The four-letter code to selling anything | Derek Thompson | TEDxBinghamtonUniversity

Summary

The video script explores the concept of 'Maya', the balance between familiarity and surprise in creating things people love. It delves into the mere-exposure effect, showing our preference for the familiar, and contrasts it with the modern cult of novelty. Through examples from various fields, including advertising, technology, academia, fashion, and politics, the script highlights how successful hits often blend the new with the recognizable. The talk concludes with a call for creators to embrace this principle, using a window to a new world as a metaphor for innovation that doesn't alienate.

Takeaways

• 🤔 The quest for understanding human affinity and preferences has been ongoing for centuries, with theories like the golden ratio and aesthetics being proposed as explanations.
• 📈 In the modern age, advertisers have identified 'novelty' as a key factor in driving consumer interest, despite the inherent contradiction with the psychological preference for familiarity.
• 🧐 The mere-exposure effect suggests that repeated exposure to stimuli increases our liking for it, challenging the notion that people inherently love novelty.
• 🎶 People tend to enjoy music with familiar chord structures and timbers, and even in the film industry, familiarity through sequels, adaptations, or reboots is often more popular.
• 🪞 The preference for familiarity is so strong that people prefer their mirror reflection to photographs, highlighting the impact of the mere-exposure effect on self-perception.
• 🌿 Evolutionary theory suggests that a preference for the familiar may have been a survival advantage for early humans, helping them identify safe plants and animals.
• 🎨 Raymond Loewy, a prominent 20th-century designer, encapsulated the balance between familiarity and surprise in his 'Maya' principle, influencing various creative fields.
• 🎵 Spotify's 'Discover Weekly' feature initially struggled with user engagement until it incorporated some familiar elements, demonstrating the power of Maya in technology.
• 📚 Academic research has shown that papers with an 'optimally familiar' approach are more likely to be successful, aligning with the Maya principle.
• 👗 Fashion trends follow a predictable cycle of popularity and decline, often driven by the desire for familiar surprises, as seen in naming trends and clothing styles.
• 🌐 Moral foundations theory in politics suggests that persuasion is more effective when starting from the familiar ethical principles of the person being addressed.

Q & A

What is the 'golden ratio' mentioned in the script and how was it historically associated with beauty?

The 'golden ratio' is a mathematical concept approximately equal to 1.62 or 2:1, which the ancient Greeks believed to be the formula for beauty. It was thought to be a universal principle of aesthetic appeal in art and architecture.

What is the 'cult of novelty' and how does it relate to modern consumer behavior?

The 'cult of novelty' refers to the societal trend where companies encourage people to like, buy, and crave new things. It's a modern phenomenon where advertisers and companies focus on the newness of products to drive consumer interest.

What is the 'mere-exposure effect' and how does it contradict the idea of the 'cult of novelty'?

The 'mere-exposure effect' is a psychological theory stating that people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. This contradicts the 'cult of novelty' by suggesting that people prefer familiarity over newness.

Why do people prefer the reflection of their face in a mirror rather than their image in photographs?

People prefer their mirror reflection due to the 'mere-exposure effect'. The mirror shows a slightly asymmetric version of their face that they are more accustomed to seeing, as opposed to the photograph, which reverses this image.

How does the evolutionary theory explain the preference for the familiar?

The evolutionary theory suggests that a preference for the familiar developed as a survival mechanism. For early humans, recognizing a plant or animal meant it had not posed a threat, thus it was preferable.

What is the concept of 'Maya' as introduced by Raymond Loewy?

The concept of 'Maya', which stands for 'Most Advanced Yet Acceptable', is a design philosophy introduced by Raymond Loewy. It suggests that successful designs should balance between being novel yet familiar enough to be accepted by the audience.

How did Spotify's 'Discover Weekly' feature initially plan to introduce new music to its users?

Spotify's 'Discover Weekly' initially planned to introduce users to 30 completely new songs and artists they had never heard before, aiming to provide a purely novel listening experience.

What was the unexpected outcome when Spotify fixed a bug in the 'Discover Weekly' feature that allowed some familiar songs to be included?

When Spotify fixed the bug that accidentally included familiar songs in 'Discover Weekly', user engagement with the app significantly decreased. This indicated that a degree of familiarity made the feature more popular.

What is the 'moral foundations theory' and how does it apply to political persuasion?

The 'moral foundations theory' suggests that when trying to persuade someone, it's more effective to start with their ethical principles and show how those principles can lead to a compromise or understanding of your viewpoint.

How did Raymond Loewy apply the concept of 'Maya' to the design of the NASA Space Orbital's interior?

Raymond Loewy applied 'Maya' to the NASA Space Orbital by introducing a viewing portal, a familiar concept, to an otherwise unfamiliar and exotic environment, thus making the space more relatable and acceptable.

What is the significance of the viewing portal that Raymond Loewy designed for the NASA Space Orbital?

The viewing portal is significant as it represents the concept of 'Maya' by providing a familiar element in a novel environment, allowing astronauts to have a window to the new world while also reminding them of home.