The Scottish poet, novelist and literary critic, Andrew Lang (1844-1912), coined the disparaging quip “He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp posts…for support rather than illumination.” It was a marvelous insight into the debating strategies of politics and business then, and it still rings true today. Of course what he was talking about was illumination or “insight”, and Lang’s saying pointedly notes that using statistics to support your argument can  be misleading, however diving deep and really trying to discover that epiphany, deep understanding, insight or whatever else you want to call it, is really the Eureka Moment.  It is like a light going on inside you head, and immediately you understand how to really reach a target audience with a message that is going to resonate with them, push the right buttons and create a strong desire and stimulate a response to buy. The researcher Conroy (2008) illustrated this best with the following summation: ‘an insight is a statement based on a deep understanding of your target consumers  attitudes and beliefs, which connect at an emotional level with your consumer, provoking a clear response.’ The resulting consumer response of: ‘This brand understands me! That is exactly how I feel!' which, when leveraged, has the power to change consumer behaviour. Insights can be based on a number of things including: a real or perceived weakness to be exploited in competitive product performance or value, or attitudinal or perceived barriers in the minds of consumers regarding your brand, and finally an untapped or compelling belief or practice. Insights are most effective when they are or do one of the following: They are unexpected, create an imbalance, change momentum, and are exploited via a benefit or point of difference that your brand can deliver. A great example of a very successful campaign that was built from a strong insight relates to our feline friends, the domestic cat.  Whiskas cat food was struggling in a market that was fast becoming commoditised. The following insight was drawn from a provoking question: Theoretically, if you gave your cat 100 baht and sent him of to the local store to buy dinner, what would he bring home? The answer is “Live meat”(i.e. bird or mouse etc.). The resulting Effie Gold campaign winner “Cat’s would buy Whiskas” was developed from this insight and propelled the brand’ sales forward, doubling awareness and setting record sales. The Whiskas ad also introduced a "spokes bird" who represented what cats love (live meat). Cats were viewed tucking into their Whiskas, ignoring the cheeky bird next to the bowl, and thereby cemented the virtues of the brand further. Of course reaching this Eureka Moment is often easier said than done, especially these days with the plethora of research available on target markets, their behaviour and lifestyles and so on. Some brand strategists are taking this notion of insight a whole step further and into the arena or human anthropology or people watching. Rather than traditional methods of research and analysis, a complete immersion into the target groups’ life and times, observing at very close quarters the behaviour, attitudes and preferences of the target group. Take for example a recent Harley Davidson study that commented on ‘how true, deep insight rarely comes from focus groups, but rather from immersing yourself in the consumer's world. And a great way to do this is through anthropology, observing people in-situ in their everyday lives’. Insights must change the conversation and affect a change in consumer behavior that benefits your brand, leading to the achievement of the marketing objective. Brand marketers need to acutely focus in on consumer insights to get the market positioning right when developing and launching a new brand, or risk the peril of pushing all the wrong buttons.

“Any colour – so long as it’s black”, quipped Henry Ford founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionised transportation and American industry and fueled Big Oil in its infancy, by the way.  And of course let’s not forget demand for the modern garage as we know it and the need for a beer fridge. God bless him. Ford’s standardisation of the colour black, whilst bold at the time, reduced hold ups on the line which led to greater efficiency and ‘Mo money’. Of course, people being people eventually demanded a choice of colours which spoilt it all for Ford. Today, a myriad of colours are available for your motor, even though in Thailand silver is THE colour of choice. Now that’s progress for you; black to silver in a century.   Seriously, colour dominates and permeates our lives, unless off course you’re a creative type and subscribe to ‘old Henry’s’ colour notion of style. Without it our world would be almost two dimensional, displayed in less than vivid monochrome and as depressing as a film noir festival. Colour surrounds us, feeding and stimulating our senses. We see it, feel it and absorb it. Our minds, bodies and spirits are profoundly affected by it. Yet many of us have lost touch with the language of colour.   In Branding, colour should play a more significant role instead of jostling for a top tier position with the likes of brand names, fonts and logos. After all, what’s in a name when many are changed to acronyms? But in reality the truth is that colour generally lies in fourth position, neglected at times and being somewhat of an after though in the process of creating new brands. An understanding of the significance of colour and how it affects us humans, both consciously and subconsciously, may unleash a demand for your baby brand beyond your dreams. Listen up.   Our minds are stimulated and energised by some colours, or calmed and relaxed by others. Mentally and emotionally, colour works on a deep level; changing our mood and our sense of well being, as well as others' perception of us. Spiritually too, colour is of immense significance. Employed in religious ritual throughout time, colour is the language of the soul. From the saffron robes of Thai Buddhist monks and the royal blue of the Virgin Mary's cloak in Christianity, to the black and white worn to represent death, birth and renewal the world over, the beliefs that colour symbolize are communicated with an extraordinary immediacy which words can never match.   So how does colour affect us? Let’s start with what we learned in kindergarten and that is; Primary Colours are the basis for all colours, well nearly all, psychedelics, metallics and iridescents removed. For those of you that guessed it was RGB; red, green, blue, you’re wrong. In fact it’s red, blue yellow.   The most powerful and sexy colour of all; Red, has always been associated with vitality and ambition. It can help overcome negative thoughts and is the most physical of all colours. It is the colour of blood and has a stimulating action on our heart, circulation and adrenal glands, helping us to become strong. Red is: power, prosperity, ambition, vitality, courageous, assertive, anti-depressant.   Orange is a warm, joyous colour. It frees and releases emotions, stimulates the mind, renewing interest in life. It is a wonderful anti-depressant and lifts the spirits. Orange is: fun, uplifting, glowing, creative, stimulating, laughter, joy, humour.   Yellow is also a happy, bright and uplifting colour. It is associated with the intellectual side of the brain and stimulates our ability to think clearly, make decisions and assists our memory. Yellow wavelengths of light stimulate the brain, making you alert, clear headed and decisive. Yellow is: happy, uplifting, light, bright, mentally stimulating, optimistic, and logical.   Green, naturally has a strong affinity with nature, helping us connect with others and the natural world. We instinctively seek it when under stress or experiencing emotional trauma. Green creates a feeling of comfort and relaxation, calmness and space, lessening stress, balancing and soothing the emotions. Green brings physical equilibrium and relaxation. It has a balancing quality. Green is: peaceful, natural, free, contented, mentally and physically relaxing, calming.   Blue is a cool, calming colour. It represents the night, so makes us feel calm and relaxed as if we are being soothed by the deep blue of the night sky. Light and soft blues make us feel quiet and protected from all the bustle and activity of the day. Blue: soothing, cooling, calming, relaxing, peace, tranquility.   Purple is a powerful psychic colour associated with the right side of the brain, therefore stimulating intuition and imagination. Purple is also connected with artistic and musical impulses, mystery and sensitivity to beauty, stimulating creativity, inspiration, sensitivity, spirituality and compassion. People attracted to purple have to guard against living in a fantasy world. Purple: spiritual, creative, intuitive, meditative, mystical, inspirer of beauty, artistic.   Whilst strictly not a colour but a shade, white represents ultimate purity. It is an all around colour of protection, bringing peace and comfort, alleviating emotional shock and despair, helping cleanse emotions, thoughts and spirit. If you need time and space to reflect on your life, white can give you a feeling of freedom and uncluttered openness. Too much white however can be cold and isolating because white separates us from other people. White: purity, virginity, peacefulness, cold.   Black, also not a colour but a shade, is associated with silence, the infinite, uncharted and mysterious. Black can also prevent us from growing and changing. We often cloak ourselves in black to hide from the world. Black is: restrictive, protective, mysterious, death,   Grey Associated with independence, self-reliance and self-control, grey acts as a shield from outside influence. However grey generally has a negative feeling associated with fog, clouds and smoke. Grey is the colour of evasion and non-commitment since it is neither black nor white. It relates to walling everything off, remaining separate, uncommitted and uninvolved. Grey: separating, independent, lonely.   Gold Like yellow, gold is associated with the sun and is therefore related to abundance and power, higher ideals, wisdom and understanding. It is mentally revitalising, energising and inspiring. It can also help to fight against fear and uncertainty. Gold: Abundance, wisdom, understanding, high ideals.   Brown The colour of Mother Earth, brown brings a sense of stability, alleviating insecurity. Brown: Nurturing, supportive, earthy.   Silver Silver is the colour of the moon, which is ever changing. It balances, harmonises and is mentally cleansing. Silver: Balancing, harmonising, sensitive.   The understanding the language of colour is largely lost, a language that needs to be relearned for the success of our brands. The colour of success translates to the colour of money and better business for your brand. Now that should have you smiling all the way to the bank.