What’s outside allures; what’s inside matters
By Bob Wheatley
Beverages made with whole fruit and vegetables provide a great tasting, portable source of nutrition. Sounds pretty good, right? Well it’s in Jamba, literally. Even so people don’t always make decisions purely on the logic driven plane of “good-for-you” – we are also emotional creatures who crave indulgence, happiness and surprise. How do you blend these two behaviors? Read on…
There are a few experts out there in the nutrition space — I refer to them politely as the nattering nabobs of negativism — who may confuse the healthier habit forest for trees. They argue the finer points of grams of this and that and dwell in the margins of hair splitting around a transformation that really should be celebrated – especially while still in its early stages. My issue: They unintentionally foment confusion when progress is truly happening. And confusion often drives progress backwards. Surely we all agree excess consumption of anything is to be watched.
So is a natural blended fruit beverage a good thing? Of course it is. At a time when study upon study charts the deficits annually in fruit and vegetable eating, within that colorful delicious liquid we find multiple servings of earth-grown ingredients that offer generous amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.
The Paradox of Better-For-You
Even though we live in a country that defines state of the art in the Horn of Plenty, apparently we remain torn between options that are fundamentally more nutritious and choosing empty calorie indulgences. I’m not surprised at this in the least. No matter how you slice or dice it — one constant reigns over all: We are undeniably humans first and foremost. Desire is a part of our DNA.
To be sure we are in the midst of a sea-change, a shift in behavior like no other in modern marketing history as consumer’s in full march move closer to taking control of there health and wellness. We applaud, encourage and promote this cultural shift — people are happier and healthier for it.
However marketers, experts, pundits and nutrition players collectively should also recognize the path along this change continuum isn’t powered solely with rational arguments, facts and data.
In the coming years we will see more and more consumers looking to Jamba as a dose-able tool for a variety of benefits from protein to vitamins, minerals and the like. But the attraction here has other components — an exterior if you will that brims with sunny disposition and dollop of fun to accompany the dose of nutrients. We like Jamba for who they are, what the company believes, its personality and mission as much as we appreciate the value of what we’re getting inside the cup. (Please note: Emergent represents this fine organization).
Lest we forget, people are not rational, fact focused analytical decision making machines. On the one hand our thinking brain is remarkably skilled at estimating and comparing options. The feeling mind however is firmly captain of the personal ship. My colleague brand strategist and consumer raconteur, Tom Asacker, in his book The Business of Belief, said it best: “What we believe is what we desire. What we desire is ultimately what we do.”
The remarkable, indefatigable David Ogilvy squared the sense of this: “The consumer does not behave as he says, he does not say what he thinks, and he does not think what he feels.” The strategic construct is quite simple – desire is the spark that ignites the belief that informs the actions we take.
Over the last 50 years our economy has gravitated from the sphere of rationality to the realm of desire. From objective to subjective if you will. We are now engaging an emotionally focused consumer.
The Power of Inspiration
Asaker contends people are attracted by the pull of possibilities. We want to get better, to transform our lives, to feel good about ourselves. Better experiences and a better life is a powerful motivator. If what we believe in and what we desire is ultimately what we do, then the future belongs to those who are able to delicately integrate communication that appeals to the intellect while weaving in the softer zones of inspiration and positive feelings.
Healthier choice is fast becoming a dominant consideration for people when making decisions about products they prefer or reject. Why? People now understand there’s a direct connection between what they consume and the quality of their lives. This Genie is out of the bottle permanently.
When brand communication invokes the consumer’s values and desires in what is conveyed and how stories are presented, we pull people towards the brand. Changing a belief requires motivation in the form of reason and evidence. The alchemy of marketing success and outcome spins ahead on a careful blending: intellect with emotion.
Inspiration is a key and vital part of this menu. Again, who is at the helm of the brand decision ship? It’s the feeling mind.
How do you mine inspiration?