Move your body to think - Daniel Kahneman gives us they key to the consumer´s heart

Daniel Kahneman writes in his “Thinking, fast and slow” about the fascinating concept of “associative activation”:

"Ideas that have been evoked trigger many other ideas. Each element in the brain is connected, and they support and strengthen each other. A word can evoke memories, which evoke emotions, which in turn evoke facial expressions and other reactions like general tensing up or avoidance tendency. These reactions intensify the feelings to which they are linked, and the emotion in turn reinforces compatible ideas. All this happens quickly and at once, yielding a self-reinforcing pattern of cognitive, emotional and physical responses that is both diverse and integrated."  

This explains why you can smile to be happy or “fake it til you make it”. If you when going into a meeting feel a little nervous, the worst you can do is to give in to that idea and think “I´m nervous, OMG my body is shaking”, because this will only make you more nervous! Instead you should tell your body and mind “I´m confident. I´m good at what I do and have prepared myself well. They will adore me.” You should also make sure you stand straight and balanced, walk with energy and shake hands with strength, looking into people´s eyes. Just by doing this, you will also become more confident, because your brain will believe your lies. It´s easily tricked, your brain... :)

This also explains the power of affirmations, visualisations, positive thinking, of spending more time on solutions than problems and why girls who think “All men are bastards” only meet bastards! We attract what is in our heads; the world is a mirror.

To a marketing strategist this phenomenon is interesting in terms of how you can make people more friendly towards your brands by evoking the right type of memories within. Ask a question that will make them think “yes” and nod their heads and this will open a channel to their brain for the second question: “Would you like to buy _________?” Show pictures in your ads that will awaken strong feelings evoking other positive memories and feelings, that will strengthen the emotional state the consumer is when watching.

Involve and engage through apps or experiential campaigns that puts their bodies in a wanted state, where people are receptive to you. Let them play silly games and feel like children if you sell something that is a “treat”. Let them do puzzles or learn new things if you want them to trust you and purchase bank services or insurance.

It is fascinating how easy it is to be happy. And how great we are at making ourselves worried or sad. So many waste time and energy fretting and calculating, stressing and thinking they are useless. Deep down it is a cry for help, but what happens is that the more you dwell on your flaws and the injustice of life, the worst it will get. You will be a problem magnet.

Or a happiness magnet...

Fake it til you make it, and help your target audience to do so as well. It will increase bottom lines and help you smile!