The Right Brain and Today’s Marketing Paradigm

This has been a Pink summer for me – Daniel Pink that is – as I plowed through his best-selling book A Whole New Mind – Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.

At a time when there is increased educational focus on STEM, an explosion in big data, and vast technological automation, the idea that right brain thinking is essential for success in today’s market (and job world) made this book a must-read for me.

Pink outlines – with far greater specifics than I will do here – the differences between our left and right brains. A quick overview: our left brain controls the right side of our bodies; the right brain controls the left. The left brain is sequential; the right brain is simultaneous. The left brain specializes in text; the right brain in context. And the left brain analyzes the details while the right brain synthesizes the big picture. [1]

Pink argues that these right brain capabilities are needed in what he refers to as today’s Conceptual Age – an era that has evolved from the Information Age and its reliance on knowledge workers to a new focus on creators and empathizers. Pink then lays out six senses he says are required in this new era – all capabilities reflective of right brain functioning. Paraphrasing, they are as follows: [1]

Focus on DESIGN: Create products, services and experiences that are not just merely functional but beautiful, whimsical or emotionally engaging. This is not only personally rewarding but economically critical in today’s marketplace.

Build a STORY. It’s no longer sufficient to present an effective argument – someone will rebut it with a counterpoint fact. Today, the essence of communication and persuasion is built around a compelling narrative.

Create a SYMPHONY. While knowledge workers are highly focused and specialized, a new emphasis on creators and empathizers is centered on their ability to put the pieces together. This isn’t about analysis but rather synthesis – seeing the big picture, crossing boundaries and combining disparate pieces into a whole.

Emphasize EMPATHY. While logical thought is a defining human element, in a world of boundless information and advanced analytics, logic isn’t enough. Those who will thrive will have an ability to understand what makes others tick, forge relationships and care for others.

Take time to PLAY. There is a time to be serious but too much sobriety can be bad. In the Conceptual Age, it’s important to play for well-being, as well as career achievement.

Find MEANING. In the abundant world, millions of people are looking beyond the material. This means finding ways to pursue more significant desires and purpose in everyday life.

While all this makes sense, I’m not convinced that right-brainers are positioned to rule, at least not at this moment in time. A Whole New Mind was written in 2006 and more than a decade later, the emergence of new technologies continues to dominate our economy and create a legion of great jobs for left-brainers along with a high demand to fill them.

This is not to say that right brain skills are not the differentiators for success. This is well-documented. An MIT study showed that members of groups skilled at collaboration and reading one another’s emotions are superior problem solvers. [2] In addition, a study at Stanford on the six traits associated with high achievers – Energy and Physical Stamina, Focus, Sensitivity to Others, Flexibility, Ability to Tolerate Conflict and Submerging One’s Ego and Getting Along – clearly demonstrates how right brain characteristics play a key role in business success. [3] Pink, himself, writes that the most successful people will combine both left-brain and right-brain capabilities.

However, I am 100% certain that the six senses Pink details absolutely reflect the unique demands of today’s marketing environment. So while right brainers may not be in a position to rule, they have a unique opportunity to combine all their creative energies and intellectual skills to address critical touchpoints along the customer journey. To wit:

It all starts with designing products and services that create and ensure a winning consumer experience – from captivating gadgets to convenient purchasing options to first-rate customer-service.

It’s about using brand storytelling for all marketing efforts – from promotional programs to content marketing – to create awareness, establish leadership and drive lead-generation.

It’s about pulling together creative ideas and executing them in fully-integrated marketing programs to achieve maximum effect. And, it's making sense of data and analytics to deliver actionable insights that can yield measurable results.

It’s about finding ways to understand and connect with customers in personal, emotionally winning and often playful ways. These softer touches are fundamental to establishing and ensuring ongoing consumer engagement.

And it’s about developing corporate responsibility programs that address the increasing demand to invest in, and buy products and services from, companies committed to social, economic and environmental causes. This ties meaning to purchasing.

It might be fair to say that that when Pink wrote A Whole New Mind his ideas on why right-brainers will rule the future were ahead of the times. Regardless, I imagine those very ideas provide a strong foundation for Pink’s most recently published book To Sell is Human. I’m making sure it’s my next read.

Please feel free to reach out to me at mjlilly@mjlilly.com or visit mjlilly.com to view our capabilities and a wide range of Insights.

[1] Pink, D. (2006). A Whole New Mind, Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. New York: Riverhead Books.
[2] Dizikes, P. (2010, October) Putting heads together. New study: groups demonstrate distinctive ‘collective intelligence’ when facing difficult tasks, MIT News.
[3] Barker, M. (2014, May)Keys to Success: 6 Traits the Most Successful People Have in Common, Time.