say what you do ... do what you say
A mind-twisting article in Wired’s May issue quotes neurological researcher Stephen Macknik, “Tricks work only because magicians know, at an intuitive level, how we look at the world.” Adds Teller of Penn & Teller fame, “Giving the trick away [gives] nothing away because you still couldn’t grasp it.” Hmm. The magic of Bernie Madoff, now imprisoned CEOs, and defamed televangelists?
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Loading ...Disappointed that Uggie the dog in the film “The Artist” didn’t win an Academy Award? Rin Tin Tin author Susan Orleans might agree.
She says that, while humans look somewhat diminished in silent films, dogs don’t because no one expects them to talk. “Dogs are just doing what they do naturally … They were perfect silent heroes.” Once again, it’s all about context. Read NPR Review Comments
Harvard Business School’s Thales Teixeira says that the enormous viral success of Evian’s “Roller Babies” ad (50+ million YouTube views) comes from the frequent but unobtrusive appearance of the brand and the varied use of surprise.
Advertisers, she says, “need to think harder about the value a video offers to the viewer, instead of considering primarily how well the video serves the brand. The result will be ads that are both more effective and more enjoyable.”
Sales of an expensive wine climbed 5% after a reviewer said it smelled like “stinky socks,” and the ridiculed Shake Weight vibrating dumbbell generated $50 million in sales. What gives?
Wharton’s Jonah Berger and colleagues concluded from their study of negative comments about products (specifically, books) that awareness of an unknown product (or author/book), albeit initially negative, created enough interest to buy.
Interestingly, over time, awareness of that product sticks while negative perceptions evaporate. Comments.
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