What is fascinating in this regard is the contention that Gladwell makes of "thin slicing" through a significant portion of the book also aligns with theoretical models of how consumers interpret and act on promotional and advertising content as well. The author also points to examples of how what he calls "rapid cognition" actually has prejudices and preferences already interpreted as part of the perceptual filters each person uses to interpret their environment. Gladwell points to both prejudices for specific types of products, messages, values and preferences for them as an example of how these attributes are part of every person's rapid cognition set of responses. These perceptual filters form the foundation of how a person also interprets advertising and promotional...

The basics of thin slicing and rapid cognition have significant implications for how any marketer goes about crafting messages and positioning products. While in many organizations it is more acceptable to drive decisions from thorough analysis and exhaustive focus groups, these decisions need to be balanced with recognition of the concepts in Blink and their implications on branding and the perception of value of a company's products.
References

Gladwell, M (2005). Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking. New York, NY: Little.Brown & Company (Back Bay Books Imprint).