Bias + branding
Have you heard of the peak-end rule?
"This rule suggests that your memory of past events may be disproportionately influenced by two things:
the most intense point (the peak), and
the ending of the experience."
Now layer that on to the experiences of your customers.
Sure as hell makes sense that the reputation your business keeps with customers is biased by this rule. It is the "memory of past events."
"...if you went on a vacation that was generally enjoyable but ended with a stressful flight home, you might recall the vacation more negatively because of the unpleasant ending."
A person should associate positive memories and emotions with an enjoyable vacation. The vacation should have a good brand.
But one relatively minor thing (a bad flight) at the end of the vacation could brand it more negatively than it deserves.
And apparently, it goes both ways:
"...you might remember a film that had an emotionally resonant high point and a good ending as being excellent even if you were bored during other scenes."
Whether by luck or by intention, a film like this will have been branded more positively in one's mind.
So what am I blabbering about?
It's been said many, many times that everything you do is branding. Admittedly, that is tremendously overwhelming.
This peak-end rule bias shouldn't scare you.
It should bring relief.
Yes, everything you do is branding. And you just can't realistically consider all of it.
But what you can do is focus on the most important moments, like the peak and the end of your customer's experience.
No, no, you need to focus on the peak and the end of your customer's experience.
✌️Rvw
P.S. Source
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