If you want to control the narrative, you need to create content.

First impressions matter.  And they tend to stick.  In fact, research shows that we are more likely to remember and believe the first statement we hear about any particular subject.  It's called the primacy effect, and it's based on Hermann Ebbinghaus' "forgetting curve" developed in 1885.  (Murre, J. & Dros, J., 2015)

We also know that once a first impression has been formed it is very difficult to alter it as we tend to ignore information that contradicts it.  That is because we are trying to avoid that uncomfortable feeling we get when we have to deal with conflicting beliefs.  We call that "cognitive dissonance."

It's so uncomfortable that we choose to ignore conflicting evidence, and stick with our original belief, even if the argument against it is a strong one.

That's why it is so important to be the first to raise a subject.  The majority of the people will believe what you say.  But it also means that others will not be able to simply take a different stance, but must instead try to convince people to change their minds.  And as noted, that is a daunting task.

President Trump understands this well.  We should be discussing the fact that the deficit is over a trillion dollars for the second year in a row, instead we are wasting our time discussing his latest racist remarks.  Sigh.

The only person who seems to be getting this is AOC.  In her tweets she has been raising important issues like income inequality and forcing others to get back to topics that matter.  Kudos to her. 

Now I just wish the mainstream media would get a clue.  Sure it's good for ratings and circulation increases to make people angry and scared.  But it's not good for this country.  It's time to step up.

Murre, J. & Dros, J. (2015, July 6)  Replication and Analysis of Ebbinghaus' Forgetting Curve.  plos.org.  Retrieved July 31, 2019, from  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0120644

If you want to communicate better, consider a different medium.

Many of my Baby Boomer friends have admitted that they had to learn to text because it was the only way their kids would communicate with them. :-)

So when I heard that kids were doing PowerPoints to communicate with their parents I was highly amused.  Turnabout is fair play. (Rosman, 2018)

It also reminded me of the time in college that I sent my dad a balance sheet with an outstanding liability instead of a letter simply asking for money.  He was an accountant so I thought it would be more persuasive.

And that's what it's all about.

These days when I make a new acquaintance one of the first things I ask them is how they prefer to communicate.  I still have some friends that want to talk on the phone and arrange an in-person meeting.  How retro!

Personally I prefer email.  But that's because I'm really wordy. 

Most people prefer shorter communications.  That's one of the reasons infographics are so popular.  And we know from research that visuals are extremely memorable. 

Perhaps that 's why emojis are gaining steam.  After all a smiley face is universal. ;-)

Rosman, K. (2018, December 20)  PowerPoint Is the Most Efficient Way for Kids to Manage Their Parents.  nytimes.com.  Retrieved July 23, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/style/kids-who-use-powerpoint-to-ask-for-things.html

I just caught up with an article from Saturday's Wall Street Journal about using emojis at work. 

Here's the link :-)

Mims, C. (2019, July 25) Yes, You Should Be Using Emojis at Work.  Retrieved July 25, 2019, from,   https://www.wsj.com/articles/yes-you-actually-should-be-using-emojis-at-work-11563595262

 

Why are you taking advice from a stranger?

According to a recent study from BrightLocal, 91% of 18-34 year old consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. (Murphy, 2018)

Think about that for a minute.  You have no idea who posted those reviews.  For all you know the positive ones are posted by people who have been paid.  Although lately I have noticed some supplying a caveat such as: "I was paid to do this review but..."  Yeah, sure. 

And in some cases, particularly for electronics, the reviewers sometimes display enough expertise that I am willing to take their word.  But when it comes to restaurants, forget about it. And yet, that appears to be the number one category with ~65% reading reviews.

Which brings me back to my original question, why would you trust a review from a stranger?  You have no reason to believe that they are anything like you.  So why would you value their opinion? 

Research shows that we are most effectively persuaded by people who we believe are similar to us. 

Those cards in hotel rooms that ask you to reuse your towel?  35% will reuse their towels to save the environment.  But if people are told that 75% of people in the hotel will reuse their towels their response rate goes up by 26%.  And if the sign says 75% of the people who stayed in this room reused their towels the response rate goes up 33%.  We want to be part of the tribe.

Which brings me back to online reviews written by random people or bots.  The only thing you have in common with that reviewer is the fact that you are both interested in buying the same item or visiting the same restaurant.  Is that really a good enough reason for you to trust their opinion?

Murphy, R. (2018, December 7)  Local Consumer Review Survey.  brightlocal.com.  Retrieved July 16, 2019, from  https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/

Are curated collections the solution to too many choices?

Decision-making is hard work.  The more decisions we make, the more tired we get.  Eventually decision fatigue sets in we make poor choices.  Like reaching for a candy bar.

The internet with its endless volume of options has made things even worse.  I spend hours researching everything I buy and then still wonder if I have missed the perfect choice.  Because that's what it's all about - FOMO - fear of missing out. 

And since negative emotions are more powerful than positive ones we are all about "loss aversion," i.e. avoiding a decision that will make us feel bad.

Enter companies that are making it easier for us by offering fewer options.   Saatva offers five varieties of mattresses in standard sizes.  They also conveniently label one - best seller - for those of us who are looking for help from others to make our decisions.

It's an excellent idea.  And it probably benefits the company as much as the buyer since it limits the amount of merchandise they need to stock.

The idea seems to be catching on.  Especially among DTC (direct-to-consumer) brands.  Kitchenware maker Great Jones offers only five products. But they do come in five very instagramable colors including Blueberry and Earl Grey.   

Sounds good to me, how about you? ;-)

Joutz, M. (2018, November 12)  Get a Handle On Your Pots and Pans.  nytimes.com.  Retrieved July 10, 2019, from  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/style/millennial-cookware-dutch-oven.html