Brand Mix

Here's my weekly summary of interesting and entertaining posts and articles. This week's theme: human behavior in all its glory. More posts at the bottom of the page in "Martin's Shared Items":

1) How deep is Austria's image problem? BBC News
Can one man impact the reputation of an entire country? The BBC explores the impact on Austria's reputation following the discovery that Josef Fritzl had imprisoned his daughter in a cellar for 24 years.

2) Wine's Pleasures: Are They All in Your Head? New York Times
Prefer two-buck chuck to an expensive Cabernet? You might if you aren't an expert and had to taste it unbranded without knowing the price. An article about wine that helps show the importance of brand and price cues in helping consumers decide what they like. (Via Brand New Day)

3) A Burger for £85? Predictably/ Irrational
The next book I'm planning to read if I ever finish "Nudge" will be "Predictably Irrational" by Dan Ariely. Both books cover the field of behavioral economics and consider questions such as: Will the fact that Burger King is selling a burger for £85 (in a limited number of restaurants in London) make people think more highly of the quality of all their burgers? Based on the wine story (above), the answer may be "yes."

4) accidental branding: the "i didn't read it" review: BRANDFLAKESFORBREAKFAST
I could get to Predictably Irrational that much faster if I adopted this great approach. Darryl Ohrt posts a review of Accidental Branding without ever reading the book scoring categories such as: Cover Design, Font Size and Pictures. In the comments, the author volunteers to read it to him.

5) How grass peer pressure leads to towing icebergs: Thought Gadgets
An almost $60 billion industry created by the strength of peer pressure. Ben Kunz talks about the "turfgrass" industry and the need not to get left behind in the search for the perfect lawn. (Via BRANDFLAKESFORBREAKFAST)