Capturing more attention ...
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE #178
A commercial for Nuance, a fragrance by Coty once declared, "If you want to capture someone's attention, whisper."
While the beautiful woman whispering in the man's ear certainly grabbed attention, the message was misleading.
It wasn't the whispering itself that was captivating; it was the visual appeal of the woman.
This point highlights a key and basic principle in marketing and messaging: sex sells.
Or, more to the point, it’s the intrigue and the possibility of seduction that sells.
Although we possess a complex brain, it operates from three distinct perspectives: the analytical, the emotional, and the primitive.
It's the most primitive part of our brain, the amygdala, the part that’s driven by survival instincts and that truly commands most of our attention controls our fight or flight response. This primal part of our brain constantly scans the environment, ever on the look out for three things: food, sex, and danger.
The amygdala wants to know the answers to three basic question.
Can I eat it (or could it eat me?)
Can I mate with it (or does it want to mate with me?)
Do I need to run away from it because it’s dangerous?
Because these are fundamental needs, they trigger immediate attention.
Using images or descriptions that evoke these primal instincts—sex, food, or danger—can make it virtually impossible for your audience to look away.
It's the same reason people slow down to look at a car accident—they're biologically compelled to assess potential threats.
Hollywood masterfully exploits this by incorporating chases, danger, and violence into their films, ensuring viewers remain glued to the screen.
Applying this to your marketing:
To captivate your audience on your sales page, consider incorporating elements that appeal to their primal instincts.
Introduce a touch of sensuality.
Tantalize their taste buds with descriptions of delicious food.
Or create a sense of urgency or danger.
By tapping into these fundamental human drives, you can ensure your message is more attention-grabbing.
As always, thanks for reading.
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … Finding the sweet spot.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.