“The science is just sitting out there in academia.” That’s why consultant, educator, and author Will Leach decided to package it up in a revolutionary new book. Marketing to Mindstates is about looking beyond traditional market research by understanding and appealing to your audience when they’re in the optimal mindstate. We unpacked this concept and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Will Leach

Will Leach is the founder of TriggerPoint, a leading Behavioral Research and Design consultancy specializing in System 1 marketing. Simply put, TriggerPoint helps today’s largest brands understand and change consumer and employee behavior through Behavioral Research and Design.

Will has over 20 years of behavioral insights experience and is a behavioral design instructor at the Cox School of Business BLC at Southern Methodist University. Will is the author of Marketing to MindStates: a Practical Field Guide to Applying Behavioral Design to Marketing and is also the only 2-time winner of the EXPLOR Award for behavioral science research innovation.

Episode Highlights

Why behavioral research? Why now? “Technology makes connecting with customers easier than ever before. But what does this mean from a psychological perspective?” Especially when our brains are trained to filter out messages?

How can your brand stand out? “By creating saliency. That’s when something is fluid and easy to understand.” Will shared how we make 35,000 decisions every day. A vast majority of these are unconscious. “The number-one decision you make every day is not to decide.” Will shared four scientific steps for creating saliency with your brand.

What is a mindstate? “They’re moments of high emotional arousal. You’re in a hot state. This is what’s called System 1 processing.”

What about the interplay between academia and real-world consulting? As an educator and strategist myself, I was eager to ask Will this burning question. “What business is good at is doing (or performing) ‘whats.’ Academia is good at understanding the ‘why’ behind something.” Together it’s a potent combination.

What brand has made Will smile recently? As a parent, Will has been noticing kids’ brands more and more. That’s why he loves Lego and Marvel. “They allow me as a parent to connect and relate with my son in a way I wouldn’t be able to otherwise.”

To learn more, go to marketingtomindstates.com.

As We Wrap …

Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.

On Brand is sponsored by my new book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

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Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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