The single biggest cause of marketing failure is lack of deep understanding of the market.
Let me explain what I mean by that.
I mean that businesses don’t dig deep enough into developing an understanding if the psychology that drives decisions about whether someone will buy their product or service.
It has been suggested that there are 8 biologically programmed desires (Drew Eric Whitman though there are many sources) we all have and are near impossible to ignore. They are:
1. Survival… enjoyment of life… life extension.
2. Enjoyment of food and beverages.
3. Freedom from fear, pain and danger.
4. Romantic companionship.
5. Comfortable living conditions.
6. To be superior… winning… keeping up with the Jones’s.
7. Care and protection of loved ones.
8. Social approval.
So when someone considers buying your product/service making the sale becomes easier if your marketing demonstrates how it helps them achieve one or more of these programmed desires.
Here’s a few simple examples:
Home security system maps to desires 3 and 7 very strongly.
A luxury car or right now SUV’s are all the rage maps to desire 6 and to an extent 7.
Gym memberships map to desire 1 and often desire 4.
Now it’s your turn. Tell me what your product/service and which desires you think it maps to. Then for bonus points adjust your marketing to communicate how it meets the desire(s).
Questions welcomed below or you can privately message me if yours is confidential.
In a future post I’ll share secondary desires which are still good but not as powerful as these.