WYSIATI

WYSIATI refers to the fact that we often make intuitive decisions without caring about the quantity, or quality, of the information we use to do so. When we purchase a product for example, we are often content to base our selection only on the packaging. While this may be understandable, it's notable that we do so without feeling strange about it. In fact, people often focus on putting together a coherent story over truth. As Kahneman observed, 'WYSIATI facilitates the achievement of coherence and of the cognitive case that causes us to accept a statement as true'.

He also pointed out a few root causes of this common behaviour: 

·       Over confident: people focus on a coherent story over the quality and the quantity of the information. Less information helps to make a coherent story easier to accept. 

·       Framing effect:  People perceive and react differently to the same information when it’s presented differently. He offered the example of ‘cold cuts’ in a butcher’s shop. Cuts described as ‘90% fat-free’ are more attractive than those described as ‘10% fat’. 

·       Base-rate neglect: People tend to consider specific information to be more relevant than general information or overall statistics when making judgments. They look only at what’s in front of them, and ignore a wealth of information about the entire subject. 

(One of the reasons why the Value Proposition is a highly effective marketing and design tool is this: it’s able to leverage WYSIATI by focusing on the delivery of a coherent story, rather than providing a complete list of small to large values and benefits.) 

So, how does WYSIATI influence people when it comes to helping them believe your claims?

Believing and disbelieving

In his article, How Mental Systems Believe, psychologist Daniel Gilbert developed a theory – with the aid of a number of related historical studies - about the mental processes involved in believing and disbelieving. He observed that people are especially prone to accepting as true the things they hear and see, and explained the mechanism behind such thinking as follows. 

He wrote that people’s understanding of what they hear and see begins with an inclination to believe it. He then noted that ‘the acceptance of an idea is part of the automatic comprehension of that idea, and the rejection of the idea occurs subsequent to, and more effortfully than, its acceptance.' In other words, when people understand something, they automatically take it be true. Any decision to disbelieve would only occur as a second step. He also pointed out that, ‘people are particularly poor at ignoring, forgetting, rejecting or otherwise failing to believe that which they have comprehended’.

The real world

Both Gilbert’s insights make me think that our job in marketing and design – to make people comprehend our message and then believe (buy) our offer - shouldn’t be hard. Yet it is. Because, as we all know, the world is highly complex. And the world of branding is no exception. How great is the accumulated value and reputation of your brand? (Do your customers believe in it?) How ‘authentic’ is the tone of voice of your communications? How do you best present your brand-related news in both new, and traditional, media?

These are just three questions to consider. There are many more. But underlining them all is one key factor: human nature. And the key, for me, to truly effective brand communication, is understanding how people approach, absorb, and comprehend your message.