A few months ago, my sister started speaking “brand.” She was suddenly talking about why people like her love the Lucky brand, or why some people prefer Ed Hardy and how lust was causing me to buy an outrageously priced Starbucks drink. She talked about what causes us to identify with certain brands. I was stunned. How the hell did she instantly have a wealth of knowledge on brand that was equal to my 10 years of marketing experience?

The book with all the secrets
“Fascinate,” she said. “It’s a book by a woman who I heard on the CBC.” She kindly lent it to me when she was done reading it. I gobbled it up.

Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers To Persuasion And Captivation by Sally Hogshead lives up to its name. It is indeed fascinating to see her deconstruct the seven triggers that can be activated to get your desired result (in the case of most companies, it’s to get consumers to buy, and ideally to buy for an illogically high price).

Sally says:

1. Lust creates a craving for sensory pleasure. (Think Victoria’s Secret or Crave Cupcakes.)
2. Mystique lures with unanswered questions. (Think Caramel chocolate. “How do they get that soft-flowing caramel inside the Caramel bar?”)
3. Alarm threatens with negative consequences. (Think insurance. Any kind, but especially life insurance.)
4. Prestige earns respect through symbols of achievement. (Think Alfa Romeo or Christian Louboutin.)
5. Power commands and controls. (Think Landmark Education Corporation or Donald Trump.)
6. Vice tempts with “forbidden fruit,” causing us to rebel against norms. (Think of guilty pleasures like reading Us Magazine or PerezHilton.com.)
7. Trust comforts us with certainty and reliability. (Think Toyota. Still.)

There’s a lot of things I love about this book, so here’s just some of them:

• The abundance of case studies and examples. She explains seemingly mysterious human behaviour like what types of people make successful comedians, how the roar of an engine is perfectly correlated to the level of testosterone in women, or why strip dancers make more tips when they are ovulating. Admit it, you’re dying to know more about that last example.
• The application of her principles to brands, world events and people. She doesn’t limit her discussion to just corporate brands we all know and love; she makes it personal giving insights on how even you can use these triggers to increase your power to persuade. Sally Hogshead is one of the few people who asks you to consider whether your name is brandable and searchable.
• The concept of the {F}Score. Sally Hogshead has a short {F}Score test you can take on her site to see which triggers you use most. (In case you’re interested, my primary trigger is vice followed by lust. Trust is my “dormant” trigger, meaning I’m not consistent. So many people I know could verify this assessment, it’s not even funny!)
• It has some very practical applications. Often “brand” is hard to wrap your head around because it’s more emotional than rational. But Sally Hogshead spends a whole section of the book on how to execute the principles of the seven triggers. She also does a good job of quantifying brand and showing how great brands perfectly blend various triggers to attract the right customer.
• Her tone and personality. She’s got a great sense of self-deprecating humour which shines through the book. Reading Fascinate is like having drinks with Sally Hogshead and chit chatting brand into the wee hours of the night.

Whether you are in the business of brand or not, there’s something to learn from Sally Hogshead’s book, Fascinate. My sister already proved it.

Related posts:

1. Book review: Brand Digital by Allen P. Adamson
2. Book review: The Answer to How is Yes: Acting on What Matters by Peter Block
3. Book review: Inside Steve’s Brain by Leander Kahney
4. Book review: The Designful Company by Marty Neumeier
5. Book Review: Yellow Square: A Pop-up Book for Children of All Ages by David A. Carter