The four-letter code to selling anything | Derek Thompson | TEDxBinghamtonUniversity
TLDRThe video script explores the concept of 'Maya', a balance between familiarity and novelty, as a key to creating things people love. It delves into the mere exposure effect, our preference for the familiar, and challenges in the modern world where novelty is often overvalued. Through stories of Raymond Loewy, Spotify's 'Discover Weekly', academic publishing, fashion trends, and politics, the script illustrates how Maya can be applied across various domains to foster connection and persuasion.
Takeaways
- 🤔 The concept of 'Maya' suggests that people are drawn to products that are 'Most Advanced Yet Acceptable', balancing familiarity with a touch of novelty.
- 🏛️ The ancient Greeks believed the golden ratio represented beauty, but modern advertisers focus on the element of novelty in their campaigns.
- 📉 The mere-exposure effect shows that repeated exposure to stimuli increases our preference for it, highlighting our fondness for the familiar.
- 🎵 In music, familiar chord structures and timbres make songs more enjoyable, despite our initial attraction to new music.
- 🎥 Hollywood's reliance on sequels, adaptations, and reboots demonstrates the public's preference for the familiar in movies.
- 🪞 People prefer their mirrored reflection over photographs due to the mere-exposure effect, as the mirror shows a version of our face we are more accustomed to seeing.
- 🌿 Evolutionary theory suggests that our preference for the familiar may be a survival mechanism from our hunter-gatherer past.
- 🎨 Raymond Loewy, a prominent 20th-century designer, applied the concept of Maya to create iconic designs in various industries, emphasizing the importance of balancing the new with the familiar.
- 🎶 Spotify's 'Discover Weekly' found that users engaged more when the playlist included a mix of new and familiar songs, supporting the idea that a bit of familiarity enhances the appeal of novelty.
- 📰 Academic research also follows the Maya principle, with studies showing that papers that are optimally familiar yet advanced are more likely to be accepted.
- 👶 First names follow popularity trends similar to fashion, peaking when they offer a familiar yet surprising twist on existing names.
- 🌐 In politics, the moral foundations theory suggests that starting debates from shared ethical values and then moving towards common ground can be more persuasive than starting with opposing principles.
Q & A
What is the main theme discussed in the video script?
-The main theme discussed in the video script is the concept of 'Maya', which stands for 'Most Advanced Yet Acceptable', and how it applies to various fields such as advertising, technology, academia, culture, and politics to create things that people love and find appealing.
What does the ancient Greek perspective on beauty involve?
-The ancient Greeks believed that there is a formula for beauty, which they identified as the golden ratio of approximately 1.62 or 2:1.
What is the 'mere-exposure effect' in psychology?
-The 'mere-exposure effect' is a psychological theory stating that the more frequently an individual is exposed to a stimulus, the more favorably they will respond to it, indicating a preference for familiarity over novelty.
Why do advertisers focus on novelty in their ads?
-Advertisers focus on novelty because research has shown that the most common word in advertisements is 'new', suggesting that companies want consumers to be attracted to and crave new things.
What is the evolutionary theory explanation for the preference for the familiar?
-The evolutionary theory suggests that preferring the familiar is a survival mechanism. For example, if a hunter-gatherer recognizes a plant or animal, it's a good sign that it hasn't been harmful or deadly to them, thus they should prefer it.
Who is Raymond Loewy and what was his contribution to design?
-Raymond Loewy was a French-born American industrial designer who designed many iconic products and logos of the 20th century, including the Studebaker car, the Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 locomotive, the Greyhound bus, the Coca-Cola fountain, and the Air Force One livery.
What is the 'Maya' principle according to Raymond Loewy?
-The 'Maya' principle, according to Raymond Loewy, is about balancing familiarity and surprise in design. It suggests that to create a hit product, one must make something that is both familiar and surprising, appealing to people's inherent preferences for the known and the new.
How did Spotify's 'Discover Weekly' feature initially test?
-Spotify's 'Discover Weekly' initially tested by providing users with 30 completely new songs and artists they had never heard before. However, a bug accidentally included some familiar songs, which upon fixing, resulted in decreased engagement, indicating users preferred a mix of the familiar and the new.
What is the moral foundations theory in the context of persuasion?
-The moral foundations theory suggests that when trying to persuade someone, it's more effective to start with their own moral principles and show how those principles can lead to a position closer to your own, rather than starting with principles they may disagree with.
How did Raymond Loewy apply the 'Maya' principle to his design for NASA's space orbital?
-Raymond Loewy applied the 'Maya' principle to his design for NASA's space orbital by creating a viewing portal with a window. This provided astronauts with a familiar element (a window view) in an otherwise unfamiliar and exotic environment of space.
Outlines
🔍 The Pursuit of Novelty vs. Familiarity
The script begins by exploring the age-old question of what makes us like certain things, touching on the golden ratio and aesthetics. It then contrasts the ancient philosophies with modern influences, highlighting the role of novelty in advertising and the paradoxical human aversion to it, as supported by the mere-exposure effect. The speaker uses examples from music, movies, and even our own faces to illustrate our preference for the familiar. The evolutionary rationale for this preference is also discussed, setting the stage for the central theme of balancing familiarity and surprise in creative endeavors.
🎨 Raymond Loewy: Designing the Familiar and Surprising
This paragraph introduces Raymond Loewy, a prominent 20th-century designer who had a significant impact on Americana. Loewy's work on various iconic designs, from cars to logos, is highlighted, emphasizing his philosophy of 'Maya'—'Most Advanced Yet Acceptable.' The narrative explains how Loewy's understanding of human psychology influenced his designs, making them both novel and familiar, thus appealing to a wide audience. His involvement in designing Air Force One's livery with President Kennedy is used as a pinnacle example of his design philosophy in action.
📈 The Science Behind Creating Hits
The script delves into the scientific approach to creating popular content, using Spotify's 'Discover Weekly' feature as a case study. It discusses the initial algorithm's focus on novelty and the subsequent discovery that incorporating a degree of familiarity significantly increased user engagement. The concept of 'optimally familiar advanced yet acceptable' is further explored through academic publishing, where a similar preference for familiar yet innovative research is observed. The narrative suggests that this balance is key to achieving success in various fields, including technology and academia.
👗 The Dynamics of Fashion and Naming Trends
The speaker examines the nature of fashion and naming trends, questioning why they exist and how they follow predictable cycles of popularity. The historical context of fashion stability is contrasted with the modern concept of ever-changing trends. The idea of a hypothetical store with all clothes equally available, devoid of marketing influences, is introduced to discuss the intrinsic preferences driving fashion choices. The script then pivots to the patterns in baby naming trends among African Americans, illustrating how names evolve from familiar to surprising by adding prefixes, reflecting the broader principle of 'Maya' in action.
🌐 Applying Maya to Politics and Beyond
The final paragraph discusses the relevance of the 'Maya' concept in politics and social interaction, suggesting that understanding and leveraging the familiar can bridge ideological gaps. The 'moral foundations theory' is introduced as a persuasive strategy that aligns with an individual's existing ethical framework. The narrative concludes with Loewy's work on the NASA Space Orbital, emphasizing how even in the most unfamiliar environments, a touch of familiarity can provide comfort and connection, encapsulating the essence of 'Maya' in creative and social contexts.
🌱 Cultivating Tastes for a More Inclusive Society
In a Q&A segment, the discussion turns to the application of 'Maya' in fostering understanding among diverse groups. The idea of 'sensitive periods' in taste development is mentioned, suggesting that early exposure to diverse perspectives can shape inclusive attitudes. The speaker advocates for a holistic approach to justice that includes nurturing multicultural neighborhoods and fostering environments where diverse ideologies coexist, emphasizing the importance of early and ongoing exposure to different cultures and ideas.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Golden Ratio
💡Enlightenment
💡Mere-Exposure Effect
💡Cult of Novelty
💡Familiarity
💡Raymond Loewy
💡Maya (Most Advanced Yet Acceptable)
💡Discover Weekly
💡NIH (National Institutes of Health)
💡Fashion
💡Moral Foundations Theory
Highlights
The concept of the 'golden ratio' as an ancient Greek formula for beauty and popularity.
Enlightenment thinkers believed aesthetics could define beauty and popularity.
Modern advertisers prioritize novelty as a key variable in their strategies.
Contrary to novelty, the 'mere-exposure effect' shows a preference for familiarity.
Familiarity in chord structures and timbers is preferred in music.
Most popular films in America are often sequels, adaptations, or reboots, indicating a preference for the familiar.
People prefer their mirrored image over photographs due to the mere-exposure effect.
Evolutionary theory suggests a preference for the familiar as a survival advantage.
The challenge for creators is balancing familiarity with the element of surprise to make hits.
Raymond Loewy's career exemplified the balance of familiarity and surprise in design.
Loewy's 'Maya' principle suggests that successful designs are 'Most Advanced Yet Acceptable'.
Spotify's 'Discover Weekly' found that a mix of new and familiar songs increased user engagement.
Academic research suggests that papers with an 'optimally familiar advanced' approach are more likely to be hits.
Fashion trends follow a predictable cycle of popularity and decline based on familiarity.
The naming trends in first names show a preference for familiar surprises, similar to fashion.
The 'moral foundations theory' suggests starting debates with shared ethical principles to find common ground.
Loewy's design for the NASA Space Orbital included a viewing portal, illustrating the concept of Maya.
The idea of 'sensitive periods' in development psychology can be applied to fostering multicultural understanding.
The importance of neighborhood diversity in shaping inclusive tastes and perspectives.
Transcripts
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