Blind Leading The Blind

Remember the Pepsi / Coke blind taste test and how that red herring nearly brought Coca-Cola to its knees? Pressed for a summary statement, in the end, Coke mistook a six-second "sip test" for a true read on how soft-drink consumers really consumed. They also missed another critical point: people do not drink soft drinks blindfolded.

Consumer behaviorist and author Malcolm Gladwell discusses a shocking reality in his recent book Blink, known as "sensation transference." In this discovery, we come to accept that most consumers of anything -- cars, restaurants, soft drinks, schools and radio stations -- do not make a distinction between the product and the packaging. In other words, for most of us, they are one in the same. Consider that 7-Up experimented with their packaging, adding a more yellow tone to its traditionally green label. Fans of 7-Up reported, "We like the citrus flavor you've added." Of course there was no difference whatsoever in the drink itself.

On the lower end of the brandy competitive cycle, where less marketing money is spent, two aggressive competitors vie for market share. Here lies an amazing example of sensation-transference if ever there was one. Christian Brothers wanted to know why after years of dominating their brand category, E & J was closing the gap. Their brandy wasn't more expensive than E & J, nor was it harder to find on shelves. They went to the field and did blind taste tests, with both brandies scoring about equally. Then they went further, telling samplers which glass contained Christian Brothers and which was E & J. Sensation-transference kicked in, and Christian Brothers scored much higher. Wanting to know more, Christian Brothers did yet another test, this time with both competitors' bottles sitting in full view. E & J pulled significantly ahead!

Finally: problem isolated. It wasn't the product, and it clearly wasn't the brand. It was the packaging. E & J bottles were configured with expensive looking squat decanters, with dark smoked glass and gold foil wrapping. Christian Brothers' bottles were traditional wine bottles with long necks and minimal labeling. To prove their point, researchers did a final test, switching the bottles, serving E & J from a Christian Brothers bottle, and vice versa. Christian Brothers won hands-down, with the biggest margin of all! Now they had the right taste, the right brand, and the right bottle.

What if your music is on point, your brand signature well known, but your cume-to-fan conversion underperforms? Understanding sensation-transference is as important for radio, as it exists for a restaurant. Our firm has been turning up the emphasis on "packaging" with our programming clients. We must assume that like any product, emotion drives the voting process for radio stations. Having the right music is a must. Marketing a brand that defines your music is equally critical in the world of unaided recall. But if your sonic environment doesn't create a positive predisposition with people who sample each week, like Christian Brothers, you may be missing the power of sensation-transference. KBCO/Denver, B-101/Philadelphia, and The Drive/Chicago were built on packaging as much as they were their music.