“Open bar!” “Attendees will be automatically entered in a raffle to win an iPod.” “Lunch will be provided.” “Open this e-mail to claim your cash prize!”
We’ve all seen these tactics used to try to get people to show up somewhere or read something – I’m sure you can think of even more! Vague promises of value aimed at people’s stomach, wallet, or techie desires seem to be very popular in getting people’s attention.
Market Research often faces the challenge of getting people to pay attention to research – especially when working with people who have strong confidence in their already-existing view of customers. Why should they be interested in learning when they know everything they need to know already?
How to get around this challenge? Show people that they actually don’t know everything already – and even that what they “know” is wrong. A new niggling feeling of doubt, or outright shock, goes a long way in provoking interest in learning. Pull those emotional levers – surprise, doubt, wonder, intrigue – and grab their attention.
MREB members, read more about how Heinz and Iconoculture use emotions to create interest in learning opportunities.
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