Impossible to Ignore: Creating Memorable Content to Influence Decisions

CHAPTER 4

MADE YOU LOOK

How Cues Pave the Way to Action

Igrew up in Communist Romania in the 1980s, a time and place of scarcity. One of the costs of communism was waiting in extremely long lines for just about anything: pencils, batteries, socks, or pork chops. My mom was firm with me: “You want chocolate? Queue up. See you in four hours.” The most exasperating part of waiting in line was not knowing whether there would be enough for everyone. Sometimes store clerks would be considerate and announce early on, “We probably have enough meat for 30 people.” To make the cut even more precise, they might say, “We will serve up to … the tall gentleman with the hat.”

I remember a violently windy afternoon when a truck pulled up behind the corner grocery ...