Today I read a fascinating review of the book Addicted by Design.
I normally don’t talk about reviews in these posts. Instead, I like to go to the source and talk about that. I’m gonna break that rule today for two reasons:
1. The topic is too damned interesting to put off.
2. The review is so well written. It might in fact be better than the book itself, if the few quotes from the book are any indication.
So here’s the gist of what I got from this review:
1. Casinos and slot machine makers have gotten incredibly sophisticated at gaming human mental and emotional quirks. They’ve got lots of invisible tricks, including “losses disguised as wins”, “reel mapping”, and “teaser strips”.
2. Most gamblers are not looking to win. Rather, they are looking to be in the “zone”, a kind of flow state in which the cares of the world are replaced with a feeling of optimism and control.
3. Like the NRA, the gambling industry spends a lot of money to pump the idea that their products are neutral tools. It’s all about how you use ’em.
This last point reminded me of what I call “direct response apologists.” These are industry insiders who like to say that direct response techniques are neutral tools. It’s all about what you use ’em for.
The parallels run deeper:
Casinos actually go to a good bit of trouble to make it seem like they are giving gamblers a choice. They provide addiction interventions, counseling, and pre-programmed spending limits. And yet they invest heavily in making the most addicting slot machines possible.
This reminded me of one sophisticated direct response marketer. He repeatedly told his audience not to fall for the overwhelming lures of social proof when making buying decisions. And then he put his other hat on, and ran a campaign to that same audience, made up mostly of testimonials.
The other two points above also map well to world of direct response:
Direct response marketers have certainly become very good at gaming attention, desire, and belief in the process of sucking out money from customers.
And like I’ve written before, the majority of DR customers are not really looking to win. Instead, they are looking for the momentary rush of buying, where they are filled with optimism and a feeling of control.
So where does that leave you?
Maybe you’re left. Maybe you don’t buy the “neutral tool” argument of direct response apologists.
Or maybe you’re right. Maybe you’re just in the business of gaming human mental and emotional quirks for a living, and you’re looking for the best new tips and tricks from related industries.
Whatever side you’re on, of if by chance you’re on both, I think you will profit by at least scanning this book review. If you wanna give it a try, here’s the link:
https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/your-book-review-addiction-by-design