Book Review: Buy-ology

For months I had been waiting to read "Buy-ology", a book by Martin Lindstrom about the science behind consumer behavior.  I first heard about the book on Duct Tape Marketing's podcast, but had to wait for it to be delivered to my library branch before I could check it out.

Martin Lindstrom is a well respected branding expert.  The book is an exploration of what Lindstrom and his researchers learn when they use brain scanning technology to test consumers' reactions to marketing messages... so it's not hard to see how this book is interesting...

What Lindstrom finds is rather shocking.  We learn that most of the traditional anti-smoking ads are ineffective because they actually trigger cigarette cravings in the brains of smokers.  We also learn what I suspect most marketers have always had a hunch about, that consumers buy products for different reasons than they say.  For example, a consumer might say they purchased a product because it had all the features they were looking for when in reality, they bought the product because they thought it would make them cool.  I won't spoil all of the great nuggets in this book for you, but trust me, you'll have a hard time putting it down.

The book is very well written.  Each chapter flows into the next and the research questions are laid out like a mystery that the reader is working through with Lindstrom as he receives the results for each of the studies that are conducted.  It was for this reason that I found myself reading upwards of 50 to 75 pages each time I would pick it up.

Worth a read for anyone interested in what REALLY happens when we shop.  You can learn more about the book and Martin Lindstrom on his site.

What Applied then Doesn't Apply Now

I read an article in the Financial Post recently about the Public Mobile launch that caught my eye.  There were two things interesting about the article to me.  The first was that Public Mobile is launching without an operational network and if you sign up early, you can get unlimited in Canada calling.  The second is that Ted Rogers gave some advice to the Public CEO that I think is dangerous to listen to.

The article says:

"Ted said to me," recalled Mr. Krstajic, a veteran in Canadian telecommunications circles and former Rogers Communications Inc. executive, "don't let technical issues with the engineers stop you from selling."

I think that following Ted Rogers' advice in 2010 could be detrimental to the image and therefore future of WIND Mobile.  

Here's why: when the mobile industry was new, it was a novelty and a luxury for most people.  Even as far back as the year 2000, when mobile was starting to gain mainstream acceptance, mobile phones were still something being used by early adopters.  I think that early users of mobile technology were more accepting of issues with networks than they are now.  Just look at what is happening to WIND after their launch. 

Add to this that customers in 2010 are more connected and able to share the nightmare of bad experiences (think about what's been happening AT&T in the last year with their network issues) and you have a recipe for disaster.  

I believe that when it comes to mobile technology, users want a great customer experience and have come to expect it from the handset through to the network.   Even in our home connections are not lightning fast, we still want them to be.  And this means that we want our mobile experience to me quick too.  We don't want to wait for applications to launch and we don't want to wait to get service before we make calls.  

I just think what might have been true for Ted Rogers then isn't so true anymore.  

The article goes on to say that Public Mobile doesn't have network issues and are taking the time to make sure it is 100 percent so it appears as though they get the pressure they are under.  Let's just hope they deliver as our mobile industry is dominated by Bell, Telus and Rogers who together own 95% of the market.