PERSUASION- Manipulation of the Masses
Speaker: Professor Sudio Sudarsan, Professor of Marketing, Hult International Business School
It was a mindboggling session when Prof. Sudio Sudarshan visited LIBA on 17th October, 2018 for the Beyond Management Initiative Session. Defining the difference between Marketing and selling with unique examples and explaining Branding to be a combination of Perception and Persuasion, he led into the topic of “Persuasion- Manipulation of the Masses”.
Starting with insights from Neurobiology (one of the discoveries of 1990s along with Internet and Email) and how understanding the human brain helps in knowing people’s behaviour, he briefed about the Limbic system, Reptilian cortex and the Neocortex of the Brain. Women had monkey brains because of good limbic cortex, and men had lizard brains owning to a not so good limbic cortex. The Lizard Brain meant cultural influence on the brain, the Monkey Brain meant the emotional influence and the Human Brain meant the rational influence on the Brain.
People in different demographics of the world behave in a manner influenced by their culture. Right from eating habits to what they eat and the timings in which they eat to their thought patterns to how they confront problems to the extent of their relationships are all influenced.
With video examples, discussing results of researches and cases, he explained how culture or even a neighbour can influence our behavior and response. With the famous elevator example where a person, who is the subject enters the elevator and stands facing the door. But the subsequent fellow members who enters the elevator choose to stand facing the rear side of the elevator. The observation shows how the subject eventually makes minor moves to finally face the rear side with no reason but just to match the crowd. This behavior doesn’t really have a valid reason but just the influence of people around us. They define what Life is and success is.
He explained the reptilian Persuasion of endorsement. How the same actor or actress is featured to promote water bottles to insurance policies and how people believe it adds value to it. He also shared with us how endorsements can help in bringing back the fallen brand names to soar high.
He finally concluded saying how Language in itself persuades people differently. ‘Gift’ in English language is a ‘present’ whereas in German, it is ‘Poison’. So, there is no black or white area but you can persuade only in a Grey region.
With enough wits and great insights, the session held its enthusiasm throughout.
Contributed by : Angelin Trinita S, F18008, LIBA Student