The documentary The Persuaders was very insightful in the way it explored the various techniques the study of marketing has employed to tap into that ever elusive consumer mind. One of the sections explored the work of Dr. Rapaille who charges thousands of dollars to provide a code that will unlock the secret to success for whatever company that comes to him. His process is simple and straightforward through several focus groups. In the first stage, he makes the people participating in the focus group use their reasoning skills to perform certain activities and have a discussion. Next, reason is abandoned for emotional responses to stories and discussions about various topics. In the last stage, the participants are confused and unsure of Rapaille’s methods leading them to reveal their “reptilian hot buttons” that are the driving motivation for purchasing products. It is at this stage that Rapaille discovers the code that he reveals to the participants so that they can use it in their own marketing endeavors. One example of Rapaille’s code is for Hummer. He claimed the “reptilian hot button” for wanting a Hummer is because it represents dominance. He suggested that Hummer manufacturers tint the windows and heighten the chassis so that the feeling of dominance is highly pronounced. It is through this method that Dr. Rapaille makes his money. But is this method actually useful? When he was first introduced during the interview, he talked about a woman understanding what it is like to be confined in a small space because women give birth and relate to the baby. I’m not sure that Dr. Rapaille is the expert on understanding the female psyche. On the other hand, he is on to something when he points out that people don’t actually know what they want. His method of tapping into the subconscious to discover the true reasons behind consumer behavior is something that has greatly improved marketing programs. But I don’t think that it can be simplified to a single code. There must be many other factors contributing to the behavior making for consumer behavior to be a very complex issue that is elusive and capricious. For example, why is it that people will not eat white margarine? Why will they eat it when it is dyed yellow? It is questions like these that Dr. Rapaille discover and attempt to answer that help better serve the needs of the consumer.

Song, on the other hand, seems to be going for something that simply does not work. I do believe that they are creating a good experience for fliers through the soft palette colors and unique design. Even the tag line “Let yourself fly” taps into the emotional part of the experience making it something that is enjoyable. But I think the problem lies in the identity of the new brand. Nobody knows what the advertisements are about. Even in the documentary, Song’s research showed that very few people had strong brand recognition with Song. Perhaps one thing that is wrong with it is the word associations that go along with the word song. People think of tunes and lyrics when they hear the word song. There is no association with airlines. The word apple, however, does not have any association with computers. But the Apple brand has spent years forging a strong brand equity that has created a consistent and coherent brand recognition that is thriving even today. It just seems that Song has not clearly defined themselves and positioned themselves in the market of airlines. It is almost like people are turned off by the idea of an airline being called Song; like people are turned away from eating white margarine. That would be my only suggestion to do things better: find an identity through a different name that fits the product category of airlines. People would be able to recognize it better and that “reptilian hot button” would not be turned off by the idea.