Never Underestimate The Power of a Picture

Every so often I see marketing that “wows” me. And much to my surprise, the wow came from an airport restaurant.

There was a 5-hour delay in my flight which meant I had plenty of time to roam with my camera in hand. Lo and behold, directly across from Gate A38 at DFW International Airport is a restaurant called East Side Mario’s. It’s typical airport fare – pizza, bad lasagna, and a semi-Caesar salad. But despite the food, there was something impressive at East Mario’s. Take a look at their sign:

 

 

 

What did you notice about the sign?

It may not be obvious, but here is the sequence of what we see:

First, we notice the red and white checkered placard that says “Desserts.”

Then our eyes go down to see the beautiful, brightly colored images fruit.

Finally, we see the tiny “Cookie  1.25.”

What just happened here?

 

Neuro-Marketing

Neuro-marketing is a field of science in which neuroscientists attempt to answer the ultimate marketing question: Why does someone choose to purchase something? Years of research tell us that the answer to that question is emotions.  The job of marketers and sales people is to create positive emotional connections with us so we will purchase their products.

This sign does that brilliantly, and by the way, subconsciously:

• The bright colors of the fruit trigger a positive sensation in the brain. If you look closely you’ll see that the biggest fruit item is a big juicy watermelon. That image signals “sweetness” to our brain which stimulates a positive response.

• Our other subconscious response is that fruit is healthy and good for us (another positive response). This internal reaction happens even though we logically know most dessert is decidedly unhealthy.

• By the time our eyes make it to the cookie for $1.25 our brains have already acquiesed to buying the cookie. Oops. Make that “1.25″ – no dollar sign. Roger Dooley, a leading neuromarketing expert, tells us why it’s smart to lose dollar signs in our advertising.

The lesson? First, pictures are powerful – even pictures that are the opposite of what you’re selling. Second, your marketing should always stimulate a strong emotional response that will move your prospects to action.

 

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