Learning Code #1 Unlocked: Meaning Network
- Sam Pepin
- May 13, 2024
- 2:58 pm
Keys to the Mind’s Meaning Network
Understanding the human brain’s complex networks is one of the most fascinating frontiers of science; CoreCentrica is proud to be the pioneer of its application to what we call Meaningful MarketingTM. Among these networks is the “meaning network.” This system plays a crucial role in how we communicate and connect, and whether those we’re communicating and trying to connect with will retain information from those experiences.
Let’s think about this from a learning perspective first, with a relatable allegory. Ms. Tammy Teacher has a student, Tommy Troublemaker, and to her frustration, Tommy just won’t show interest in any subject. Then, from a friend of Tommy, Tammy Teacher learns Tommy loves video games. So, she gives Tommy a notebook and tells him this is your “Quest Journal”. She tells him, each time you hear me say something new, write it down and pretend it’s a tool you absolutely have to acquire to “level-up” with the ultimate goal being becoming The Master of Knowledge. All of a sudden, learning anything is a fun quest for Tommy. It’s a video game. Through taking into account sensory inputs, emotions, and personal experiences, Ms. Tammy Teacher has breached Tommy Troublemaker’s meaning network and made new information worth remembering because it’s meaningful to him now.
In this article, we’ll delve into how the meaning network functions, its practical applications from a marketer’s perspective in terms of how we educate, guide, and convert consumers using Learning Code 1, and the keys to unlocking the network’s doors.
The Functional Significance of the Brain’s Meaning Network
Let’s get science-y for a sec. The “meaning network” encompasses various regions of the brain working in tandem, including the temporal and frontal lobes, among others. These regions talk to each other through “neural pathways” – picture an aerial view of the L.A. County freeway system, if you will, and every line of headlights and tail lights are parts of the brain lighting up with announcements that something new and unknown has been detected.
When this announcement arrives at its destination brain lobe, Tommy Troublemaker – who we’ll now look at as a consumer – deciphers the new thing and decides whether it’s something where meaning should attributed. If his brain’s decision is yes, then the new thing gets through the meaning network’s hard-to-breach doors. And this is exactly what we want to do when headlining the marketing of a product or service. We want the brain to say yes, it’s meaningful! Because then it’s memorable and will shape a consumer’s thoughts and actions surrounding whatever it is we’re marketing.
What Unlocking the Meaning Network Means in Marketing Strategy
- Leveraging Sensory Input and Emotions: Use sensory-rich and emotionally resonant content in campaigns. For example, vivid imagery, music, and emotionally charged narratives can cause the brain to say, hey, that means something to me! Then it will enhance a consumer’s engagement and your brand’s memorability. A practical example: A perfume ad that presents visuals so aesthetically pleasing that the mere sight of them nearly captures the perfume’s aroma. This triggers a sentimental response from the senses and the heart, making the product more memorable.
- Storytelling and Memory Retention: Craft stories that associate meaningful narratives with your service or product. This taps into the meaning network to enhance memory retention. A practical example: A health & wellness coach can share customer testimonials and/or case studies highlighting emotional experiences that shaped the customer journey from before to during and after, making the service appear useful and more relatable.
- Understanding & Influencing Perception: Use messaging that aligns with your audience's values and experiences to shape their perception of your brand. A practical example: An eco-friendly brand can emphasize sustainability initiatives they’re undertaking and positive results they’ve seen from those endeavors, resonating meaningfully with environmentally conscious consumers.
- Enhancing Social Connections: Create campaigns that foster a sense of community and shared meaning among your audience. A practical example: A fitness brand can create a community-driven campaign where customers share their fitness journeys, building a supportive and connected customer base. This will make the brand a community builder and will be celebrated by consumers who might’ve felt very alone on their fitness journey prior to finding these connections. The efforts that brand took to set the stage for unity is one of the seven principles of persuasion, as you might recall.
- Cultural Relevance: Tailor your marketing efforts to reflect cultural symbols, languages, and traditions relevant to your target audience. A practical example: A global brand can customize advertisements to resonate with local cultures, increasing relatability and impact. A brand that comes to mind, for this example, is Savory Institute whose roots are in the USA, but whose service marketing and implementation efforts expand globally, with the objective being to train farmers and ranchers on holistic grassland grazing methods. To do so, they have to have an intimate knowledge of local culture, economy, policies, and the environment so that they can provide
How to Unlock the Meaning Network with Technology
- AI and Data Analysis: Utilize AI to analyze customer data and identify patterns in behavior and preferences. CoreCentrica has already developed its own Code 24 AI solution, making us a world leader in applying AI to help create truly Meaningful Marketing. With this next-level leveraging of AI tech, we’re able to tailor marketing strategies to better align with the meaning network of different audience segments because our AI inherently models and simulates the complexities of a human brain’s networks.
- Neuroimaging Insights: We’re going to get science-y again here. Integrating insights from neuroimaging studies can refine how marketing messages are crafted to enhance their effectiveness. Most of us don’t have an fMRI or PET scanner handy to check if our messaging is activating a test consumer's meaning network. But, it’s been done by the institutions who do have access to those tools, and there’s real-time proof that this network is indeed the first test you need to pass if you want your campaign to be of interest to good ol’ Tommy Troublemaker.
- Split Testing (a.k.a. A/B Testing): Split testing is really just a marketer-y way of practicing cognitive psychology. Always, always, always split test, no matter how sure you are a campaign will hit the target straight on the mark. Do experiments that assess how people respond to things as small as verbiage variation, or how they react to varying stimuli. All of this will reveal the cognitive mechanisms at play and will tell you what you need to arm yourself with to breach the meaning network’s walls.
Learning Code #1: Key Takeaways
The brain’s meaning network is a complex and dynamic system, central to our understanding of the world. While there are challenges to unlocking its vault of mysteries, the potential benefits of doing so are boundless. From making marketing more meaningful to using our creative human brains to curate AI outputs into empathetic messaging that’s reinforced by neuroscience, the keys to the brain’s meaning network promise significant scientific advancements that we’re already seeing improved results from.
Understanding the brain’s meaning network helps create marketing strategies that resonate on a deeper level. By integrating sensory elements, emotional narratives, and personally relevant messages, marketers can enhance engagement, memory retention, and brand loyalty. Utilizing technology and data analysis further refines these strategies, ensuring they are both effective and highly customized to improve consumer reception.
By continuing to explore this fascinating frontier, we’ll unlock new ways of refining communication tactics and enriching the human experience throughout every customer’s journey through a marketing campaign. The keys to the complexities of the meaning network lie at the intersection of learning and marketing, and a never-ending curiosity about the new horizon that is the human brain.
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