Here are our last few Fast Company columns — hope you enjoy:
- Get Laziness on Your Side: How to sway people’s decisions with the gentlest of nudges
- A Dirty Shame: How marketers create disgust and embarrassment — and why we shouldn’t put up with it
- Anchor and Twist: How to get your audience to understand — and care about — your innovation
- Coming soon in the September issue: Lots of people make mutual funds their #1 investment choice. Have they been misled by a faulty idea that stuck?
I haven’t read the others yet, but “A Dirty Shame” is very interesting. It sounds like they’re using the tools you described in your book for bad, not good.
Visa Checkcard:
Simple? Yep.
Unexpected? Meh. Not shocking, but still creates a moment of pause as you try to figure out what’s going on.
Concrete? Yes.
Credible? Meh. Being concrete makes it credible.
Emotional (Shame)? Yep.
Story? Uh huh.
Another great example of why everyone should read your book.
Cam, that’s a good point — sleazy and sticky fit together a little too easily. (I’m sure the campaign to make the Chinese mortified by their dandruff was sticky, too … I can only hope it generated some self-hatred among the marketers responsible.)
Dan I agree. It seems that the genuine spirit of helping people with great ideas gets kicked to the curb to make a buck.
Have you seen the story about the guy who created an application for the iPhone that cost $999? It was called “I Am Rich” and was simply an image of a red jewel. Nothing else, just a jewel. Apple removed the link but not before 10 people purchased it!
Full story: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2008/08/iphone-i-am-ric.html
Thanks! Really amazing. I wish i could spend my time on writing articles…just have no time for it.