The100: Simulating scent, universally cool and Arun’s roof

Comparing apples to sliced apples

When scent is central to a product, on-pack imagery that evokes that scent increases consumer preference. And the more the image stimulates scent, the greater that preference becomes. Fernando Arendar explains Sharma and Estes’ research:

“People consistently preferred the versions with scent-related images. They imagined stronger aromas and rated the products more positively […] A sliced lemon is easier for your brain to process. You can see the pulp, picture the juice and almost smell it. This visual clarity makes it easier to stimulate the scent. Whole lemons are less vivid, so they trigger weaker mental impressions.”

Interestingly, when the researchers looked at Walmart’s site, just 27% of scented laundry detergents and all-purpose cleaners showed a picture of the scented object on-pack. 

The whiff of opportunity now joins the lemon smell I’m currently experiencing.  

An optimistic estimate of the months that you have left

2 corkers for the price of 1 here. Alex Merry breaks down Dino Ambrosi’s masterclass in presenting data. And the data being presented is all about how long we have left to live.

“He didn’t use a line graph or a pie chart […] He started with an empty chart […] He drip fed the data to create the narrative […] Then he sped up, so he could slow down, so he could grind his story to a halt […] Cue rapid-fire questions to engage the audience […] He contrasts expectation with reality to land the point.”

Existential crisis induced by Ambrosi’s data starting in 3, 2, 1…  

ECHO, ECHo, ECho, Echo, echo

Which cohorts are most likely to prefer getting news from sources that share their point of view?

“Although most express a preference for impartial news, there are several overlapping groups of people who, probably for different reasons, are more likely to prefer news that shares their point of view: (a) the ideological and politically engaged; (b) young people, especially those who rely mainly on social media for news; (c) women; and (d) less socioeconomically advantaged groups […] audience desire for “impartiality” is profoundly contextual – embedded in the particular political, social, and economic environment that people live in.”

That’s cool

Up there with splitting the atom and landing on the moon, we’ve now cracked another frontier… understanding what it means to be ‘cool’ and how that differs from being ‘good’.

“Cool people are more extraverted than uncool people. They’re also powerful, hedonistic, adventurous, open, and autonomous […] Good people, the study found, have many of those same qualities, but other personality traits were ranked more highly by the subjects. Being calm, conscientious, universalistic, agreeable, warm, secure, traditional, and conforming are more associated with good than with cool people.”

And finally…

Live-ish estimates of what the global population is doing right now.

The speed at which an object falls is due to the amount of friction and the air around it, not its mass. Exhibit A: dropping a bowling ball and a feather in a vacuum. My brain. It hurts.

If you’re ever in need of background music or TV, this from Fred Again.. should do the job. The hugs, the smiles, the views, the fairy lights, (don’t say ‘vibes’, don’t say ‘vibes’, don’t say ‘vibes’) THE VIBES! Sublime.

You’ve had Fran on the keys this week, doing my best to fill some rather sizable shoes. Hopefully you still enjoyed it and will stick around for the next one 😊 And any feedback / suggestions / ideas while I make myself at home in your inbox greatly appreciated. (In case you missed it, Watch Me Think’s founding Three Musketeers, including Alistair, have stepped back.)  

Catch ya next time,

Fran