign that feeds the unconscious of the consumer.

Based on the research presented in Shimell's (2002) article, marketers and advertisers would be smart to incorporate elements that target both the conscious and unconscious processing of targeted consumers.

Unconscious elements would be music (the research in the article indicated that music was an very important factor in positive reaction to advertising), color, graphics, and movement. Conscious elements would be text, voice-over, overt product offers, and interactive elements such as redeemable coupons.

Different segments, audiences, and occupations tend toward predictable personality and temperament qualities which can guide targeted marketing and advertising. Take the time to know and understand your ideal customer and adapt your advertising to their personalities and unconscious processes. In your marketing campaign it's smart to have a combination of conscious and unconscious elements that tie into different media channels and your consumer's personalities.

*************************
Darrin F. Coe, MA holds a master's degree in psychology and operates "The Center For Understanding Consumer Thinking" at http://www.consumer-thinking.com

Contact him for consulting at darrinfcoe@consumer-thinking.com or 719-275-5907 after 5:00 PM MST
**************************

Public workers are scouring churches and libraries to find workers—mostly male—who have been sidelined for years

Despite a roaring start for the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index in 2012, volume is low, equity-fund redemptions persist, and valuations are the lowest since 1989

After numerous customers accused JPMorgan Chase of gouging them on debit-card transactions in checking accounts, the bank had sought to make them arbitrate claims

The 2012 bonus season is a lot less festive

Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg's Su Keenan reports on plans to cut pay and reduce bonuses at investment banks.

German film and television actor Tankred Benecke isn’t expecting much fan-mail from business chiefs in his home city of Frankfurt.

A World Trade Organization probe into the legality of Chinese rules on foreign companies issuing credit cards is a “major reason” Citigroup Inc. was given permission to do so, said Stuart Eizenstat, former deputy Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton.

Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos plans to convene the nation’s political leaders to seek consensus on the cuts required for a bailout as unions called a strike to protest and European leaders pressed for answers.

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said the time to judge Apple Inc. management will be in two years because the next five to six quarters will be mainly the influence of founder Steve Jobs.

The California State Teachers' Retirement System, or Calstrs, intends to question in a letter the controlling power amassed by Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg

By trying to help distressed homeowners without appearing to bail them out, the Administration would leave borrowers submerged

Analyst Buck Horne downgraded homebuilders and says the spring selling season may disappoint again

Rebound from the recovery from Thai floods, and explosive growth in mobile technology make tech stocks a good pick

Companies are scrambling to handle a torrent of data, pushing them into bigger M&A frenzy since 2007

Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Andrew Economos, head of sovereign and institutional strategy Asia ex-Japan at JPMorgan Asset Management in Hong Kong, talks about Europe's sovereign debt crisis