Smart marketers know how to focus targeted 
messages to reach their audience. They are adept at identifying the needs of various demographics and reshaping their messages according to those needs. A large part of doing so successfully takes an understanding of basic sociology and psychology concepts. This is why we recommend marketers stay abreast of studies concerning how the human brain processes and digests information.
Consider the following important correlation between memory and brain functions and the numbers 7, 3 and 1:
The Magic Number Seven
George Miller, a cognitive psychologist at Princeton University, was the first to publicize the importance of grouping things by seven in his 1956 paper, The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two. Miller had performed a series of memory span tests and had observed the average working memory capacity a person has is for approximately seven items. Later studies recreated and confirmed these findings both through similar sociological tests and research looking directly at how brain neurons fire during memory recall.
Marketers and designers can take advantage of these findings by keeping to the rule of seven whenever presenting or displaying information. Whether it's ordered or unordered lists on a brochure or links at the footer of a home page, keep it easy on the viewer's eyes and brain by limiting the amount to seven.
The Power of Three
Arguably, the most important universal truth marketers must understand is the power of three. Information presented in groups of three sticks in the brain better than any other cluster of information. Consider some of the most popular and pervasive quotes:
- "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"
- "I came, I saw, I conquered."
- "Government of the people, by the people, for the people"
We live on the third rock from the sun, read Goldilocks and the Three Bears as a kid and celebrate gold, silver and bronze winners at the Olympics. When writing your first research paper, invariably you were taught a structure of introduction, three points separated in three paragraphs and a conclusion.
Researchers theorize we are drawn to the number three because of the way our brain evolved to protect us from harm. We need choices to get out of a dangerous situation, but too many can make us confused. As such, similar to Goldilocks, we want similar choices to avoid the too hot and too cold and instead go for the just right.
Close with the One
To that point, the rule of three is most powerful when it funnels down to one choice. This choice should draw the eye and ignite the brain's neurons. It's why we suggest having main call to action on a website or similar marketing medium.
For more information about these numbers and how to make your marketing more brain-pleasing, contact us at ADTACK at 702-270-8772 for a free personalized consultation. Together, we'll utilize all these strategies and more.
