Brighter Marketing

I was doing some reading today as I am putting the final touches to a course on psychology and emotion in marketing. I picked up Buyology by Martin Lindstrom, which I have referred to in previous posts. It is a book all about the science behind why we buy and make the choices we do and I  found this interesting observation, which backed up the Brighter Marketing  argument that there is a lot more going on in our minds than we realised when we decide to buy stuff.

Dopamine is one of the most addictive substances known to man, it has its part to play in illegal drug use and it makes you feel great.

What’s interesting is that purchasing decisions are driven in some part by its seductive effects…

When you see a shiny car, diamond ring or a great pair of new shoes, dopamine subtly flushes your brain with pleasure, then WHAM!, before you know it, you’ve got your credit card out and the rest is history.

The only problem is, that as you leave the shop or the car show room, the dopamine in your brain will slowly subside and it’s then that logic kicks in. So if someone asks you why you bought the new shoes, car or jewellery, your mind will revert to logic to justify and explain the purchase. After all how could we admit that our minds were full of emotion and dopamine, why would anyone believe that. We all make purchasing decision made on logic don’t we.