How Neuromarketing Impacts Campaign Design

When building out campaigns it’s important to remember the cognitive needs of our different segments. We’re looking to supply the right experience for the mind of our consumer. Below I outline a few effective mechanisms for determining the focus of the campaign, The Four Descriptors and Brand Values: 

The Four Descriptors

When you're talking about the focus of a campaign. There are four descriptors that will typically be at the focus point of that campaign. You've likely already run campaigns that hit on the four, but it's important to be intentional within its creation so that it can be effectively targeted. 

The four types of descriptors are why (why the company exists and why a customer should care) what (concretely what exactly you sell) who (who will be affected by the results of the project- this can reflect externally and internally) and how (how your product or service works).

What

This is for our Movers. As you remember, Movers are:

• Action-Oriented

• Favor their plasticity traits

• Prefer Active + Task Oriented messaging + imagery

They want to know the concrete facts- the what.

• Give them the facts so they can keep moving

• They want to know what it is you provide in clear language. 

• Give them the facts and cut the fluff. 

• If they want it- you’ll know

• Drive this person to take an action. 

Why

This is for our Motivators. As you remember Motivators are:

• Big-picture-oriented

• Most favor their plasticity traits

• Active + People Oriented language + imagery

They want to grasp the bigger picture and understand why it matters.

• Don’t bore with the details

• Speak big picture and let their imagination run with it

• Tell them your mission or the loftier values you hope to achieve

• You need to inspire this thinking type in order to motivate action.

Who

This is for our Collaborators. As you remember Collaborators are:

• People-Oriented

• Favor their Stability traits

• Passive + People Oriented language + imagery

They are seeking stability and want to understand how it will affect the individuals involved. 

• Make it a safe choice

• Speak to establishing group harmony

• They want to understand who is involved and who is affected. This offers more optionality for campaigns.

  • Family is an obvious value point 

  • Speak to their self-perception and to how they are perceived by others. 

  • You can also speak to others' experiences with your brand

    • Testimonials > Generic Ratings

  • Humanize your own brand. Your employees, founders and those your service are good starting points.  

How

This is for your Thinkers. As you remember our Thinkers are:

• Process-Oriented

• Most Favor their Stability traits

• Passive + Task Oriented language + imagery

They want to understand the process so they have a good grip on how it works. Don't shy away from the details, you want to make this individual feel empowered with what they know.

• Is there something special about the product that you could walk through?

• What does the procedure look like for getting and using the product? 

• This group rates highly for conscientiousness. so if you’re looking to get engagement or drive a group to do something this segment will likely comply if it’s part of the process.

  • This isn’t your social media contests where you need to comment and stand out- that isn’t their style. 

  • You’re much more likely to see them fill out a multitude of forms or questionnaires if the incentives are right.

  • Note: These tricks on conscientiousness still have a tendency to work with our movers and collaborators. Your lowest likely participant in a conscientiousness targeted experience is a motivator. 

Brand Values

What do people value about your brand? Often times there are value points for your brand that either fit a particular cognition preference or could be tweaked to fit a particular cognition preference. 

The goal with these values is to craft tactical campaigns around them and ensure we are targeting those to the right brains. These values likely have some correlation to the descriptors listed above, but they will likely fall into one of these categories:

Rational

• Give me the facts- what are the numbers that make you so great? 

• What is something concrete that I can get from your goods/services?

Aspirational

• What is the mission of the company?

• What narrative am I helping by joining the story?

Humanistic

• Who is impacted by your goods or services?

• How does this add to my own self-narrative?

Process

• Is this going to be easy?

• Is there something about how your goods/services work that makes you more valuable/ cheaper/ easier/ better than your competitors?

You’re not likely to close a consumer with just one of these types of thinking. Everyone is going through each of our four thinking patterns in different orders and at different rates. It’s about providing an experience that is biased towards the thinking pattern of the end user. 

An end user is more likely to think through a decision with the people affected in mind, your campaign experience should try to match that need. It doesn’t mean the other stuff is left out- it’s about getting in sync with their cognition dominance.