Advertising and Marketing, Cialdini - Weapons of Influence, Consumer Psychology
This year many major retailers, spurred by competition and disappointing sales, decided to start their usual Black Friday deals a day early. Their reasoning was twofold: 1) an earlier start would help them get a jump on any competitors who waited until Friday morning...
Cialdini - Weapons of Influence, Leadership, Public Speaking
When I was 11 years old, I saw a speech by 80’s-era motivational speaker Joe Charbonneau. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and from that day forward wanted to be a public speaker of some kind. That star faded a little bit as I got older, and I could peek...
Advertising and Marketing, Cialdini - Weapons of Influence, Johnstone - Status Transactions, Social Psychology, Status and Prestige
I’m always excited when science finally catches up with marketing. A man walks into a sociologist’s office, and is asked to write a short essay highlighting his healthy life habits. He does so. Afterwards, he’s offered a choice of two small rewards...
Cialdini - Weapons of Influence
Okay, everybody…I need your help with this one. Normally when I post an entry, it’s because I’ve reached a conclusion. This one is different. It’s unfinished. I’ve thought about this entry for a long time, and I’ve taken it a...
Cialdini - Weapons of Influence, Leadership
The Hay Group is a management consulting firm that does its own research into motivation strategies and produces self-assessment materials for students and clients. I recently took one of their assessments for an MBA class on leadership strategies. The assessment was...
Cialdini - Weapons of Influence, Social Psychology
“I am a Christian war hero charity donor who will create jobs, lower taxes, increase Medicare and make the sun shine every day. My opponent dresses in women’s clothes to perform Satan-worshiping ceremonies, when he’s not luring small children into...