Why people buy - the power of marketing to mindstates

This week I am excited to share with you everything I learned reading the amazing book Marketing To Mindstates. I have read, digested and tested the ideas from all 260 pages, so you don’t have to!

The key concept is tapping into "mindstates"—specific emotional and psychological moments where consumers are most susceptible to marketing messages. I’ve been testing these techniques, and let me tell you - when done properly make your ads go gangbusters!

The book argues that to effectively influence customers, brands need to tap into their emotional motivations when they're most receptive to influence.

Let’s dig into the key concepts:

1. Mindstates: Emotional motivations that make consumers more likely to engage with a brand's messaging at specific moments.

2. Behavioral Design: Creating marketing campaigns that align with these mindstates to increase effectiveness and sales conversion rates.

3. Targeted Approach: Instead of relying solely on demographics or psychographics, marketers should understand when and why people are most likely to act, tailoring campaigns to those moments.

Here is a list of key mindstates from Marketing to Mindstates 

1. Optimistic Achievement: People are motivated by progress and success.

   • Example: Rory telehealth ads empower women to take control of their health, aligning with goal achievement.

   • Strava emphasising how their app lets you share your run stats with others for more sense of achievement

     

2. Anxious Avoidance: This state focuses on preventing negative outcomes.

   • Example: Eargo hearing aid ads address the anxiety of hearing loss and social isolation, presenting the product as a solution to avoid those issues.

   • Thrive taps into the obvious fears that their brand claims to help customers overcome.

     

3. Belonging: The need to feel part of a community or group.

   • Example: Warby Parker ads use diverse imagery to foster inclusivity and a sense of community among customers.

4. Security and Stability: Driven by the desire for safety and reliability.

   • Example: Casper mattress ads emphasize comfort and restful sleep, offering a stable foundation for well-being.

   • Uber promoting their safety feature:

   

5. Empowered Control: People are motivated by a sense of personal control and decision-making.

   • Example: Caraway cookware ads highlight ease of use and control over a healthier cooking experience/

6. Self-Expression: A state where individuals seek to showcase their identity.

   • Example: Cozy Earth bedding ads use messaging that focuses on individuality and personal lifestyle choices, appealing to the need for self-expression.

   • This knitwear brand showing the products in a more creative way than the usual:

   

Next time you look at an ad that makes you want to buy - try to figure out which mind-state it is tapping into.

And when you need put together your ads creative strategy - make sure you are clear what mind-state you are marketing to, and be sure to test a few different ones so you can see which ones are most effective.

Let me know how you get on!

See you next time!

X

Jessie

ps. If you ever want to get more help with creating ads that tap into mindstates - or your DTC growth marketing strategy - reply to this email and we can have a chat!

Or book here