Cognitive bias is the technical term deemed for the quirks and flaws that go on in the human mind.  Cognitive bias is just another way of referencing irrational thought patterns.  Believe it or not, these flaws can seriously limit your marketing efforst, and even cause them to backfire on you.  On the bright side, if you understand them, they can actually make you more successful. 

Here are three brain quirks that all marketers should understand in order to make them work for you, not hurt you. 

Attribution Error

Humans have an innate sense to describe the behavior of others in terms of their personality.  We are just wired to think this way.  The issue is we often ignore context and circumstances, attributing everything to a person or organization’s personality.

What marketers need to know:

•  “personality” of a company is very important in the consumer’s mind.  The consumer believes that a company’s personality defines how it will behave toward them in the future. 
• A company can better demonstrate its personality through its actions, rather than through its words.

Confirmation Bias

            Another one of our quirks is our tendency to explore information that agrees with our preconceptions and existing beliefs.  Basically, we want to justify what we already believe, and we are more likely to dismiss information that challenges those beliefs.

For marketers, this means:

• First impressions are very important, because they will be used as the basis for how a consumer interprets to company in the future. 
•  A consumer will be more likely to trust a company that shares their values and beliefs. 

Self-Serving Bias

            This is our tendency to ignore information that challenges our ego.  A good example is just how difficult it is to take criticism, even constructive criticism, and use it to your benefit.  People will attribute positive feedback to their own performance, and negative feedback to faults in the evaluation process.

Here is an example relevant to marketing:

• Marketing that attempts to capitalize on a flaw on the consumer, like their body or appearance, is fairly common.  It would be more effective if it was presented as a circumstance that victimized the consumer. 

A marketer who has a good understanding of these quirks going on in the human mind, and who keeps them in mind while strategizing marketing efforts, will have an edge over competitors who are oblivious to these intuitive workings.