Of strawberry jams and the anomalous outcomes in research

If I were to ask you to name three Hollywood action movies that you liked in recent months, your spontaneous answer might be - Inception, Expendables and Salt - in that order. Now if I were to ask you as to why you prefer one film over the other with a detailed questionnaire, your (spontaneous) ranking is likely to be reversed with Salt now becoming your most liked film.

Hard to believe? But it is true.  


Jonah Lehrer, renowned psychologist and author, in this wonderful article (courtesy via Bobulate) talks about the findings of a path-breaking study that was undertaken using various brands of strawberry jam. According to him, thinking too much causes us to focus on variables that do not matter. 


In the research, the respondents could easily pick the brand of strawberry jam that gave them the most pleasure.  


When researchers added extra analysis to the study, asking participants to explain the why of their jam preference and justify their decisions, the “extra analysis seriously warped their jam judgment” – the really lousy jam won.

Why is this so? 


“Thinking too much” about strawberry jam causes us to focus on all sorts of variables that don’t actually matter. Instead of just listening to our instinctive preferences, we start searching for reasons to prefer one jam over another. 


The researchers also showed that the same effect interferes with our choice of posters, jelly beans, cars, IKEA couches and apartments. We assume that more rational analysis leads to better choices but, in many instances, that assumption is exactly backwards. 


These studies represent an important re-evaluation of the human reasoning process. Instead of celebrating our analytical powers, these experiments document our foibles and flaws. 


The implication of this study on the research we do for brands can be profound. We think respondents behave like scientists providing well analyzed, rational answers on the choices they make. It is far from the truth. Respondents are people first, like you and me. Spontaneity and irrationality rules but we do not want to admit that. Now, it stands to reason why the best of ideas are toast in research and why mediocrity triumphs most of the times. Little wonder that over 80% (or is it 90%) of product launches and campaigns fail in the marketplace.


Therefore the most successful marketers and business leaders, according to Dave Trott, are the ones who dare to take the intuitive leap ignoring research and its anomalies. This is best exemplified by this quote from the legendary Akio Morita: 


“The biggest assistance I had, in growing Sony to a worldwide brand, was the total failure of nerve on the part of western businessmen to move without research.” 


Need I say more?

(Dilbert courtesy via)

Where good ideas come from

Video courtesy: David Gillespie

The sign-off "Chance favours the connected mind" says it all.  

Bridging the gap: Madison Avenue vs Silicon Valley

Via George Nimeh

This presentation by John Keehler (Director of Interactive Strategy at Click Here ) is brilliant, balanced, insightful and extremely relevant.

Tips for better ideas

Video courtesy: Swissmiss

I lost my way and found it here

It has been over 3 months since I wrote a post. In that time I was juggling with issues related to my career and health. I thought I needed a break to resolve these issues – a clear head and what not. That was not to be. If anything, things remain as muddled and unresolved.  I also contemplated shutting down my blog altogether and focus on my life-stream blog, FreeMix, which seems to have a life of its own.

But writing a post can be very addictive. This is something I discovered in the time that I have been away. Even though I might have a limited audience, nothing beats sharing one’s views and opinion and seeing the magic it creates amongst them. I also missed exercising my grey cells that comes with writing a post – reading, analyzing and crystallizing thoughts into a cogent narrative.

There’s more.

Gavin Heaton, one of the world’s leading blogger on Marketing and someone whom I admire says it best in his latest post:

One of the most amazing things about social media, and blogging in particular, is the chance we have to create personal connections and very real friendships with people all over the world. Sometimes this means you connect with people who live in your own city and sometimes it means you connect with people who are on the other side of the planet.  

Now you know why I let my addiction win. This time around I intend it to be a controlled addiction. I will be irregularly regular and hope to cover areas other than marketing and etc (They tend to be a bit too boring and repetitive)  All this is in line with my new working philosophy – promise less and delivering even less :) 

Lastly, this blog is the only place I can call my own and it feels good to be back.

 (Image courtesy: Stefan)