Code #9: Become a Master of Learning & Its Application to Marketing
Enhancing Consumer Memory & Encouraging Behavioral Change through the Cycle of Transformation
Engaging all four stages of the learning process is absolutely essential.
There is an objective science behind the seemingly subjective territories of learning and transforming mindsets. Learning Code 9 emphasizes the importance of activating all four stages of the learning process to ensure effective memory formation and behavioral change. Understanding these stages can revolutionize how we approach marketing strategies to best serve consumer information adoption, ensuring that information is not only retained but also transforms behavior.
The Four Stages of the Learning Process
Research has shown that memory and behavior change don’t occur instantly. There is no easy button for that. But, we can enhance memorability and encourage behavioral shifts by following a distinct, staged process known as the Cycle of Transformation, comprising four key stages: Information, Action, Feedback, and Incubation.
- Information Stage: This initial stage involves the acquisition of new knowledge. It can be likened to planting a seed. The learner is exposed to new information through various mediums such as ebooks, podcasts, or other digital content. However, merely acquiring information is not enough. This stage must be meaningful to the learner to activate the relevant neural pathways.
- Action Stage: In this stage, the learner engages with the information actively. This could involve practical application, experimentation, or real-world interaction with the new knowledge. Action is crucial as it strengthens the neural connections formed during the Information stage.
- Feedback Stage: Consumer feedback provides the necessary reinforcement or correction to the actions taken. It’s the iteration phase of the age-old model-iterate-improve method of marketing. And it’s during this stage that the brain evaluates the success of the actions and makes necessary adjustments. Feedback can come from self-assessment, peers, mentors, or even market response in a business context. This stage ensures that the learning is refined and solidified.
- Incubation Stage: The final stage involves the brain processing and consolidating the new information during periods of rest or low activity. This is like letting the planted seed grow roots and sprout. During incubation, the brain transitions the learned material from working memory to long-term memory, making it a permanent part of the learner's cognitive structure.
Strategies for Implementing Concepts Before Details
To effectively utilize this learning code in marketing, it is essential to structure content in a way that first establishes strong concepts at the top of a funnel-shaped information feed that drips down into details as the funnel narrows. Here are some strategies:
- Start with Big-Picture Overviews: Begin your campaigns with broad overviews that outline the main concepts. This prepares the audience's mind to receive and remember detailed information later. A practical example: A company launching a new app that seeks to aid consumers in becoming more financially literate could start with a high-level introduction to that problem before diving into technical specifications like how the app teaches and automates budget-setting setting, monitors credit score, etc. Those can all wait till after the consumer’s brain has attached to the big idea of better financial stability.
- Use Analogies and Metaphors: Analogies and metaphors can help in building concept networks by connecting new information to existing knowledge. A practical example: A health & wellness brand might compare non-traditional approaches to healing to more familiar concepts like cultivating a garden, where different wellness practices are akin to planting different types of seeds that grow in time into something healthy, whole and fruitful if nurtured properly.
- Visual Aids and Mind Maps: Visual aids, such as mind maps, can help establish connections between concepts and details, making it easier for the brain to organize and remember information. A practical example: An educational platform could use interactive mind maps to show how different concepts in a course are related, helping students see the big picture before focusing on specific details.
- Storytelling: Crafting stories that highlight key concepts before introducing finer details can make the information more engaging and memorable. A practical example: A healthcare company could share patient success stories that first outline the overall journey and impact of a treatment before discussing the specifics of the medical procedures involved.
- Pre-Exposure Techniques: Provide your audience with an overview or summary before presenting detailed information. This primes the brain to understand and retain the details better. A great example of this is the advent of the “TL;DR” (Too long; didn’t read) which many marketers put at the start of any type of long-form content. A quick sum-up of the content should showcase the key points of the article and how the reader would benefit from reading further, and the article itself can then expand on details.
Learning Code #9: Key Takeaways
- Campaigns Must Be Concept-Driven: Always design campaigns so that they introduce key concepts early and reinforce them throughout the customer journey.
- Make Content Educational: Develop pedagogical content. This is a big-word way of saying, practice teaching methods in marketing. Consider how your audience’s socio-political and psychographic contexts might push back against details but might attach to a broader concept they’d be willing to learn more about.
- Use Engaging Narratives: Use analogy-based narratives that provide a conceptual framework for your products or services. Tell stories about the inspiration behind a product line or service, thereby connecting it to broader concepts before discussing specific benefits.
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