I have a hypothesis that I tend to look at clocks when there is a pattern present. It always reads things like 11:11, 12:34, or 5:55. Happens all the time. I’ve told my wife this on more than one occasion. And every time I do… she tells me I am crazy. She thinks I look at the clock all the time but only remember — or point out — the times that a pattern is present. (This follows the same logic as people thinking they always choose the slowest line in the grocery store.)
Neither of these things reflects reality. These are examples of perception bias.
If you think honestly — really honestly — about how many times you are in line (at the grocery store, fast-food restaurant, gate at the ballpark, and so on) and how often your wait is actually longer than the people around you, the percentage simply isn’t that great. (This hasn’t stopped people from thinking they’re overwhelmed by Murphy’s Law and searching for pointers on how to avoid it.)
So now that I’ve seen the light on my clock theory, I have another hypothesis to share: People don’t hate marketing. Continue Reading
Recently, I’ve been thinking that airports serve as an interesting parallel to content marketing. All airports serve one main purpose, they all have similar amenities, and the flow from entry to exit is more or less standard. Yet, modern airports have also been designed to give off a particular vibe. Visiting Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport — with its spartan décor (which is contrasted by plenty of slot machines) — is a far different experience than traveling through Austin-Bergstrom — where live music and the smell of Salt Lick Bar-B-Que entices. Like content, airports attempt to create a unique experience for audiences for a period of time, knowing they will only stay there as long as they have to.
