Out with the New, in with the Old

This paper is born out of frustration at outdated models of thinking that are alive and well today instead of being dead and buried (and a source of amusement). The marketing community obstinately clings to false beliefs about how people and brands coexist in everyday life, in the face of irrefutable scientific proof to the contrary. Like those who insisted that the world was flat when it had been proven to be round, or those who, even today, refuse to believe in the evidence of evolution, many people who are responsible for the growth and success of organizations, brands, products and services are unwilling, or unable, to change their views about how "we" (the institution, organisation, company or brand) influence "you" (the consumer, customer or target group) to think or act. Between 15 and 25 years ago (1980-1990), radical new thinking emerged about how advertising "works" that is still applicable today. At the time this thinking was provocative and challenging, yet it failed to take root. Why? The first objective of this paper is to revisit the key hypotheses presented in three very different papers written during this decade and to analyse why these theories failed to flourish. The second objective is to demonstrate through current hard science that the thinking in each case was sound and can now be scientifically proven and, furthermore, that this knowledge is neither heretical nor to be feared. Instead it can lead to innovative and successful marketing solutions that align the interests of organisations (company, brand, product, service) with those of human beings (consumers, customers). [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]