Chapter 4

We got back to our book this week and I am really glad we did because everything this author says is really thought provoking. One aspect that I found very intriguing was the idea that “surprise amplifies our emotional response” Reading over this section the author points out how we can enjoy something even more when there is a surprise element involved. He gave an example of hearing your favorite song on the radio, but i thought of getting my favorite ice-cream. Like I enjoy it when I get it but when my girlfriend surprises me with some when she walks in the door, I jump up with excitement and race to greet her. He does not talk about it much but even bad surprises illicit more emotion from someone than if it was not a surprise.

One thing that I do not totally dislike but did not enjoy how he talked about it was the concept of priming. I can see where the author is coming from when he makes the point that priming is important because it can influence someone’s opinion of a brand or its image, but I think there are a lot of factors that are involved. Yes it is important that you are able to change people’s first reactions to a brand, but what is more critical is making sure that the customer is satisfied after the purchase. I would much rather someone think of my company one way, give it a try and enjoy it because the product quality and customer service, rather than someone wanting to try my product because they think favorably of the brand, only to find out that they lack quality and have lousy customer service.