Writing comes easy to me and I particularly enjoy condensating research findings into easy-to-understand and easy-to-apply tactics that give results.
As a marketing specialist and business consultant in Perth Western Australia, my vision and daily practices involve guiding business owners through the challenge of building a successful enterprise and become market leaders in their industry. My weekly newsletters help them understand their customers and make the best decisions with their marketing strategies.
Writing for NNM and addressing the fellow marketeer community is a different kind of endeavour which I really welcome and enjoy. After seven years of teaching at tertiary level on marketing, consumer behaviour and behaviour change for sustainability, I constantly keep myself updated on the latest research in the field, neuromarketing being one of the most interesting areas to explore and apply in real situations.
My passion for the written word has not faded away since graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism and Communications in the late ‘90s back home, in Romania. With a Master of Business specialsing in Marketing at Notre Dame University and four degrees in sustainability and training, I’ve been helping hundreds of entrepreneurs and businesses with their branding and marketing for twenty years since I’ve called Australia home. This work experience dictates every piece of content I produce, so that it makes sense from both a principle and practical application point of view.
Looking forward to exploring the latest research in neuromarketing with the NNM community and share my views and knowledge in interesting and useful articles.
Ever wondered what is actually shaping your product preferences? Before you click that "Add to Cart" button, what if I told you that the aesthetics of product ratings is subtly guiding your choices?
Picture this: you're wandering the aisles of a grocery store, looking for a healthy snack. You come across two seemingly identical products, but one has a brand name that's as long as a Shakespearean monologue, while the other has a snappy, short name that's easier to remember. Which one are you more likely to trust as the healthier choice? Did you rely on your instincts and beliefs about the product rather than scrutinizing its nutritional label?
As consumers, our food choices are heavily influenced by our intuition (Chan & Zhang, 2022; Motoki & Togawa, 2022). In turn, our intuition is largely shaped by branding elements. From brand names to logos and even the personality associated with a brand, these cues offer us valuable information that guides our purchasing decisions.
For instance, foods packaged in green or blue colors are often perceived as healthier, while those in red packaging may trigger a different response (Huang & Lu, 2015; Schuldt, 2013). But what about brand names? Can a simple name affect how we perceive the healthfulness of a product?
Do you usually go for a “fat burger”, “super-size burger” or a “thin cookie”? These kind of labels push us to make mental associations with human body shapes and types, triggering our emotions and the way we perceive and evaluate the food we consume. A “thin cookie” implicitly suggests a small portion and lower calorie content perfect for those who work out or watch their figure. A “fat burger” caters to hedonistic needs and might appeal to people getting a kick from larger, more satisfying portions. These very words play on self-image and fitting social expectations. As humans, we tend to make choices that gain us acceptance from others we identify with and demonstrate our conformity to established norms (Van de Waal, Borgeaud, and Whiten 2013).
It’s early morning and you’re having your first coffee. Not too strong, not too weak. Just as you like it. You feel energized. Ten minutes later you’re on your laptop checking your emails and your social media. You decide to look at your Amazon account and see if your favourite coffee table is still available. Yes, it is, and it now includes free shipping! Add to cart. You’re now recommended luxury scented candles to match the table design. As well as beautiful decor items such as a chic lamp, a stylish vase and a set of artificial plants in pots that are way too expensive (even if water-wise)! Not a planned shopping spree, but you feel compelled to get them all. OK, done! Just four days until they’re shipped!
Wait, how did this happen? Did your coffee have anything to do with it? And if so, is coffee capable of making me shop more every time I have a cup of it?
Do you know any of the people in these picture?
Neither do I. Actually, I ‘created’ them using this AI-powered website: https://thispersondoesnotexist.com
These people do not exist. Yet the powerful realism of these faces has the ability to create the belief that they do relate to actual people. This may be a problem in consumers’ perceptions of a brand, especially for the charity sector. And we’ll see why.
What is the absolute dream of a brand struggling with a dwindling consumer base? Waking up to find out their demand has suddenly gone through the roof and the biggest problem is not being able to keep up with production!
That’s what happened to the confectionary brand MoonPie when they changed marketing tactics in 2017. Was it their product? Their distribution or sales promotion that they’ve changed?
