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BANERJEE: PICTURE IMPERFECT | Injurious to health 

From May 31st , all tobacco products were mandated by government fiat to carry graphic pictorial warnings like the skull and cross bones. These are supposed to effectively convey the dangers of tobacco consumption, especially to illiterate consumers of such products. But do these warnings really work? Research conducted by Martin Lindstrom, brand consultant and author of a bestselling book, shows that these pictures may just have the opposite effect. . . .

Lindstrom could not explain the reason behind the unintended effect of the warning labels, but we will have to see the trends in the sale of tobacco products in India in the coming months to see if the labels have any effect, positive or negative. Meanwhile, some Indian researcher could try a similar study of the effects of watching on-screen smoking in Bollywood movies. This research was part of the burgeoning field of neuromarketing, which uses the tools of neurologists to flesh out consumer preferences. Since it is assumed that 85 per cent of our decisions are made at a subconscious level, such brain-mapping techniques can prove to be far potent for brand managers than traditional focus groups, which relies on the conscious level, with its associated cognitive biases.

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