Consumer Psychology

The concept of consumer psychology has existed in some form as long as merchants have been trying to sell goods and services. From the strategically located ancient fast food stalls in Delos, Greece to Times Square today, business people have been experimenting, studying, and speculating on why consumers do what they do and buy what they buy. This week, we read an article and watched a Frontline episode examining the latest of these consumer psychological explorations from purported guru Clotaire Rapaille. By examining Rapaille, a view into the field of consumer psychology and even media psychology can be discerned.

Initially, Rapaille’s background in psychiatry and anthropology seem to provide a strong foundation for his work. However, his techniques and charismatic style lead many to question how much science he actually uses. Is he really leading the way in decoding the consumer brain? The Fast Company article Crack This Code by Danielle SacksThe Persuaders provided personal observations with background data and Rapaille’s clients’ comments to paint a picture of his work. She concluded, “Rapaille is 25% substance and 75% shtick.” The Frontline Episode also examined Rapaille and painted an equally conflicting portrait of him and his work.

Packaging the Packager

Rapaille’s website provides several pages of “scientific” text and psychology theory. This adds credibility for many readers as it provides an impression of science and process. His personality and flair then build on the background material to create his dynamic, expert persona. However, as a first impression, it may seem odd to many to visit the website of this marketing expert and find the tagline “The Reptilian Always Wins” with an iguana staring at you. Upon further investigation, the details behind the reptilian analogy are portrayed as science-based and the core of his practice. This is the first glimpse into the conflicting message of psychology and slick packaging that seems to exemplify Rapaille.

Another interesting component of this discussion is the near star quality Rapaille has earned in some corporate and government circles. His list of clients reads like a nearly complete list of Fortune 50 companies. The people interviewed in our reading sources seemed enthusiastic and believe Rapaille’s techniques work. Much of this may be attributable to their need for new and fresh approaches, however, as the pressures to compete and move faster may discourage grinding through studies and demographics found in traditional marketing. Somewhat ironically, or perhaps purposefully, Rapaille was able to crack the code on corporate executives and at least sell himself.

Science or Hype?

So is Clotaire Rapaille and his focus on reptilian urges a modern version of a snake oil salesman? Or is he a new media psychologist? What, if anything does this mean to understating consumer psychology? As consumer psychology continues to evolve, formal processes and science must be packaged in an easily understandable format to aid in greater understanding of consumers. This is an area where trained media psychologies can and should research and uncover the differences in supported psychology research, scams, and inflated results and claims.

The main take-away from this week is that the field of consumer psychology continues to progress. Clotaire Rapaille represents an interesting blend of self-promotion and a science/pseudo-science approach. The high-pressure world of advertising continually seeks innovative ideas for marketing and understanding the consumer and potential consumers for products. Thus, consumer psychology will continue to be an important component of media psychology as companies explore how to market their products to a global, increasingly segmented marketplace.