The customer because he does not always do what he says: how implicit needs and emotional connections guide choices. Scientific studies reveal that the 95% of purchases is driven by irrational processes. Daniel Kahneman, behavioral scientist and Nobel Prize winner in economics 2002, highlighted how purchasing decisions are strongly influenced by non-rational factors.

Until the 95% decisions and emotions happen in the unconscious mind. To truly understand your customers, we need to go beyond what they say, using behavioral science to discover the "hidden truth" that guides their behaviors. This is the foundation for building a powerful and distinctive brand.

The six dimensions of Behavior: The Forces that drive consumer choices:

1. Organic: Study the neurological bases, physiological and genetic of human behavior, like emotions, automatic responses and the biological bases of choices. Examine how the brain, the nervous system, The endocrine system and genes influence instinctive reactions, decisions and behavioral predispositions. Includes the study of neurotransmitters (es. Dopamine, serotonin), hormones (es. cortisol, oxytocin) and physiological processes (es. Circadian rhythm). Use methodologies such as neuroimaging and genetic studies.

2. Psychological: focuses on mental processes, like perception, the profound reasons, archetypes and cognitive biases. These factors influence decisions, behaviors and emotions, often driven by unconscious mechanisms and psychological influences that determine how people interpret the world and act accordingly.

3. Social: examines how interactions between individuals, cultural values, Social norms and group dynamics influence human behavior. Sociality plays a crucial role in determining how people conform to social expectations and conventions, as well as how group dynamics and collective opinions shape individual choices.

4. Environmental: analyzes how the physical context, social and experiential impact on perceptions, on people's emotions and behaviors. The environment we live in, including physical and cultural influences, it has a significant impact on how we react to stimuli and make decisions.

5. Formal: provides mathematical tools, logical, statistical and computational to describe, analyze and predict the phenomena observed in other dimensions. This dimension uses quantitative models to understand and predict behaviors based on data and formal theories.

6. Archetypal: explore how universal archetypes, the models, Fundamental symbols and stories influence human behavior. The archetypes, like those described by Carl Jung, they are universal psychological patterns that manifest themselves in myths, legends and collective behaviors. This dimension focuses on the influence that these patterns deeply rooted in the collective unconscious have on motivations, people's perceptions and actions. Archetypes are also fundamental in building identity and communicating brands, as they evoke universal emotions that resonate with audiences.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: THE DISCIPLINES THAT REVEAL THE HIDDEN TRUTH TO BUILD A STRONG BRAND.

Biology:

• Search tools:

  • Neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG, PET): These techniques allow us to observe brain activity in real time while subjects are exposed to specific stimuli or perform decision-making tasks. L'fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) offers good spatial resolution, enters the EEG (electroencephalogram) It has excellent temporal resolution. At PET (positron emission tomography) allows you to study neurotransmitters. The goal is to map the brain areas activated by emotions, motivations and decision-making processes, revealing the neural correlates of implicit needs.

  • Psychophysiological measurements (heartbeat, skin conductance, pupillary dilation): These physiological indicators reflect the activation of the autonomic nervous system in response to emotional stimuli. The variation of the heartbeat, sweating (measured via skin conductance) and pupil dilation are indicators of arousal and emotional involvement. These measures provide objective data on unconscious emotional reactions, often not accessible via self-report.

  • Eye-tracking: This technique records eye movements, pupil fixations and dilations to understand where visual attention is focused and which elements of a stimulus capture the interest most. Eye-tracking reveals automatic attentional processes and implicit preferences, offering insights into what attracts the individual on a subconscious level.

  • Analysis of facial microexpressions: Microexpressions are very brief, involuntary facial expressions that reveal a person's real emotions, even when they are consciously masked. Specialized software can analyze videos to identify these microexpressions. This tool is useful for capturing authentic emotions, often in conflict with what was stated verbally, revealing hidden needs and desires.

Psychology:

• Search tools

• Clinical Interviews in depth: These interviews are one of the most powerful tools for exploring motivations, emotions and thoughts of individuals. They allow you to collect spontaneous and unstructured responses, that offer a comprehensive understanding of psychological needs and hidden desires, crucial for marketing based on deep insights.

• Focus group: Focus groups are essential for gathering information on perceptions, opinions and emotions of groups of participants regarding a brand, product or theme. The interactive dynamics and collective discussion between participants allow needs to be explored in depth, values ​​and prejudices, offering an analysis rich in qualitative data.

• projective test (in focus groups and interviews): These tests stimulate unconscious responses and provide insights into thoughts, hidden feelings and motivations. Some of the most common include:

  • Test the Rorschach (ink stains): Stimulates the projection of unconscious thoughts and feelings, revealing profound aspects of the participant's personality and emotions.
  • Thematic Aperception Test (TAT): Participants tell stories based on evocative images, revealing inner conflicts and hidden desires.
  • Word association test: Measures rapid responses to stimulus words, revealing implicit associations between concepts, items or brand.

• Implicit Association Test (IAT): The IAT measures automatic associations between concepts in memory, revealing implicit biases and unconscious preferences. It is useful for investigating implicit attitudes towards brands, products or ideas and provide information on needs and desires not explicitly expressed.

• Content analysis of narratives and stories: Examining language, the metaphors and narrative structures used by participants in their stories or responses to narrative stimuli, it is possible to reveal motivations, implicit values ​​and needs. This qualitative approach helps to understand aspirations, individuals' deepest fears and desires.

• Analysis of cognitive biases and heuristics: Study systematic patterns of deviation from rationality in judgment and decision making (come il confirmation bias o l’availability heuristic) helps understand how people interpret information and form their preferences. Cognitive distortions unconsciously influence choices, even when people are not aware of it.

Sociology:

• Search tools:

  • Ethnography and participant observation: Immersing yourself in the culture and social context of a group allows you to observe and understand social dynamics, the rituals, the norms and values ​​that influence behavior. The ethnographer observes and participates in the daily life of the group, collecting rich, contextualized qualitative data. This method is essential to understand the influence of the social context on needs and behaviors.

  • Social network analysis (SNA): SNA studies the relationships and interactions between individuals within a social network. Mapping connections and information flows, influencers can be identified, the reference groups and the dynamics of diffusion of opinions and behaviors. This technique is crucial for understanding how social relationships shape preferences and decisions.

  • Discourse and conversation analysis: Study verbal interactions, the language used and the communication dynamics in social contexts (es. family conversations, online interactions) allows us to understand how shared meanings are constructed, social norms and identities. This approach reveals the influence of language and communication in the formation of needs and aspirations.

  • Focus groups and group interviews: Facilitating group discussions on specific topics allows opinions to be explored, shared perceptions and experiences, bringing out social norms, cultural values ​​and group dynamics that influence needs and behaviors. This method is useful for understanding social and cultural influences on preferences and decisions.

  • Cross-cultural studies: Compare behaviors, the values ​​and beliefs of individuals from different cultures allows us to identify specific cultural influences and universal patterns. These studies help distinguish between culturally specific needs and basic human needs.

Environmental:

• Search tools:

  • Environmental simulations and virtual reality (VR): Creating immersive virtual environments that simulate real contexts allows you to study people's behavior in controlled but realistic situations. VR allows you to manipulate environmental variables and observe participants' reactions. This tool is useful for testing the impact of specific environmental factors on needs, emotions and decisions.

  • Analysis of spatial behavior and wayfinding: Study how people move and orient themselves in different physical environments (es. shops, city, public spaces) provides insights into how the environment influences perceptions, emotions and decisions. Techniques such as GPS tracking and direct observation can be used. This analysis reveals how the physical environment affects needs and behaviors, for example, the search for security, comfort or stimulation.

  • Analysis of geospatial and environmental data: Use geographic and environmental data (es. air quality, access to green spaces, population density) to correlate them with people's behaviors and preferences. This approach allows us to identify the relationships between environmental characteristics and implicit needs.

Formal:

• Search tools:

  1. Artificial intelligence (IA): Its analytical and predictive function on large quantities of data (big data) it is fundamental. Within this category, we include the techniques of Machine Learning e Data Mining, which are essential for his learning and adaptation abilities.

  2. Structural equation models (WHICH): This technique is useful for validating complex theoretical models that relate implicit needs (latent variables) with observable behaviors. It provides a rigorous statistical framework for testing hypotheses and integrating data from different sources, giving robustness to analyzes conducted with AI

Archetypal:

• Search tools:

  
  

  • Analysis of brand narratives and their resonance with archetypes:

    • Motivation: This tool is fundamental because it focuses directly on the brand's identity and its ability to connect with audiences on an archetypal level. Examine the stories, the values ​​and communication of the brand to identify the dominant archetypes allows you to evaluate the coherence of the brand and its effectiveness in creating an emotional bond with consumers.

  • Analysis of textual data with natural language processing techniques (NLP):

    • Motivation: NLP applied to large text datasets (reviews, social media, forum) offers a way quantitative and scalable to map the presence and influence of archetypes in online conversations. This allows you to identify which archetypes resonate most with the public and how they are associated with the brand (or its competitors).

  • In-depth interviews and focus groups with archetypal interpretation:

    • Motivation: This tool qualitative allows you to explore in depth the emotional resonances and symbolic meanings associated with the brand, to its products and its communication. The archetypal interpretation of the responses helps to understand how the brand is perceived on an unconscious level and which archetypes it evokes in the public.

The integration of these research tools across different dimensions offers a holistic and rigorous approach to the investigation of implicit needs. This multidisciplinary approach allows us to overcome the limitations of individual methods, gaining a deeper and more accurate understanding of the irrational forces that drive human behavior. The combination of quantitative and qualitative data, objective and subjective, allows you to build robust and predictive models, useful for developing effective strategies in different areas, from marketing to product design, from communication to understanding social phenomena. My long experience has taught me that only through an integrated and scientifically based approach is it possible to reveal the complexity of the human mind and translate this knowledge into concrete and successful actions.

BRAND, IDENTITY AND COMMUNICATION IN THIS WAY POSITIONING IS PRECISE, IT FULLY RESPONDS TO CUSTOMERS' NEEDS/WISHES WITH A UNIQUE AND DISTINCTIVE VALUE.

Brand Strategy: Distinction and Emotional Connection

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Creative Strategy: A Powerful Differentiation Tool

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Creating a Human and Connected Brand

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Distinctive and Emotional Advantages

In Advert Group, our focus is to build a distinctive and connective advantage that makes the brand unique and capable of establishing deep relationships with customers, pushing your brand to outperform the competition and generate greater value and success, you can stay calm.

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