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Brain functions and why they matter to marketers

Having spent over 30 years in the marketing business, I’ve seen many changes. The tactics we use, the metrics we calculate and the strategies for approaching project goals have all evolved into a myriad of…wonder. The Internet and social media have certainly contributed to this ever-changing need to be up to date on how to change behavior or increase sales. However, the principals of marketing have remained pretty much the same…segmentation, demographics, targeting, creative messaging and storytelling – are all activities still used in our daily planning. What makes them different now, though, is the need to add left brain functions (the math side) to the more traditional right brain functions (the art side) that help to build marketing and advertising strategies.

Why left-siders are important

With so much data available to marketers and their agencies as well as the need to segment data and change our campaigns “on-the-fly”, we need help from the left side. Left-siders can function easily in the worlds of mathematics (counting and measuring), language, sequential and analytical patterns – all needed for helping to answer the questions of investments in certain media, which ads are pulling better or whether it’s time for a new app. They tend to think literally and can help your team grasp results using sequential and logical traits.

…and how right-siders complete the picture

I am a believer in the story. Even with the huge fragmentation of media, big data strategies and programmatic ad buying, the right siders will always be needed to build stories and emotions that tap into all of us. Creativity is what sets organizations apart and is an important complement to research, product development and analytical planning. Right side mathematics certainly exist – but in forms of shapes and motions. Other key traits for creativity found there are imagistic and intuitive – both needed for storytelling. Whether it’s a story or a big idea, the right siders should be in your bullpen.

So, who do you need next?

The truth is, there are very few of us who are overwhelmingly dominant as a left or right side brainer. Functions from both sides exist in most and we use the side that we are tasked with at the time. The challenge is to conclude which dominant traits you are looking for in your next hire…because today’s marketing challenges require a harmony of both sides of the aisle.

 

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Author: Charlie MacLeod
President