The Persuaders

Dr. Rapaille believes that consumers are driven by unconscious needs. We seldom understand why we do what we do, leading us to make up something that makes sense when asked about our motivations. He says that the key to the psyche of consumers is a 3 step process of getting past reason, through emotion, to the primal core where all purchase decisions lie.

1. He conducts focus groups, asking them how they feel about a certain word and how that concept is sold to them. At this point, Rapaille doesn’t care what they say, he just wants them to feel intelligent.
2. Rapaille doesn’t want his focus groups to be logical or intelligent. He asks them to tell a story as if they were speaking to an alien child. People don’t understand what they are doing during this stage, and that is exactly what he wants.
3. The focus group is encouraged to go back the first time they experienced what they’re trying to understand. This is where the primal urges can be seen, or as Rapaille calls it, the Reptilian hotbutton. According to him, this reptilian hotbutton, or code, has nothing to do with intellect, and it always wins.

I thought the example Rapaille provided was hilarious. He told a French cheese company that they were going “off code” by advertising their products in a way that did not appeal to Americans. In France, cheese is alive and does not belong in the refridgerator; however, Americans treat cheese very differently and perceived the French cheese as unsafe.

Rapaille’s clients can use the code to improve a product. Competitors can then replicate that product. However, without the knowledge of why the product was created that way, the product does not have the same effect.

Song Airlines’ main goal was to establish a solid brand rather than promoting the benefits of the product they were offering. Of course, they wanted to mention that their airline offered flights at reasonable prices and that the in-flight meals were fresh and organic, but they believed that it was more important to invent a new culture of flying. The president of Song argued that a company can only be the sole provider of a benefit, like an individual TV for every seat, for a finite period of time. On the other hand, the company’s spirit cannot be recreated. Song focused on the heart rather than the head, creating advertisements that did not even mention planes; instead, they invoked emotions and feelings that could be classified as “Song.”

As an idea, I think this campaign was very innovative. Like the video kept mentioning, consumers are becoming more and more immune to advertising. We no longer want facts shoved in our faces about how great a product is; instead, we are drawn to creativity and humor. By selling something intangible, the Song brand, the company is able to convey an attitude that is welcoming and thoughtful. It is absolutely true that marketers must adjust to the changing perceptions of customers. Today, consumers are asking, “What does this product mean?” not “What does this product do?” Brands must go beyond the five senses. The desire to buy must be more deeply rooted than before; consumers want to belong, and brands can create a meaning system for them.

At the same time, though, I do not think this was the right thing for Song to do. As was proven, customers were confused about what the company even was. Was it a travel agency? An airline? A store? The advertisements actually had the opposite effect of what was intended; they took away from the product instead of enhancing it. While the ads were smoothly executed and were generally appealing, it was unclear as to what was being sold. Yes, Song was trying to sell certain emotions, but if those emotions are not connected to the brand explicitly enough, especially with a new brand, the ad is bound to fail.

Airline tickets are a fairly expensive good. I feel like there is a curve to this idea of selling an intangible concept. I think it would work really well with cheap goods, like a snack food or article of clothing because these goods require less disposable income, and consumers are more willing to take “risks.” However, an airline ticket is something that requires more consideration before purchase. For most people, price is the bottom line, and they are willing to sacrifice things like a good meal or in-flight movie for a lower price. Song’s emotion provoking commercial may be well received, but might not translate to actual purchase decisions. But after a certain price point, the emotional appeal can be effective again. Someone doesn’t buy a set of Louis Vuitton luggage because it’s so much better quality than Samsonite; they buy it because it makes them feel a certain way. That’s an assumption, though.