Primal Words. Primary Colors.
As 2011 winds down it can be either exhaustion or distraction, or both, that drives one to think about odd phenomena. After a busy and banner year for our boutique Portsmouth, NH public relations firm, I’ve been thinking about the Stroop effect. Clearly more distraction than exhaustion, since no one gets so tired they fret about the dominance of words over art.
Stroop describes the tendency of our minds to give more weight (technically “directed attention”) to words than to colors. For example, when we see the word ‘blue’ written in green ink, the anterior cingulate part of our brain kicks in and we quickly read ‘blue’ without stumbling. John Ridley Stroop reported this finding as part of a Ph.D. thesis in 1935 and his search of a region that lies between the right and left halves of the frontal portion of the brain. In college it helped us laser onto the word ‘beer’ despite unappetizing color palettes and gaudily cluttered downtown storefronts. Ultimately, humans are involuntary readers, constrained by evolution to put more and faster weight on meaning than presentation.
So why worry about this stuff as 2012 approaches? It’s a combination of business and politics – perennial year-end antagonists along with the Super Bowl. It’s a business focus for us because PR is a labor of words – meaning, context, syntax, and nuance. With successful clients across New England and the U.S. engaged in “clean coal,” “socially responsible development,” and “sustainable environmental practices” – not to mention a bevy of companies boasting products as “revolutionary,” “innovative,” and “value focused” – we’re strong proponents of the power of messaging. And we’re not surprised by Stroop; just challenged on behalf of Calypso’s graphic design and interactive marketing team to keep up.
Politics is another Stroop natural, with the presidential debates an example. Do red ties, flag pins, and starched white shirts gloss over drawled nonsense, memory lapses, or swirling confusion? Not likely. We heard what we heard, didn’t hear, or wanted to hear. This makes me wonder if the Stroop effect extends to reading and listening skills, and our ability to sort words from wrapping. Do words compete with each other when they’re the same color but assault the brain with moral conflict? If so, Stroop may be what helps most of us quickly sort out the non sequitur in “President Trump” or, to be bipartisan, “President Kucinich.”
Calypso has always believed that words always win and the message is key, so the Stroop task is welcome science. As 2011 closes and business and politics both struggle to keep our attention, don’t let the visual absence of snow or the gray sky backdrops of winter dampen your spirit.
Just read, “Eat, Drink, and Be Merry,” in any color, and follow your frontal lobes to seasonal cheer.
Calypso Communications Expands Creative Talent
Stephanie Cornell, Art Director
Calypso Communications (www.calypsocom.com), a full-service strategic marketing, corporate communications, and business development consultancy, recently expanded its creative services department with the appointment of Stephanie Cornell as the firm’s art director. With 15 years of experience in media, marketing, and public relations at both the national and international levels, Cornell will be responsible for visual direction and implementation across Calypso’s growing client roster of energy, healthcare, and technology clients.
Cornell comes to Calypso after four years in Asia where she worked as a copywriter and project manager with consumer electronics giants such as LG Electronics and Sony Corporation for public relations firm Burson-Marsteller in Seoul, South Korea, and Tokyo, Japan.
This international business perspective has refueled her design and adds valuable experience as Calypso continues to add to its international presence. Prior to her move to Asia, Cornell worked as a graphic designer and art director to create advertising, merchandising, and marketing tools for consumer retail, food, and healthcare clients.
“Energy is an international industry and having her global insight will be a huge benefit to our client base,” says Mike Teixeira, Calypso’s creative director. “She is one of those rare creative folks who excels in multiple disciplines. She writes like a photographer, shoots like a story-teller, and designs with a passion-backed intellect. I’m excited to have Stephanie on our team.”
Cornell also brings ten years of experience in television and film production, having worked on numerous television commercials and motion pictures. Most recently, Cornell produced two television programs in 2010 for broadcaster Discovery Channel Asia, including a documentary about Korean figure skater and Olympic gold medalist Yuna Kim.
Cornell holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film from Emerson College in Boston. She has recently relocated to Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Lonestar Midstream Holdings
Calypso’s Summer Reading List
I’m not sure why this playful, outdoor season evokes such a strong desire to read. Maybe it’s a harkening back to summer assignments from our English teachers or possibly the need to occupy our minds as we (finally) kickback and relax on the beach. Either way, summer reading lists abound this time of year so we thought we would share ours. What’s on your reading list?
