Buyology: How Everything We Believe About Why We Buy is Wrong

Even the faintest whiff of lemon sells cleaning products. Negative messages from politicians win votes. Product placement in films rarely works. Many multi-million pound advertising campaigns are a complete waste of time. These are just a few of the findings of Martin Lindstrom’s groundbreaking study of what really makes consumers tick. Convinced that there is a gulf between what we believe influences us and what actually does, he set up a highly ambitious research project that employed the very latest in brain-scanning technology and called on the services of some 2000 volunteers.“Buyology” shares the fruits of this research, revealing for the first time what actually goes on inside our heads when we see an advertisement, hear a marketing slogan, taste two rival brands of drink, or watch a programme sponsored by a major company. The conclusions are both startling and groundbreaking, showing the extent to which we deceive ourselves when we think we are making considered decisions, and revealing factors as varied as childhood memories and religious belief that come together to influence our decisions and shape our tastes.

Author Biography Martin Lindstrom is one of the most respected branding gurus in the world. He sits on several boards globally and his clients include The Walt Disney Company, Reuters, American Express, Yellow Pages and Microsoft. He is CEO and Chairman of the Lindstrom company and Brand sense agency, and publishes his own weekly column on branding that reaches a global audience of more than a million people. His previous books, including Brand Sense and Brand Child, have been translated into 19 languages.

Author Biography

New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Martin Lindstrom, is the CEO and Chairman of the Lindstrom company and the Chairman of Buyology Inc. As one of the world’s most respected marketing gurus, he advises top executives at companies including the McDonald’s Corporation, Nestle, PepsiCo, Microsoft, The Walt Disney Company and GlaxoSmithKline. Martin Lindstrom speaks to a global audience of close to a million people every year. He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, The Economist, the New York Times, BusinessWeek, USA Today and the Sunday Times and his previous book, Brand Sense, was acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal as one of the five best marketing books ever published.