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Blindsight: The (Mostly) Hidden Ways Marketing Reshapes Our Brains
Ever notice that all watch ads show 10:10 as the time? Or that all fast-food restaurants use red or yellow in their logos? Or that certain stores are always having a sale? You may not be aware of these details, yet they've been influencing you all along. Every time you purchase, swipe, or click, marketers are able to more accurately predict your behavior. These days, brands know more about you than you know about yourself. Blindsight is here to change that. With eye-opening science, engaging stories, and fascinating real-world examples, neuroscientist Matt Johnson and marketer Prince Ghuman dive deep into the surprising relationship between brains and brands. In Blindsight, they showcase how marketing taps every aspect of our mental lives, covering the neuroscience of pain and pleasure, emotion and logic, fear and safety, attention and addiction, and much more. We like to think of ourselves as independent actors in control of our decisions, but the truth is far more complicated. Blindsight will give you the ability to see the unseeable when it comes to marketing, so that you can consume on your own terms. On the surface, you will learn how the brain works and how brands design for it. But peel back a layer, and you'll find a sharper image of your psychology, reflected in your consumer behavior. This book will change the way you view not just branding, but yourself, too.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2020
135 people are currently reading
1796 people want to read
About the author
Matt Johnson
1 book22 followersMatt Johnson, PhD is a speaker, researcher, and writer specializing in the application of psychology and neuroscience to marketing. Following his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Princeton University, his work has explored the science behind brand loyalty, experiential marketing, and consumer decision making. He is the author of the best-selling consumer psychology book Blindsight: The (mostly) hidden ways marketing reshapes our brains (BenBella, 2020), and Branding That Means Business (The Economist, Fall 2022).
As a contributor to major news outlets including Psychology Today, Forbes, and BBC, he regularly provides expert opinion and thought leadership on a range of topics related to the human side of business. Matt is also passionate about helping brands use neuroscience to better understand, serve, and interact with their consumers. To this end, he consults with a wide array of organizations, including as an expert-in-residence for Nike. Matt currently resides in Boston, MA, where he is a Professor of Psychology of Marketing and Hult International Business School, and an instructor at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education.
Find out more on his website at neuroscienceof.com
As a contributor to major news outlets including Psychology Today, Forbes, and BBC, he regularly provides expert opinion and thought leadership on a range of topics related to the human side of business. Matt is also passionate about helping brands use neuroscience to better understand, serve, and interact with their consumers. To this end, he consults with a wide array of organizations, including as an expert-in-residence for Nike. Matt currently resides in Boston, MA, where he is a Professor of Psychology of Marketing and Hult International Business School, and an instructor at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education.
Find out more on his website at neuroscienceof.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 17, 2021
The book is a "deep dive into the surprising relationship between brains and brands" and aimed at consumers. The authors want to give readers "the ability to see the unseeable when it comes to marketing, so you can consume on your own terms." Most of us are all for finding out the way we are potentially 'tricked' in marketing and advertising and this book presents these findings in a fun, interesting and funky way.
The title, Blindsight refers to an ability that a very rare group of people have. People with blindsight cannot see, they are legally blind, but they can still process visual information and are able to navigate around obstacles. The authors use this example to relate to the way we as consumers unconsciously receive information from the word around us, including brand logos, ads on news feeds, as well as other deeper ways we absorb marketing messages.
The book draws strongly on explaining the neuroscience of marketing and it's a fascinating education. Learning how our experience of reality is directly influenced using mental models influenced by our beliefs can have a somewhat unstabling effect on first reading, to realise how little we are actually in control of ourselves. And this is what brands depend on, our beliefs in them and the whole psychological associations they build up in our minds, such as the example given of Coca-Cola with 'happiness'.
Another aspect explored is the importance for brands of getting the experiences they create for the consumer into our memories - their connection with us becomes a part of our own past, and is called encoding. We can all relate to this, childhood memories of ad jingles or a particular name or logo of a product from when we were younger that arouses surprising emotions that have been deeply lodged into our memories.
There is a great chapter titled 'Addiction 2.0: Monetizing Compulsive Behavior in the Digital Age' with detailed explanation of the dopamine rewards of popular guilty pleasures in music "like "Despacito", Nickleback, Backstreet Boys and Drake", Oprah's use of over-delivery and anticipation, social media and electro house music with the authors hilarious re-naming of dopamine as the "drop-the-bass molecule"!
My favourite section was 'New and Safe' (NaS) in Chapter 8 - 'Why We Like What We Like', with its breakdown of NaS in pop culture, film and the music industry. Examples of the use of the familiar with "just the right amount of novelty" are given for all these industries and reading this is like a penny-drop moment to see how manipulated our human needs are.
Closing with a look into the future of marketing, the authors highlight the importance consumers start to understand that their value is being traded and how data and psychology to define marketing today. Buyers providing value by sharing and providing data freely online 'buyer-generated content' is an area the authors feel strongly about. The ethics of marketing where consumers are unaware of the extent of the value exchange taking place and a new world with the buyer taking power and are briefly explored and could make a book of it's own in this interesting topical subject.
The conclusion that a realisation of our deep relationship with the consumer world can be an empowering awareness, and that with that knowledge we could see a new way to consider our value is a really exciting idea and one that needs to be discussed more widely and shared by readers of this excellent book.
The title, Blindsight refers to an ability that a very rare group of people have. People with blindsight cannot see, they are legally blind, but they can still process visual information and are able to navigate around obstacles. The authors use this example to relate to the way we as consumers unconsciously receive information from the word around us, including brand logos, ads on news feeds, as well as other deeper ways we absorb marketing messages.
The book draws strongly on explaining the neuroscience of marketing and it's a fascinating education. Learning how our experience of reality is directly influenced using mental models influenced by our beliefs can have a somewhat unstabling effect on first reading, to realise how little we are actually in control of ourselves. And this is what brands depend on, our beliefs in them and the whole psychological associations they build up in our minds, such as the example given of Coca-Cola with 'happiness'.
Another aspect explored is the importance for brands of getting the experiences they create for the consumer into our memories - their connection with us becomes a part of our own past, and is called encoding. We can all relate to this, childhood memories of ad jingles or a particular name or logo of a product from when we were younger that arouses surprising emotions that have been deeply lodged into our memories.
There is a great chapter titled 'Addiction 2.0: Monetizing Compulsive Behavior in the Digital Age' with detailed explanation of the dopamine rewards of popular guilty pleasures in music "like "Despacito", Nickleback, Backstreet Boys and Drake", Oprah's use of over-delivery and anticipation, social media and electro house music with the authors hilarious re-naming of dopamine as the "drop-the-bass molecule"!
My favourite section was 'New and Safe' (NaS) in Chapter 8 - 'Why We Like What We Like', with its breakdown of NaS in pop culture, film and the music industry. Examples of the use of the familiar with "just the right amount of novelty" are given for all these industries and reading this is like a penny-drop moment to see how manipulated our human needs are.
Closing with a look into the future of marketing, the authors highlight the importance consumers start to understand that their value is being traded and how data and psychology to define marketing today. Buyers providing value by sharing and providing data freely online 'buyer-generated content' is an area the authors feel strongly about. The ethics of marketing where consumers are unaware of the extent of the value exchange taking place and a new world with the buyer taking power and are briefly explored and could make a book of it's own in this interesting topical subject.
The conclusion that a realisation of our deep relationship with the consumer world can be an empowering awareness, and that with that knowledge we could see a new way to consider our value is a really exciting idea and one that needs to be discussed more widely and shared by readers of this excellent book.
April 3, 2021
See raamat peaks olema kohustuslik lugemine igale turundajale ja ettevõtluse õpetajale. Pole ammu nii palju alla jooninud ja järjehoidjaid vahele pistnud. Palju oli ka tuttavat, mida isegi oma loengutes räägin, aga sain siit üsna mitu uut mõtet, millega oma müügipsühholoogia loenguid täiendada.
Kõige ehmatavam oli vast teada saada, et meie aju on mõjutatud ka sellisest sekundi murdosa kestvatest piltidest, mida me ise ei näegi, kuna nii kiirelt mööduvad. Aga aju näeb ja registreerib ära. See oli minu jaoks uus teadmine. Samas on paljud riigid taolise peidetud reklaami ära keelanud, aga kui palju sellest kinni peetakse, on iseasi.
Huvitav oli ka teada saada, et halvas tujus olles keskendume rohkem üksikasjadele (lk 63). See selgitab, miks mõni inimene kipub pisiasjade kallal norima ja unustab suure pildi nägemise - suurt pilti näevad nimelt need, kellel tuju hea :)
Ja kummaline küll, aga sain siit raamatust vastuse küsimusele, miks minu 2015. aastal kirjutatud lugu ausa ettevõtluse hinnast nii populaarseks sai. See seostub empaatiaga - nimelt liigutab inimesi ühe inimese siiralt jutustatud lugu. Seda peaks teadma ka kõik annetuste kogujad, et ühe inimese looga saab rohkem annetusi koguda, mistõttu ei ole näiteks hea mõte ühes ja samas FB-postituses koguda raha mitmele inimesele korraga. Räägi ühe inimese lugu ja räägi seda haaravalt, siis on sellel ka tulemust.
Raamatu lõpus paluvad autorid, et selles olevaid teadmisi jagataks teistega - eriti turundajatega, et nad teaksid olla hoolivamad oma töö psühholoogiliste tagajärgede suhtes. Seda palvet täidan kohe kindlasti, sest sain siit tõesti väga palju huvitavat teadmist. Loodan, et oskan ise ka tulevikus paremini märgata, mis minu ümber toimub.
Kõige ehmatavam oli vast teada saada, et meie aju on mõjutatud ka sellisest sekundi murdosa kestvatest piltidest, mida me ise ei näegi, kuna nii kiirelt mööduvad. Aga aju näeb ja registreerib ära. See oli minu jaoks uus teadmine. Samas on paljud riigid taolise peidetud reklaami ära keelanud, aga kui palju sellest kinni peetakse, on iseasi.
Huvitav oli ka teada saada, et halvas tujus olles keskendume rohkem üksikasjadele (lk 63). See selgitab, miks mõni inimene kipub pisiasjade kallal norima ja unustab suure pildi nägemise - suurt pilti näevad nimelt need, kellel tuju hea :)
Ja kummaline küll, aga sain siit raamatust vastuse küsimusele, miks minu 2015. aastal kirjutatud lugu ausa ettevõtluse hinnast nii populaarseks sai. See seostub empaatiaga - nimelt liigutab inimesi ühe inimese siiralt jutustatud lugu. Seda peaks teadma ka kõik annetuste kogujad, et ühe inimese looga saab rohkem annetusi koguda, mistõttu ei ole näiteks hea mõte ühes ja samas FB-postituses koguda raha mitmele inimesele korraga. Räägi ühe inimese lugu ja räägi seda haaravalt, siis on sellel ka tulemust.
Raamatu lõpus paluvad autorid, et selles olevaid teadmisi jagataks teistega - eriti turundajatega, et nad teaksid olla hoolivamad oma töö psühholoogiliste tagajärgede suhtes. Seda palvet täidan kohe kindlasti, sest sain siit tõesti väga palju huvitavat teadmist. Loodan, et oskan ise ka tulevikus paremini märgata, mis minu ümber toimub.
March 5, 2021
Interesting narrative of how the consumer world works from both a marketing and a neuroscience standpoint. Great examples and explanation of brand marketing incidents that worked or didn't in the past and terms or conditions of the brain that make us susceptible to these tactics. The memories you have are earned if they had some sort of impact or a connection formed in your brain. If not it is just experience and will be forgotten. Definitely recommend reading this so that you can shift from passenger to pilot in the consumer world
August 19, 2022
"Ahh, mind küll reklaamid ei mõjuta!" Seda võime ju kõik mõelda, ent kui mitte enne, siis pärast raamatu lugemist on selge see, kui varjatult ja kui hiilivalt suudab reklaamimaailm oma kombitsaid meie ellu ajada. Mõneti lausa hirmutav, kui palju variante selleks on ning kui kergelt meie (ülimalt laisk!) aju kõigega kaasa läheb. Selge on see, et 100% lihtsalt ei ole võimalik, kõiki reklaamitrikke vältida, ent kui raamat loetud, on olemas vähemalt teadlikkus, mis on parem kui mitte midagi.
December 9, 2020
I felt some déjà vu reading the first chapter and eventually realized that I had read all about this already in "Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior" by Mlodinow. The phenomenon of blind-sight is discussed at length in that book. The examples Johnson gives here are more marketing-oriented, perhaps, but didn't really provide much new in terms of insight on this subject. A bit of a rehash of prior research, this first chapter.
Chapter 2: If you've read a book on marketing before, you've already read about anchoring, but the authors do include some interesting examples that I hadn't encountered before. The whole concept of the "MSRP" is pretty much B.S., isn't it? But it makes for effective anchoring to the average, unenlightened consumer. But again, I've encountered the JC Penney/Ron Johnson example in, I feel, at least two other books I'd read. Same with the Stanford marshmallow experiment. So, a bit of a rehash here too.
The chapters on memory were semi-interesting, even if just to encourage one to be more critical of ostensibly charitable organizations. Example: Ronald McDonald House Charities may do good work, but is its core purpose really to "get 'em young" and imprint the McD brand in a positive light as early as possible, so these kids grow up to become McD eaters? Sadly, probably. I wasn't familiar with the concept of "K-factor" and studies on varying self-control scales in different people, so that was interesting to learn about.
As someone in insurance marketing, it was interesting to read that loss aversion-style marketing is generally more effective than gain emphasis-style marketing. Doubling down on finding more compelling and convincing arguments re: loss aversion will, no doubt, be important for marketers as consumers are getting savvier and the "limited time" b.s. isn't enough (at least for me). Better to use real-life examples re: loss/"what could happen". But the examples must ring true.
Addiction 2.0 chapter: again, mostly a rehash of prior books. I had already read all about the Zeigarnik effect, dopamine and the importance of random rewards in tech design in at least two books: "Hooked" by Eyal and "The Power of Habit" by Duhigg. Also, I think the author is overly harsh toward free technology that is funded by advertising. Yes, consumers ought to educate themselves to be more wary of the implications of their use of "free" digital products, and the "attention trade-off" is a real one, but I hardly think it would be a better world for us all to start paying for these digital products instead. The platform we're using now, Goodreads, follows a similar model and I value the utility of this website. Would I pay for it? Probably not.
The chapter on Essentialism is the book's best, to my mind, and a great summary of the importance of story and narrative in effective marketing. The chapter touches on many of the same truths pointed out by Levitt in his seminal "Marketing intangible products and product intangibles" essay (if you haven't read that and are interested in marketing--you must). I liked the examples used throughout on how clever marketers have effectively imbued commodities with a narrative essence, such as Perrier. The anecdote on how Perrier's marketing director couldn't identify Perrier from club soda raises the question: does this creation of narrative around a commodity product mean that marketing is merely hoodwinking people and somehow cheating them? I say no. The consumers enjoying these "story" products are quite likely enjoying them more (even if subtly) than if they hadn't been introduced to the narrative(s) -- and this is a real benefit and this book helped convince me of that.
Final chapter: I think the author is a little too optimistic about the possibility of highly personalized, face-based marketing. With the increased privacy considerations that almost all the major social networks have been making post-2016 US election, that sort of creepy tactic would get shut down so fast it's not even funny. The author calls for more transparency in the seller-buyer value transaction re: marketing, especially digital marketing, but doesn't really propose specific ideas. And while this is a nice sentiment, I feel that the major social networks have made some good strides in this area over the past few years. Facebook with its Privacy Checkup feature, for example. Not that these platforms are perfect, by any means. But there may also be limits on how much can be realistically communicated to average consumers about in-depth marketing tactics and the effects/implications of them without compromising the user experience and user-friendliness of a digital platform. Something for another study, perhaps.
Chapter 2: If you've read a book on marketing before, you've already read about anchoring, but the authors do include some interesting examples that I hadn't encountered before. The whole concept of the "MSRP" is pretty much B.S., isn't it? But it makes for effective anchoring to the average, unenlightened consumer. But again, I've encountered the JC Penney/Ron Johnson example in, I feel, at least two other books I'd read. Same with the Stanford marshmallow experiment. So, a bit of a rehash here too.
The chapters on memory were semi-interesting, even if just to encourage one to be more critical of ostensibly charitable organizations. Example: Ronald McDonald House Charities may do good work, but is its core purpose really to "get 'em young" and imprint the McD brand in a positive light as early as possible, so these kids grow up to become McD eaters? Sadly, probably. I wasn't familiar with the concept of "K-factor" and studies on varying self-control scales in different people, so that was interesting to learn about.
As someone in insurance marketing, it was interesting to read that loss aversion-style marketing is generally more effective than gain emphasis-style marketing. Doubling down on finding more compelling and convincing arguments re: loss aversion will, no doubt, be important for marketers as consumers are getting savvier and the "limited time" b.s. isn't enough (at least for me). Better to use real-life examples re: loss/"what could happen". But the examples must ring true.
Addiction 2.0 chapter: again, mostly a rehash of prior books. I had already read all about the Zeigarnik effect, dopamine and the importance of random rewards in tech design in at least two books: "Hooked" by Eyal and "The Power of Habit" by Duhigg. Also, I think the author is overly harsh toward free technology that is funded by advertising. Yes, consumers ought to educate themselves to be more wary of the implications of their use of "free" digital products, and the "attention trade-off" is a real one, but I hardly think it would be a better world for us all to start paying for these digital products instead. The platform we're using now, Goodreads, follows a similar model and I value the utility of this website. Would I pay for it? Probably not.
The chapter on Essentialism is the book's best, to my mind, and a great summary of the importance of story and narrative in effective marketing. The chapter touches on many of the same truths pointed out by Levitt in his seminal "Marketing intangible products and product intangibles" essay (if you haven't read that and are interested in marketing--you must). I liked the examples used throughout on how clever marketers have effectively imbued commodities with a narrative essence, such as Perrier. The anecdote on how Perrier's marketing director couldn't identify Perrier from club soda raises the question: does this creation of narrative around a commodity product mean that marketing is merely hoodwinking people and somehow cheating them? I say no. The consumers enjoying these "story" products are quite likely enjoying them more (even if subtly) than if they hadn't been introduced to the narrative(s) -- and this is a real benefit and this book helped convince me of that.
Final chapter: I think the author is a little too optimistic about the possibility of highly personalized, face-based marketing. With the increased privacy considerations that almost all the major social networks have been making post-2016 US election, that sort of creepy tactic would get shut down so fast it's not even funny. The author calls for more transparency in the seller-buyer value transaction re: marketing, especially digital marketing, but doesn't really propose specific ideas. And while this is a nice sentiment, I feel that the major social networks have made some good strides in this area over the past few years. Facebook with its Privacy Checkup feature, for example. Not that these platforms are perfect, by any means. But there may also be limits on how much can be realistically communicated to average consumers about in-depth marketing tactics and the effects/implications of them without compromising the user experience and user-friendliness of a digital platform. Something for another study, perhaps.
June 17, 2022
Easy and entertaining to read. It explains the psychological marketing tricks that brands use to influence our brains to choose their products. It uses fun and interesting examples. But overall it helps you be aware on how you are beeing influenced by marketing in order to take action and make better decisions.
February 16, 2021
Matt Johnson and Prince Ghuman have put together a fascinating look at how marketing interacts with brain physiology in "Blindsight." The book takes a look at how marketing "reshapes our brains," and while the narrative feels a bit off at times and there are a handful of mispellings, the work is painstaking and well-researched. The authors even seek to spice up a potentially dry subject with some humor -- to varying success. Anyone with experience in the marketing world will be drawn in by the examples and all of us who have ever bought a thing, ever, will learn something about consumer psychology. Chock full of resources, videos, and even slide decks, "Blindsight" is a worthwhile investment for anyone seeking to make more informed decisions -- not just in purchasing, but in everyday life.
May 1, 2023
Although most of the materials and evidences found in this book aren’t new, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. The writing style makes it so easy to follow and I love the cheeky pop culture reference every now and then.
Not only this book presents some insights into how marketing affects us subconsciously, it also leaves us thinking about the ethics behind it and warn us about what to come.
I’ve always mentioned that I got into brand management because I find it fascinating to manage a brand and think about people’s mind and this book has provided many examples on how to do so.
Highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about the science and psychology behind branding, marketing and advertising.
Not only this book presents some insights into how marketing affects us subconsciously, it also leaves us thinking about the ethics behind it and warn us about what to come.
I’ve always mentioned that I got into brand management because I find it fascinating to manage a brand and think about people’s mind and this book has provided many examples on how to do so.
Highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about the science and psychology behind branding, marketing and advertising.
May 16, 2021
Very average.
Basic concepts from neuroscience and marketing.
Might be okay for someone who just wants to have an overview of how the marketing world works and how human brain is susceptible to external influences.
Basic concepts from neuroscience and marketing.
Might be okay for someone who just wants to have an overview of how the marketing world works and how human brain is susceptible to external influences.
October 9, 2024
(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)
Я почему-то подумал (ошибочно), что эта книга для маркетологов. В реальности же, это очередной пересказ экспериментов из социальной психологии. После книги «Психология влияния» (Influence: How and Why People Agree to Things) Чалдини и книги «Думай медленно... Решай быстро» (Thinking, Fast and Slow), подобные книги стали появляться с огромной скоростью. Не стала исключением и эта книга. Так как содержание таких книг, в разных вариациях, я слышал/читал множество раз, мне было трудно удерживать своё внимание. Автор, конечно, попытался увязать примеры из психологии с бизнесом, точнее с практикой бизнеса, но получилось у него это плохо. Главная проблема в том, что в этой книге психологии отводится 85%, а бизнесу - лишь 15%. Можно сказать, что все ментальные силы я потратил на то, где автор говорит о социальной психологии, поэтому на бизнес составляющую у меня уже не хватило сил. Хотя, возможно, у автора просто не получилось связать в едино эти две темы.
Чтобы не пересказывать книгу, я перечислю лишь несколько тем, которые поднимает автор и которые лучше всего показывают, что стоит ожидать читателям от этой книги. Так, в самом начале, автор долго рассказывает (приводя известные примеры из социальной психологии), что люди на самом деле потребляют не еду в ресторанах, а меню. В качестве примера можно привести историю с вином, когда дешёвое вино налили в бутылку от дорого бренда, а дорогое вино, в бутылку дешёвого бренда. Как все помнят, большинство людей не смогли определить подвох. Собственно, когда люди посещают очень дорогие рестораны, они менее критически оценивают качество/вкус блюд с той идеей что разве могут в таком ультра дорогом ресторане подавать невкусную пищу. Разумеется, существуют определённые границы, когда даже большие поклонники данного ресторана поймут (не смогу обмануть себя) что еда действительно плоха. Но идея в том, что атмосфера делает еду более вкусной, т.е. что продукт более качественен, чем дешёвый конкурент, хотя в реальности они могут быть идентичными. С точки зрения маркетинга, это давно известная истина, что, грубо говоря, потребители потребляют не товары, а бренды. Да и люди далёкие от какого-либо маркетинга понимают этот.
Далее идёт ещё одна крайне популярная тема, связанная с якорем, как например, когда в магазине присутствует три цены на один и тот же товар, т.е. три бренда. Идея в том, что третий бренд должен стоить существенно больше, чем второй и первый (5$, 10$ и 16$), тогда второй бренд будет выгодно отличаться от первого и третьего и станет самым популярным у клиентов даже в том случаи, когда, до добавления третьего бренда, второй бренд мало кто покупал. В данном случаи самый дорогой вариант выбора становится обманным ходом, цель которого – выставить в выгодном свете бренд номер 2. Эта тема также появляется в каждом второй книге по социальной психологии. Я не знаю, в этой главе или в следующей, но автор пересказывает основную идею книги «Думай медленно... Решай быстро» (Thinking, Fast and Slow), т.е. Система 1 и Система 2. Данный факт также многое говорит о книге.
Третий пример (или тема) связан не с социальной психологией, а с общей психологией. В данном случаи автор пересказывает известное наблюдение психологов, что человеческая память способна формировать фальшивые воспоминания. Тема, конечно, интересная, но скорее в рамках психологии как таковой, а не с ориентацией на бизнес. Чего-то особо интересного в связи с бизнесом (применением в бизнесе) я в книге не обнаружил.
Что всё это означает? Это означает, что автор просто решил сделать $, переписав стары книги по социальной и общей психологии, возможно добавив немного и от себя. Однако я просто не вижу смысла в этой книге, если учесть, что было издано огромное количество схожей литературы, ставшей чуть ли не классикой и которая к тому же написана намного лучше, чем эта. Для меня не является также сюрпризом большой положительный рейтинг у этой книги, ибо в целом, у меня нет претензий к самому тексу, т.е. идеям, что в нём содержатся. Если читатель до этой книги вообще ничего не знал о социальной психологии, то возможно для него такая книга станет чуть ли не откровением. Ведь примерно нечто подобное случилось, когда впервые вышла книга Чалдини «Психология влияния» (Influence: How and Why People Agree to Things).
For some reason, I thought (wrongly) that this book was for marketers. In reality, it is another retelling of experiments from social psychology. After "Influence: How and Why People Agree to Things" by Chaldini and "Thinking, Fast and Slow," similar books started to appear. This book was no exception. Since the content of such books, in different variations, I have heard/read many times, it was difficult (for me) to keep my attention. The author, of course, tried to link examples from psychology with business, or rather with business practice, but he did it poorly. The main problem is that this book devotes 85% to psychology and only 15% to business. One could say that I spent all my mental energy on the part where the author talks about social psychology, so I didn't have enough energy for the business component. Although, perhaps, the author simply failed to link these two topics together.
In order not to rehash the book, I will list just a few of the themes that the author raises that best show what readers should expect from this book. So, at the very beginning, the author talks at length (citing well-known examples from social psychology) about how people don't actually consume food in restaurants but a menu. As an example, there was a wine store where cheap wine was poured into a bottle from an expensive brand and expensive wine into a bottle from a cheap brand. As everyone remembers, most people could not detect the catch. When people visit very expensive restaurants, they are less critical of the quality/taste of the food, with the idea that such an ultra-expensive restaurant could serve unpalatable food. Of course, there are certain limits when even big fans of a given restaurant will realize (I can't kid myself) that the food is really bad. But the idea is that the atmosphere makes the food taste better, i.e., that the product is of higher quality than a cheap competitor, even though, in reality, they may be identical. From the point of view of marketing, it is a long-known truth that, roughly speaking, consumers do not consume goods but brands. And people far from any marketing understand this one.
Then there is another popular topic related to anchors, such as when a store has three prices for the same product, i.e., three brands. The idea is that the third brand should cost significantly more than the second and the first ($5, $10, and $16), then the second brand will compare favorably with the first and the third and will become the most popular with customers even in cases where, before the addition of the third brand, the second brand few people bought. In this case, the most expensive choice becomes a deceptive move designed to favor brand number 2. This theme also appears in every other book on social psychology. I don't know if it's in this chapter or the next, but the author restates the main idea of "Thinking, Fast and Slow," i.e., System 1 and System 2. This fact also says a lot about the book.
The third example (or theme) is not related to social psychology but to general psychology. In this case, the author retells the well-known observation of psychologists that human memory is capable of forming false memories. The topic is certainly interesting, but rather within the framework of psychology as such, rather than business-oriented. I did not find anything particularly interesting in connection with business (application in business) in the book.
What does all this mean? It means that the author simply decided to make $ by rewriting old books on social and general psychology, perhaps adding a little of his own. However, I just don't see the point of this book, considering that there has been a huge amount of similar literature, which has become almost a classic and which is also written much better than this one. I am also not surprised by the high positive rating of this book because, in general, I have no complaints about the text itself, i.e., the ideas it contains. If the reader did not know anything about social psychology before this book, then, perhaps, for him, such a book will be almost a revelation. After all, something similar happened when Chaldini's Influence: How and Why People Agree to Things was first published.
Я почему-то подумал (ошибочно), что эта книга для маркетологов. В реальности же, это очередной пересказ экспериментов из социальной психологии. После книги «Психология влияния» (Influence: How and Why People Agree to Things) Чалдини и книги «Думай медленно... Решай быстро» (Thinking, Fast and Slow), подобные книги стали появляться с огромной скоростью. Не стала исключением и эта книга. Так как содержание таких книг, в разных вариациях, я слышал/читал множество раз, мне было трудно удерживать своё внимание. Автор, конечно, попытался увязать примеры из психологии с бизнесом, точнее с практикой бизнеса, но получилось у него это плохо. Главная проблема в том, что в этой книге психологии отводится 85%, а бизнесу - лишь 15%. Можно сказать, что все ментальные силы я потратил на то, где автор говорит о социальной психологии, поэтому на бизнес составляющую у меня уже не хватило сил. Хотя, возможно, у автора просто не получилось связать в едино эти две темы.
Чтобы не пересказывать книгу, я перечислю лишь несколько тем, которые поднимает автор и которые лучше всего показывают, что стоит ожидать читателям от этой книги. Так, в самом начале, автор долго рассказывает (приводя известные примеры из социальной психологии), что люди на самом деле потребляют не еду в ресторанах, а меню. В качестве примера можно привести историю с вином, когда дешёвое вино налили в бутылку от дорого бренда, а дорогое вино, в бутылку дешёвого бренда. Как все помнят, большинство людей не смогли определить подвох. Собственно, когда люди посещают очень дорогие рестораны, они менее критически оценивают качество/вкус блюд с той идеей что разве могут в таком ультра дорогом ресторане подавать невкусную пищу. Разумеется, существуют определённые границы, когда даже большие поклонники данного ресторана поймут (не смогу обмануть себя) что еда действительно плоха. Но идея в том, что атмосфера делает еду более вкусной, т.е. что продукт более качественен, чем дешёвый конкурент, хотя в реальности они могут быть идентичными. С точки зрения маркетинга, это давно известная истина, что, грубо говоря, потребители потребляют не товары, а бренды. Да и люди далёкие от какого-либо маркетинга понимают этот.
Далее идёт ещё одна крайне популярная тема, связанная с якорем, как например, когда в магазине присутствует три цены на один и тот же товар, т.е. три бренда. Идея в том, что третий бренд должен стоить существенно больше, чем второй и первый (5$, 10$ и 16$), тогда второй бренд будет выгодно отличаться от первого и третьего и станет самым популярным у клиентов даже в том случаи, когда, до добавления третьего бренда, второй бренд мало кто покупал. В данном случаи самый дорогой вариант выбора становится обманным ходом, цель которого – выставить в выгодном свете бренд номер 2. Эта тема также появляется в каждом второй книге по социальной психологии. Я не знаю, в этой главе или в следующей, но автор пересказывает основную идею книги «Думай медленно... Решай быстро» (Thinking, Fast and Slow), т.е. Система 1 и Система 2. Данный факт также многое говорит о книге.
Третий пример (или тема) связан не с социальной психологией, а с общей психологией. В данном случаи автор пересказывает известное наблюдение психологов, что человеческая память способна формировать фальшивые воспоминания. Тема, конечно, интересная, но скорее в рамках психологии как таковой, а не с ориентацией на бизнес. Чего-то особо интересного в связи с бизнесом (применением в бизнесе) я в книге не обнаружил.
Что всё это означает? Это означает, что автор просто решил сделать $, переписав стары книги по социальной и общей психологии, возможно добавив немного и от себя. Однако я просто не вижу смысла в этой книге, если учесть, что было издано огромное количество схожей литературы, ставшей чуть ли не классикой и которая к тому же написана намного лучше, чем эта. Для меня не является также сюрпризом большой положительный рейтинг у этой книги, ибо в целом, у меня нет претензий к самому тексу, т.е. идеям, что в нём содержатся. Если читатель до этой книги вообще ничего не знал о социальной психологии, то возможно для него такая книга станет чуть ли не откровением. Ведь примерно нечто подобное случилось, когда впервые вышла книга Чалдини «Психология влияния» (Influence: How and Why People Agree to Things).
For some reason, I thought (wrongly) that this book was for marketers. In reality, it is another retelling of experiments from social psychology. After "Influence: How and Why People Agree to Things" by Chaldini and "Thinking, Fast and Slow," similar books started to appear. This book was no exception. Since the content of such books, in different variations, I have heard/read many times, it was difficult (for me) to keep my attention. The author, of course, tried to link examples from psychology with business, or rather with business practice, but he did it poorly. The main problem is that this book devotes 85% to psychology and only 15% to business. One could say that I spent all my mental energy on the part where the author talks about social psychology, so I didn't have enough energy for the business component. Although, perhaps, the author simply failed to link these two topics together.
In order not to rehash the book, I will list just a few of the themes that the author raises that best show what readers should expect from this book. So, at the very beginning, the author talks at length (citing well-known examples from social psychology) about how people don't actually consume food in restaurants but a menu. As an example, there was a wine store where cheap wine was poured into a bottle from an expensive brand and expensive wine into a bottle from a cheap brand. As everyone remembers, most people could not detect the catch. When people visit very expensive restaurants, they are less critical of the quality/taste of the food, with the idea that such an ultra-expensive restaurant could serve unpalatable food. Of course, there are certain limits when even big fans of a given restaurant will realize (I can't kid myself) that the food is really bad. But the idea is that the atmosphere makes the food taste better, i.e., that the product is of higher quality than a cheap competitor, even though, in reality, they may be identical. From the point of view of marketing, it is a long-known truth that, roughly speaking, consumers do not consume goods but brands. And people far from any marketing understand this one.
Then there is another popular topic related to anchors, such as when a store has three prices for the same product, i.e., three brands. The idea is that the third brand should cost significantly more than the second and the first ($5, $10, and $16), then the second brand will compare favorably with the first and the third and will become the most popular with customers even in cases where, before the addition of the third brand, the second brand few people bought. In this case, the most expensive choice becomes a deceptive move designed to favor brand number 2. This theme also appears in every other book on social psychology. I don't know if it's in this chapter or the next, but the author restates the main idea of "Thinking, Fast and Slow," i.e., System 1 and System 2. This fact also says a lot about the book.
The third example (or theme) is not related to social psychology but to general psychology. In this case, the author retells the well-known observation of psychologists that human memory is capable of forming false memories. The topic is certainly interesting, but rather within the framework of psychology as such, rather than business-oriented. I did not find anything particularly interesting in connection with business (application in business) in the book.
What does all this mean? It means that the author simply decided to make $ by rewriting old books on social and general psychology, perhaps adding a little of his own. However, I just don't see the point of this book, considering that there has been a huge amount of similar literature, which has become almost a classic and which is also written much better than this one. I am also not surprised by the high positive rating of this book because, in general, I have no complaints about the text itself, i.e., the ideas it contains. If the reader did not know anything about social psychology before this book, then, perhaps, for him, such a book will be almost a revelation. After all, something similar happened when Chaldini's Influence: How and Why People Agree to Things was first published.
October 16, 2022
Interesting applied psychology/marketing book, like a business reading of Thinking Fast and Slow.
Thought it would be similar to Lindstrom's Brandwashed but it has enough new stuff (plus I did read that book 10 years ago so probably forgot most things anyway)
___
The gap between objective reality and subjective perception is the marketer's playground. Our brains construct mental models of reality which we experience.
If the buyer believes the branding to be true, their actual experience wearing the product reflects that. e.g. style, coolness, luxury. Brands matter because beliefs matter.
Memory is our brain's attempt to connect us to the past.
Switching contexts extends time, or at least your perception of it. Great hosts know how to use context to craft a memorable experience by planning a range of different activities for the evening, each in different spaces.
Our habits, and the contexts that help create them, are extremely profitable enterprises.
Celebrities are easy to dismiss as unrelatable or unrealistic. The everyperson influencer, on the other hand, isn't.
A Columbia Business School study found that people are more likely to be careless with their phone if there's a newer, better version of the product available or soon to come.
For payment, the quicker and easier, the better. We went from cash to credit card swiping and signing, to chipped credit cards, to contactless or digital payments.
Loss-framing marketing might as well be called FOMO marketing - act now or miss out!
Dopamine isn't so much the pleasure molecule as the "want" molecule. It responds to the sizzle, not the steak. The future eventually becomes the present, and then letdown sets in. It would be accurate to call dopamine the 'future' molecule, but calling it the 'drop the bass' molecule is more fun.
The endless scroll model has no psychological stopping points (c.f. netflix/youtube's autoplay). The user never feels satisfied because there's no feeling of completing your task. In terms of driving website engagement it is indisputably effective.
What your brain really loves is New and Safe. Something novel but with echoes of the familiar to make it more acceptable. It's the Goldilocks zone of marketing.
Communication is the ability of the speaker to plant images and ideas into the listener's head.
Thought it would be similar to Lindstrom's Brandwashed but it has enough new stuff (plus I did read that book 10 years ago so probably forgot most things anyway)
___
The gap between objective reality and subjective perception is the marketer's playground. Our brains construct mental models of reality which we experience.
If the buyer believes the branding to be true, their actual experience wearing the product reflects that. e.g. style, coolness, luxury. Brands matter because beliefs matter.
Memory is our brain's attempt to connect us to the past.
Switching contexts extends time, or at least your perception of it. Great hosts know how to use context to craft a memorable experience by planning a range of different activities for the evening, each in different spaces.
Our habits, and the contexts that help create them, are extremely profitable enterprises.
Celebrities are easy to dismiss as unrelatable or unrealistic. The everyperson influencer, on the other hand, isn't.
A Columbia Business School study found that people are more likely to be careless with their phone if there's a newer, better version of the product available or soon to come.
For payment, the quicker and easier, the better. We went from cash to credit card swiping and signing, to chipped credit cards, to contactless or digital payments.
Loss-framing marketing might as well be called FOMO marketing - act now or miss out!
Dopamine isn't so much the pleasure molecule as the "want" molecule. It responds to the sizzle, not the steak. The future eventually becomes the present, and then letdown sets in. It would be accurate to call dopamine the 'future' molecule, but calling it the 'drop the bass' molecule is more fun.
The endless scroll model has no psychological stopping points (c.f. netflix/youtube's autoplay). The user never feels satisfied because there's no feeling of completing your task. In terms of driving website engagement it is indisputably effective.
What your brain really loves is New and Safe. Something novel but with echoes of the familiar to make it more acceptable. It's the Goldilocks zone of marketing.
Communication is the ability of the speaker to plant images and ideas into the listener's head.
December 3, 2021
This book was far better than I was expecting, and Matt and Prince did a phenomenal job. Sometimes, neuroscience bores me a little, but they kept it fresh and interesting. Matt is a neuroscientist and Prince is a marketer, so it was a really cool collaborative project. There’s a lot of scientific research about how marketing affects our brain, and I really got into it when it dove more into psychological studies. Some of it was research I’ve already read about, but they managed to make it feel fresh, and it was great that they used examples of how big companies use these methods to influence how we decide to spend our money. They even opened my eyes to some other manipulative tactics by marketers that I hadn’t thought of, and II have a background in marketing. I’m currently working on a book with some similar themes, and it definitely gave me some fresh takes to take into consideration. I highly recommend it if you want to have a better understanding of how marketers and advertisers are getting you to spend money.
December 21, 2024
Ma ei tea, kas ma just midagi eriti uut õppisin, aga päriselulisi turundusvõtteid ja -trikke, küll Ameerika ettevõtete näol, oli huvitav lugeda.
Peagi pärast YouTube'i automaatesituse tutvustamist tuli Netflix välja sarnase „Post-Play" võimalusega, mis muutis sarja järgmise osa vaatamise vaikevalikuks. Nagu YouTube, oli ka Netflix juba edukas platvorm, kuid see muudatus viis nende vaatajaskonna uutesse kõrgustesse. Nagu osutab Adam Alter, raamatu „Irresistible" („Vastupandamatu") autor, sündiski siis nähtusena binge-watching, telepummelung: Google Trendsist selgub, et väljendid „binge-watching" ja „Netflix binge" hakkasid ilmuma 2013. aasta jaanuaris, vaid mõni kuu pärast Post-Play rakendamist. Netflixi oma uuringutest selgus, et rohkem kui 60 protsenti täiskasvanuid tunnistas 2013. aastal, et nad on binge-watch'inud, ja enamik inimesi, kes olid mõne sarja kõik osad Netflixis ära vaadanud, tegid seda vaid nelja kuni kuue päeva pikkuste binge-watch'imistega. Kui Amazon ja HBO peagi eeskuju võtsid, pole ime, et automaatsest edasimängimisest on tööstusharus saanud standard.
Peagi pärast YouTube'i automaatesituse tutvustamist tuli Netflix välja sarnase „Post-Play" võimalusega, mis muutis sarja järgmise osa vaatamise vaikevalikuks. Nagu YouTube, oli ka Netflix juba edukas platvorm, kuid see muudatus viis nende vaatajaskonna uutesse kõrgustesse. Nagu osutab Adam Alter, raamatu „Irresistible" („Vastupandamatu") autor, sündiski siis nähtusena binge-watching, telepummelung: Google Trendsist selgub, et väljendid „binge-watching" ja „Netflix binge" hakkasid ilmuma 2013. aasta jaanuaris, vaid mõni kuu pärast Post-Play rakendamist. Netflixi oma uuringutest selgus, et rohkem kui 60 protsenti täiskasvanuid tunnistas 2013. aastal, et nad on binge-watch'inud, ja enamik inimesi, kes olid mõne sarja kõik osad Netflixis ära vaadanud, tegid seda vaid nelja kuni kuue päeva pikkuste binge-watch'imistega. Kui Amazon ja HBO peagi eeskuju võtsid, pole ime, et automaatsest edasimängimisest on tööstusharus saanud standard.
October 12, 2024
One of these days, I'll read a psychology book that doesn't mention a wine study. Seriously though, this book is a cracking read and, despite overdosing on psychology this year and resolving to finish the year on fiction, I thought this was great way to break my own rule. Despite getting Kahneman's System 1 and System 2 mixed up in chapter 5 (referenced correctly thereafter), Matt Johnson and Prince Ghuman (how cool is that name!) do a marvelous job explaing the myriad sensory, communication, and environmental factors that influence our behavior. One of the top reads of the year for me.
August 23, 2021
One of my favorite non-fiction books. Blindsight is so thought-provoking and informative about the marketing world, and opened my eyes to so many marketing schemes that I have fallen victim to and continue to see all around me. I have recommended it to several of my friends, and highly recommend it to anyone interested in marketing and psychology.
October 7, 2022
KÕIK inimesed võiks seda lugeda, sest kui sa natukenegi rohkem tajud, kuidas sind midagi tarbima meelitatakse, tajud ehk ka seda, et ei ole vaja kaudseltki nii palju tarbida, nagu me seda teeme. See on muidugi minu enda idee, ületarbimisest raamat ei räägi. Kui inimpsühholoogia huvitab, on see raamat sulle kindlasti huvitav lugemine.
August 13, 2023
Väga mõnusalt kirjutatud raamat ohtrate näidetega mismoodi meie tarbimist mõjutatakse ja mis selle taga on. Siit saab nö takeaway’sid absoluutselt igaüks. Ja veelgi hirmutavamaks tänapäeva andmehulkade juures muutub mõte kui pikalt (mitte kas) enne me enda teadlikku otsust see kellelegi teisele juba teada on?
February 26, 2022
An interesting and well-researched book. It makes you more aware of what you're experiencing as you shop both online and off because there are numerous ways your choices are being influenced without you even knowing.
April 20, 2022
Pazarlamanın insanları nasıl etkilediğini yalın bir dille çok güzel anlatmış. Pürdikkat teki örneklerin aynıları vardı. Sanırım iki kitaptan biri diğerinden "ilham almış". Sonuçta güzel bir kitap. Farkındalığınızı arttırmak istiyorsanız mutlaka okumalısınız.
June 15, 2023
Mulle väga meeldis. Lühidalt ja arusaadavalt selgitatud kuidas meie aju töötab ning kuidas me ostuotsuseid teeme. Miks me mingitel hetkedel asjadest ära väsime (ka peekon pole ühel hetkel enam ahvatlev!) ning miks aju meile ikkagi kogu infot ei edasta.
September 13, 2023
Coming from a science and research background I understand how difficult it is to translate science into practice. The authors did an excellent job conveying consumer neuroscience and marketing in a common language, and very applicable.
December 29, 2025
I learned more from this book than I was expecting. It offers a great explanation of the various ways our attention is grabbed by brands and products. I probably highlighted too much, and I plan to review it again in the future.
August 29, 2020
Really good and insightful book. Not only is a good book for consumers to read and understand but also for business owners.
July 18, 2021
Fascinating read.
October 12, 2021
Great insight in the human consumer mind
November 19, 2021
An eye-opener in the era of conspicuous consumption.
December 5, 2021
Excellent. Very engaging and enlightening.
January 15, 2022
Soovitan sulle, kui otsid psühholoogilist lähenemist turundusele tänapäevaste näidetega.
February 15, 2022
an interesting book about marketing and psychology filled with out of date hacky jokes (like…multiple nickelback jokes)
March 18, 2022
Of more use to a curious outsider than to a marketer, but as a marketer I found it useful tool for organizing some thoughts on branding.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews