The Challenge of Messaging in a World of Distractions

By Alexander Wijayanto

 

In today’s fast-paced world, capturing attention is challenging. The human brain receives around 11 million bits of information per second, but the conscious mind can only process about 50 bits. Consequently, most messages are ignored.

Traditional marketing methods often depend on self-reported feelings, which are unreliable because our brains process information faster than we realize. Moreover, cognitive biases influence how we understand information and make decisions.

Reading The Persuasion Code by Christophe Morin, Ph.D., and Patrick Renvoise inspired me to explore neuromarketing and analyze communication strategies. This book teaches how to trigger the brain’s primal response for a stronger impact.

 

Why Do Many Messages Fail?

Traditional ways of delivering messages often don’t work because they don’t align with how the human brain functions. Here are some key reasons why persuasive messages often fail, according to the authors:

1. Ignoring the Primal Brain

Many marketing messages focus too much on the solution (business-centered) rather than the customer’s problem (people-centered). The primal brain’s main function is to protect us and will only pay attention to urgent and relevant messages. If a message doesn’t highlight a critical pain point, it won’t capture attention.

What Is the Primal Brain? The primal brain, which is the oldest and most instinctual part of the human brain, focuses on survival and quick reactions to threats and opportunities. It processes information rapidly and automatically, largely outside of conscious awareness, and prioritizes immediate needs and dangers. This part of the brain reacts based on instinct and intuition, making it crucial for marketers to tailor their messages to trigger these primal responses effectively.

2. Too Much Information

The primal brain doesn’t have the cognitive ability of the rational brain and can’t handle too much information at once. Messages that are too complex or offer too many choices can overwhelm the brain, causing it to freeze and stop processing the information.

3. Lack of Emotional Connection

Human decisions are largely driven by emotions, but many messages fail to create an emotional connection. If a message doesn’t trigger emotions, it won’t lead to quick decision-making.

4. No Clear Contrast

The primal brain prioritizes speed when making decisions and uses contrast to simplify this process. Messages that don’t create a clear difference (such as before/after comparisons or competitor/your product comparisons) won’t grab attention.

5. Not Easy to Remember

Memory is a complex brain function, and messages without a clear structure are easily forgotten. A message should have a strong opening and a memorable ending to ensure it captures attention and stays in people’s minds.

6. Relying on Subjective Feedback

Traditional marketing methods, such as surveys and market research, rely on customers’ personal opinions. However, people often can’t accurately explain how a message influences them because their brains process information so quickly without them realizing it.

 

Evaluating Incipio (Syngenta) Ad Using the NEUROMAP Framework

Let’s examine how neuromarketing principles apply to an ad for Incipio by Syngenta. I used the NEUROMAP framework, which helps evaluate how well an ad influences the audience’s primal brain. This analysis aims to identify the ad’s strengths and weaknesses and improve message clarity, emotional engagement, and contrast for better impact.

 

www.syngenta.co.id

Suggested Improvements

✅  Strengths:

• Strong visuals – The relaxed farmer image immediately conveys the product’s benefit.
• Memorable message – The claims are short and clear.
• Quickly understandable – No need to read a lot of text to grasp the product’s benefit.

❌ Weaknesses:

• No urgency or consequences of not using the product → Add examples of problems like pest attacks or failed crops. Example: ‘Without Incipio, your harvest could be at risk from pests striking at any time.’
• No clear call-to-action (CTA) → Add ‘Get it now at your nearest agricultural store!’ Example: ‘Don’t wait! Get Incipio now and protect your crops from pests!’
• Lacks before-and-after comparison → Include images of pest-infested rice versus healthy rice after using Incipio. Example: ‘See the difference: Rice damaged by stem borers vs. Healthy rice after using Incipio.’

 

Final Thoughts

In today’s digital world, people receive tons of information but can only process a small part of it. Many marketing strategies fail because they don’t match how the primal brain works, which reacts strongly to urgency, emotions, and clear contrast.

The NEUROMAP framework helps assess the effectiveness of messages based on personalization, clarity, ease of understanding, memorability, visuals, and emotional impact. The Incipio ad has strong visuals but could be improved by adding urgency, a clear CTA, and stronger comparisons to boost its effectiveness.