The Longest and Hardest 9 inches . . .

9 inch axiom: The journey

‘The brain is only the starting point . . .  engage and win the battle for the heart’

Fact: The average distance between the brain and the heart is 9 inches . . . or roughly 23 centimeters (for the 98% of countries who use the metric system). 

In marketing these 9 inches represent the long and arduous journey from the mind to the heart of the consumer.   Make no mistake, brands who only compete for awareness and share of mind are in for a rude awakening in today’s landscape.  The brain is the starting point.  Today’s consumer wants to be engaged on their own level and on their own terms.  You need to win the battle for their heart.  You need to be relevant and you need to make a meaningful impact.  You need to engage all of their senses. 

Conclusion:  In order to survive today’s marketer will need to take an integrated approach to connecting with their target consumer. 

This blog aims to explore how brands begin to bridge the gap between traditional and social media. It will examine the battle between the right (passion /emotion) and the left side (logic / reason) of the brain.   

Bonus Plan:  In order to try to keep my posts interesting I’ve decided to add a bonus section called Lagniappe.  The plan is for a potpourri of entertaining trivia, stories, jokes, tricks, riddles and quotes.

Today’s Lagniappe – Since we’re on the subject of 9′s I thought I provide some background for the popular saying, “The Whole Nine Yards”.  We’ve all said it many times and the exact origin of the phrase is open to debate.  My favorite version dates back to World War II. 

The whole nine yards refers to the length of one ammunition belt from a belly-gunner’s machine gun. When a target was overly resilient and the gunner was forced to expend all his ammunition to bring it down, it was said to have taken the “whole nine yards.”

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