Me and err...

All in the name of progress!

I set myself a challenge in late January.  To train from a standing start to run an 11 mile cross country race in pursuit and honour of the almost biblical Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding.  I gave myself a 10 week schedule (which also included 1 week in New York, 1 week in LA and a road trip to California!).  

This challenge follows on from my only other proper running race experience which was the Wincle Trout run - yes I won a plastic bag with a dead trout in it.

But back to Cartmel, I did it and here's the evidence.

I've just started reading a new book by Dr Steve Peters, Psychiatrist to the British Cycling team amongst others.  His book explores the influence on behaviour of our 'inner chimp' i.e. the limbic system. 

It's partly to do with my year of progress, but also relates to our work on understanding how to influence consumer behaviour.  His work supports the notion that emotionality is the more powerful inner voice in most cases and echoes a session we had with Brainjuicer this week on why emotional advertising can be proven to be more effective at driving the significant business returns.

I was interested in Brainjuicer's emotional trace work and how it confirms that its not just a case of taking someone from a neutral state to happy one; the journey ideally should include emotional lows in order to push to a greater emotional high.   

On reflection it made me wonder why anyone would want to stimulate the 'thinking' brain with their marketing strategy.  Surely we want people to act without thinking, because thinking introduces the opportunity to think yourself out of a purchase, or perhaps worse think yourself in favour of a competitor.

I was at this Advertising Association summit yesterday on the future of the communications and advertising industry.