How to Combat Too Much Information

Between the proliferation of media channels and other information sourcesmost notably the Internetit has become increasingly harder for marketers to reach consumers, panelists agreed at the Sales Leaders' Roundtable at Gleacher Center on January 12. Cosponsored by the GSB Marketing Roundtable, The Psychology of Motivation featured Richard Grunsten, president of GSP Marketing Services, Inc., and Michael Barr, director of sustainable solutions for The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Over 86 percent of people are engaged in doing something else when watching TV, Grunsten said, noting that studies show only 50 percent of advertising is effective. The problem is that we just don’t know which half.

Barr, an organizational psychologist, described what it would take to address the challenges successfully. The key is getting the individual to participate, he said. You want to persuade people to change their behavior. What you useyour ad, your store, your office, your presentationtells a story. You need to understand how to make your story resonate.

Successful persuasion is the result of ‘fit', the effect of brand image, Barr said. It’s a proxy for quality. Your job is to make sure that when a person comes into contact with your brand, they have positive associations and experiences. When two items are identical, the one with the better fit will be chosen, Barr said. You need to create the story so the person watching can put themselves in it and feel the fit.

 

Donna Eckert