The Sweet Smell of Success

Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit” and a keynote speaker at our September Publishing Business Virtual Conference & Expo, has studied and written extensively about the consumer products industry and its methods of researching and introducing new products. Through Duhigg, many of us have learned the story of the invention of Febreze®, and about the many hours researchers spent observing consumers cleaning their homes in order to manufacture a product buyers would actually use.

What researchers learned was that after people complete a task, they like a reward. That makes sense, right? In this case, the rewardbecame a spritz of Febreze®, which provided a pleasing scent that made users sniff and smile (all caught on video!).

I’m not sure we can apply this lesson directly to publishing. I recall once seeing scented books, but a spritz, a sniff and a smile is not usually my reaction after I finish a good read. We can learn much, however, from Duhigg’s extended study of habits: how they’re formed, and how they can be changed. And at our conference next Thursday, September 13th, Duhigg will talk about organizational habits we learn from our leaders that help us through crises. Join us! I promise it will be more rewarding than a spray of Febreze®!