Hello! My name is Sam Holman and I spent the last four years at Lewis and Clark College as a psychology major, studying the irrationalities of our choices.
The good news is many of the shortcomings of human information processing can actually be used to make messages more influential and persuasive. The mind relies on shortcuts. We can design information to appeal to those shortcuts, and help influence behavior in positive ways.
We are constantly pummeled with information, more than our minds can handle, so our brains cut corners, make assumptions, even making odd connections between unrelated things.
Did you know that holding a warm or a cold beverage can change your first impression of the next person you meet? According to a Yale study, holding a warm beverage will make your first impression of a new person much, well…warmer. Incidentally, if you’ve got a first-date coming up, maybe you should go for hot coffee.
The more information out there, the more critical these shortcuts become for capturing attention and creating desired actions. Ignoring them can be deadly to a campaign.
I’m excited to put what I’ve learned over the past four years to work. It is especially exciting to get to work with the team at Guenther Media, given their long track record for helping create social change. Plus, they’re fun.
And that appeals to my brain.
Looking forward to meeting innovators and entrepreneurs here in Seattle. You can reach me by email at sam@guenthermedia.com or by phone at 541-729-6290.
