The Substance of Style

How many times have you heard that curbconsumers think, but recent experiments in
appeal is half the sale? Why is it that certainneuroscience have captured the full attention of
ethnic groups are so keen at using tiles andCorporate America and Corporate Japan. New
marbles, whereas others prefer hardwoods andscanning techniques are making it easier to
plaster? What's the scoop behind the trend ofdetermine how our minds work and creating
new construction - more bedrooms, morehopes in the corporate world, that companies can
bathrooms, higher ceiling clearance? What makesfinally figure out how consumers are wired so as
a neighborhood trendy? Why is it that fashionableto establish new connections with customers. And
colors, all of a sudden, are no longer fashionable?the field of real estate sales is at the forefront of
In essence, what is it that drives innovation andthis scientific research.
change in real estate?The breakthrough behind all this is the
Gianni Versace (1946 - 1997), perhaps the mostdevelopment of functional magnetic resonance
famous Italian stylist and designer ofimaging or 'fMRI', the latest in neuroimaging
contemporary times, and Andy Warhol (1928 -technology, which displays not only the structures
1987), one of the major figures of the Americanof the brain but also how they actually function
Pop Art movement, both had an innateby measuring blood flow. And the corporate world
knowledge of one of the most profound tenetsis particularly interested in how neuroimaging can
of economics, that is the production of wealthbe applied to study empathy, trust, deception,
comes not simply from labor or raw materials oremotional communication, body language and
even intellectual brilliance. It comes from newgenerally speaking all issues that are central to
ways to give people what they want. Byhuman existence and interaction. Decision-making
matching creativity and desire, the economy willis, of course, at the top of the list.
renew itself. Thus, it is imperative to abandonResearch, especially in real estate, indicates that
prejudices regarding the sources of economicconsumers love novelties and, what's more, can
value.create novelties. Consumers are not mere
It follows, that manufacturing and technologypassive recipients of goods and services but,
generate wealth only when they make matterrather, active producers as well. The reason is
and information serve human desire. Desire is thethat at the basis of production and consumption
true source of economic value, and the motorthere is human imagination and desire for novelty.
behind demand. So, to exploit any market - beingFurthermore, when people actually 'own' novelties
fashion design as in the case of Versace or Popin the form of goods, they set about to convince
Art as in the case of Warhol - since people wantothers that the possession of such novelties
pleasure, those who bring pleasure will make theshows that they have achieved a higher status,
economy go, because what is bringing pleasure isand that if others were clever enough to do what
anticipated status enhancement. This rule ofthey did or to possess the same things that they
thumb applies all the more in a big-ticket industryhave, then the others too could achieve high
such as real estate.status and enjoy all the good things that come
Contrary to what most of us believe, humans dofrom it.
not make rational decisions, at least notThe continuous interaction between desire and
pre-eminently but, rather, their conclusions aredemand on one side, and production and supply
rooted into deeper sources of motivation locatedon the other side, is what rejuvenates and
well within the realm of sub-consciousness.regenerates real estate markets through trends
Marketers already seem to know a lot about howand innovation over and over again.