Metaphor zone

How do customers think? Correction, how do most humans think? Based upon new research, the region of the brain that actually handles metaphors has been identified. After reading How Customers Think

by Gerald Zaltman

this article got me thinking about how much of our daily thinking is done in this region of the brain? I have been listening closer to the use of metaphors in conversation and have been overwhelmed by the shear volume, ease of use, and immediate comprehension that occurs when they are used.

What happens then when a company that is so wrapped up in its literal reality forgets to provide metaphors that support the experience? Does the customer assign their own metaphor? What are the driving factors of the metaphor selection? Is it based upon the single experience or a collection of experiences?

Now that's a lot to contemplate... I think my metaphorical zone is over stimulated - how about yours?