The Persuaders

Dr. Rapaille three stage process tries to get beyond what people think they think or want others to think about them, and to get to the primal core and discover what he calls “the reptilian hot spot”. Stage one, labeled Past Reason, is focused on the cortex and allows the focus group to feel like they are intelligent and mentally impressive people. It is all about asking for synonyms or word association, etc. Then after an hour, the group gets a break and returns. They are now entering what Rapaille calls the “Through Emotional” stage, where he tells them to tell him a story as if they were telling it to a five year old kid from outer space. This really confuses the focus group because they do not understand how this relates to what they were told they would be doing. Finally, Rapaille gives them another break, and when they come back he has removed all the chairs. This really throws the group. He makes them lay down and dims the lights. This is Stage three, or the “Primal Core”. He wants them to go back to the first time they experienced luxury, as if they had been sleeping and were just awakened. It is in this stage that Rapaille can understand the Reptilian Code or the underlying reason consumers do what they do. His theory is that the Reptile always wins, no matter what. And so he wants to get the that part of the brain or psyche and understand what motivates the reptile.
When Rapaille consulted with Hummer, he told them to make the windows darker and the vehicle larger. Because the reptilian code for hummer is “dominance”. So consumers might say that they are buying a Hummer for whatever reason…off-roading, safety, whatever…but what is really driving the purchase is the need for dominance. So Rapaille says make the product reflect the reptilian underlying code, and it will win out. He believes that consumers are not rational, but they want to appear rational so they simply make up why they are doing something. Rapaille began to understand this when he was working with Autistic children who could not speak or communication in traditional ways. He had to observe their behavior and find meaning in what they did.
I think Song Airlines idea has merit and definite possibility. But with the parent company continually losing money, I do not think that the strategy of Song Airlines would have worked as a lifeline. I searched for Song online and was directed to the Delta website. I searched the Delta website and could not find anything on it. It has disappeared. Then again, years ago who could have anticipated the current state of the economy, and I definitely do not think their strategy would work in today’s business climate. Not only because most companies are losing money, but because their strategy of luxury and comfort is not really what people want right now. I think people now want to see where companies are cutting corners and want to feel like they, as consumers, are saving and economizing. And organic food and all these great amenities do not really send that message. I think that their marketing and advertising campaigns were unique and very well suited toward their target market, and the idea of peace and comfort and happiness is appreciated in regards to an airline since travel is usually so miserable and stressful. But I think Song’s major problem was that its competitors offered a similar product (i.e. JetBlue, Southwest, low price, fun, easy), but they did not limit themselves to the target market of Carry, who has a Neimans card but still shops at Target. The broader appeal of those airlines worked, where as Song’s appeal was geared toward too small a segment. But not thinking about it in a marketing context, or in the context of the finite resources of a company, the ads and the ideas and general mentality of Song, as transmitted through the program, appealed to me. I did think to myself, “I would like to fly on that airline.” But with the current economy and Delta’s problems, I just did not really see how this could have worked.