Unconscious Branding - by Douglas Van Praet (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

For too long marketers have been asking the wrong question. If consumers make decisions unconsciously, why do we persist in asking them directly through traditional marketing research why they do what they do? They simply can't tell us because they don't really know. Before marketers develop strategies, they need to recognize that consumers have strategies too . . . human strategies, not consumer strategies. We need to go beyond asking why, and begin to ask how, behavior change occurs. Here, author Douglas Van Praet takes the most brilliant and revolutionary concepts from cognitive science and applies them to how we market, advertise, and consume in the modern digital age. Van Praet simplifies the most complex object in the known universe--the human brain--into seven codified actionable steps to behavior change. These steps are illustrated using real world examples from advertising, marketing, media, and business to consciously unravel what brilliant marketers and ad practitioners have long done intuitively, deconstructing the real story behind some of the greatest marketing and business successes in recent history, such as Nike's "Just Do It" campaign; "Got Milk?"; Wendy's "Where's the Beef?"; and the infamous Volkswagen "Punch Buggy" launch as well as their beloved "The Force" (Mini Darth Vader) Super Bowl commercial.

Review Quotes

"A provocative approach that should give pause to consumers as well as marketers." --Kirkus Reviews

"Doug has been an instrumental strategic guide for transforming and redefining the Volkswagen brand. The behavioral insights and the rationale for why people act as they do - uncovered in his book - have had a profound effect on how we communicate and behave, helping the brand achieve the highest market share in thirty years. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to truly understand how to craft communications that will truly resonate." --Justin Osborne, General Manager, Marketing Communications, Volkswagen of America

"Unconscious Branding brings the power of neuroscience to marketing in a way that is both intuitive and revelatory. It's an invaluable resource for any marketer." --Matt Jarvis, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer, 72andSunny

"Drawing upon the insights of behavioral science, Van Praet provides a seven-step, behavior-modification procedure--Useful insights that should benefit marketers big and small." --Publishers Weekly

"Doug Van Praet knows what's going on in your mind better than you do. This is the only book that finally provides a useful 'how to' when it comes to applying neuroscience to marketing. We're using it. It works." --Mike Sheldon, CEO Deutsch LA

"There are many researchers in advertising who can study a campaign and tell you what happened. There are precious few who can tell you why. Doug Van Praet is one of them." --Eric Hirshberg, CEO, Activision Publishing

About the Author

Douglas Van Praet is executive vice president at Deutsch LA, one of the nation's hottest ad agencies, where his responsibilities include group planning director for the iconic, highly acclaimed and coveted Volkswagen account.