Friday Research: Pick Customer's Brains in Your Ads But Thoughtfully

You thought:   

The question in an ad ("This car is for you?") influences your customer more than a statement ("This car is for you.") because it invites him to think about something and reach his own conclusion, hence, he gets more involved in the whole "process" and perhaps more likely to buy.
Remember the success of "Got Milk?", "Did somebody say McDonald’s?“ or "Where’s the beef?”? It’s a question, again.

New facts:  

If the stimuli around the consumer are dreary and dull (ordinary visuals, boring music, etc.), they stimulate low arousal, and unaroused consumers respond favorably to questions.
If stimuli around the consumer are exciting and flashy (thrilling visuals, dramatic music, etc), they stimulate high arousal and aroused consumers respond more favorably to statements.

What Marketing Doctor ordered:

Use your logic for when to ask questions and when to give statements. Aroused consumers want clarity, they want simple information so they can act on it. Calm, relaxed consumers want stimuli that peak their curiosity.

Simple statement will probably be more persuasive in your ad if it is demonstrated in an exciting event, during energetic speeches, during an intermission of an action movie, in some stimulating, visually attractive website, near a thrilling story in the magazine, during supermarket‘s holiday sale and so on. As the author of the research says, "If the ad itself or the material in which it is embedded involves topics of a sexual, competitive, dangerous, or thrilling nature, the current research suggests that a statement style is likely to be more effective, even if a question style could appeal to consumers' curiosity under other circumstances..".

Under normal circumstances your promotional phrase might be more persuasive as a question, especially during slow-moving speeches, relaxing TV programmes, typical shopping days..well, you get the idea.


Source: Henrik Hagtvedt. Promotional phrases as questions versus statements: An influence of phrase style on product evaluation.Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2015.

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with promotional phrases in your marketing? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Friday Research: When Customers Get Interuppted..

When Will You Use This?  

Researching your customer's decision process.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

Today we get interrupted by calls, messages, emails, notifications and everything else every other minute. How does that affect us?

Current research* examines how interuptions affect the following decisions, more precisely, whether an individual’s desire to finish an interrupted activity depends on the timing of the interruption (specifically, whether an individual’s desire to finish an interrupted activity is heightened when an interruption disrupts the most intense, important ("climatic") moments of an activity or task).

This study found that people who were interrupted during a climactic moment of a television clip, and who were prevented from watching the end of it, were more likely to make unrelated purchase decisions than their uninterrupted counterparts.

It's observed that when a climactic interruption prevents individuals from achieving closure in the interrupted domain, the resulting unsatisfied need for psychological closure can cause individuals to seek closure in totally unrelated domains. That need for closure motivates individuals to make a decision rather than remain in a state of ambiguity. Research shows that climactic interruptions could increase the likelihood that individuals would make unrelated purchase decisions rather than continue examining product alternatives.

Hi, We Are Here So You Wouldn't Finish What You Started!

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

This research brings some insight for the marketers, as authors say,“ ..because our findings suggest that climactic interruptions can increase the likelihood of choosing to purchase a product rather than continuing to examine alternatives, it is possible that these closure-motivated choices may increase post-purchase regret. In fact, research indicates that insufficient thinking about decision alternatives in and of itself can increase post-decision regret, even when decision outcomes are held constant. To the extent that the current research suggests that need for psychological closure may increase hasty purchase decisions, it is possible that these decisions may increase post-decision regret.”.

  

*D. Kupor, T. Reich, and B. Shiv,"Can't Finish What You Started? The Effect of Climactic Interruption on Behavior", Journal of Consumer Psychology, Upcoming 2014 {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with unrelated purchase decisions and post-purchase regret? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Friday Research: East or West - Consumer's Distinct Quest!

When Will You Use This?  

Planning and developing your branding and advertising strategy.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

Spending huge amount of time in UK and Europe (West) and India (East), I couldn’t help but notice the difference between consumers preferences, consumption expectations and brand experiences. Time ago it has been observed that how consumers feel about an unhappy consumption experience depends on who makes the choice and, more significantly, in which cultural context the choice occurs. Actually there are important differences in how Easterners and Westerners view themselves.

Previous studies shown that Westerners tend to expect individuals to act to promote their own interest (coming from beliefs that individuals are self-reliant, self-centered people with autonomy over their own behaviour). On the other hand, in Eastern cultures, people expect groups to act to promtoe the interest of the group (coming from beliefs and values that places greater expectations on working towards the well-being of a group).

Current research* found that Westerners are more likely to switch brands when the unsatisfactory consumption experience is a consequence of their inaction relative to the inaction of a group to which they belong. In contrast, Easterners are more likely to switch brands when the unsatisfactory consumption experience is a consequence of inaction on the part of the group to which they belong relative to their own inaction.

Unhappy Eating Experience: Who will actually change the restaurant?

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

This study suggests a few ways how a company might benefit from this study in the areas of brand management and advertising. As authors say, “in bicultural settings (such as Singapore and India), firms would do well to consider the possibility that subtle message frames might yield brand loyalty or switching. Given the behavioral consequences of felt regret, an induction of regret can activate a change in the mode of behavior, such as brand-switching. For instance, a firm might be able to limit consumer switching following an unhappy experience, by emphasizing individual action or group inaction (in a Western setting) or by emphasizing individual inaction or group action (in an Eastern setting) in their persuasive communications, since such an emphasis is likely to elicit relatively less regret. By the same token, when consumers have an unhappy experience with a competing brand, a firm may be able to induce consumer switching by emphasizing individual inaction or group action (in a Western setting) or by emphasizing individual action or group inaction (in an Eastern setting) in their persuasive communications, since such an emphasis is likely to elicit relatively greater regret. Therefore, by appropriately accounting for elements that likely affect consumer regret and brand-switching, firms might enhance or limit brand-switching following an unsatisfactory consumption experience, an issue of considerable interest to firms addressing culturally diverse markets, both domestically and internationally..”.

  

*Sharon Ng, a, Hakkyun Kim, b, Akshay R. Rao,c,"Sins of Omission versus Commission: Cross-Cultural Differences in Brand-Switching Due to Dissatisfaction Induced by Individual versus Group Action and Inaction" Journal of Consumer Research, Upcoming 2014 {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with cross-cultural marketing? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Friday Research: Early Adopters Might Lead Your Customers To Smoke And Mirrors

When Will You Use This?  

Planning and developing product and services launches, innovation projects.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

Early adopters, who live, eat, and breathe everything fresh and new, can be invaluable for your brand. They can start a great sales rollercoaster with spreading the word and encouraging others to try the product.

However, early adopters with a high need for uniqueness may experience a communication dilemma: should I or should I not tell other about this cool new product? As once others adopt the same product, the level of differentness will radically decrease.

Current research* examines early adopters’ communication dilemma and how it leads to the “share and scare” strategy. The research reveals that sometimes early adopters use “share and scare” strategy and share information about their adoption with others, yet scare them out of adopting it, e.g. by focusing on features that diminish the innovation’s appeal for later adopters, such as its complexity, high price, or radicalness.

Limited Edition beats the Fear of Imitation?

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

This research shares a few tips to help you accomplish successful innovation launches. As authors suggest, "first, by launching a limited edition of an innovation, or premium versus common editions of the product, managers may diminish early adopters’ fear of imitation, because imitating them will be impossible. Second, managers can adjust the content of marketing campaigns to fit the needs of different adopters over time. For example, at launch, managers may appeal to early adopters with a high need for uniqueness by highlighting the product’s uniqueness and scarcity, and in subsequent stages, appeal to later adopters by emphasizing the product’s commonness and popularity. Third, managers can completely prevent the communication dilemma and the consequent “share and scare” strategy by appealing to early adopters with a low (rather than high) need for uniqueness. By focusing on benefits of the innovation separate from its uniqueness—such as functionality, hedonic value, or cognitive challenge—managers will appeal to early adopters who have a strong need to recommend the innovation but not to scare others."

*Moldovan, Sarit, Yael Steinhart, and Shlomit Ofen. "Share and Scare": Solving the Communication Dilemma of Early Adopters with a High Need for Uniqueness, Journal of Consumer Psychology: July, 2014. {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with early adopters? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Friday Research: The Big Marketing Fight - Time Vs Money

When Will You Use This?  

Developing promotional campaigns.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

Time and money, the concepts deeply integrated in majority of today's ads, can affect consumer’s product evaluation strategy and lead to a specific product choice.

Current research* investigates time and money concepts and their importance to the consumer.

Authors show the difference between two concepts, stating: "as an important tool to gauge personal success and the ultimate media of exchange of goods and services, money is a tangible resource with its value being precise and relatively consistent across transactions. As a result, people are highly motivated and able to process money-related information in an analytical manner. By contrast, everyone receives relatively fair treatment in terms of time as we are all granted 24 hours per day no matter how we spend that time. Hence, compared to money, people are less motivated to process time-related information."

In life consumers are often required to choose between spending time to save money (e.g., buying separate products to prepare the dish) or spending money to save time (e.g., paying more for express delivery). This study reveals that increasing the salience of customers' time or money expenditure may change not only their distribution of resources, but also the products chosen.

Time is Money? Your Customers Don't Think So.

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

 

Current research might help you identify the evaluation strategies most likely to be adopted by consumers, and to highlight the aspects of an offer that will positively influence your consumer choice. As authors suggest, "for instance, the concept of money may be central to industries such as banking and luxury goods, whereas time may be more salient to educational institutions and delivery-services. Similarly, certain promotional programs put more emphasis on time investment (e.g., loyalty programs) while others focus on cost saving (e.g., coupons; see Lee & Ariely, 2006). Our research suggests that when time is made salient, it might be a good strategy to emphasize non-alignable differences, a unique verbal feature, or the overall attractiveness of an option. In contrast, when money is made salient, focusing on attribute-level advantages is crucial to marketing success."

*Lei Su, Leilei Gao.Strategy Compatibility: The Time versus Money Effect on Product Evaluation Strategies, Journal of Consumer Psychology: April, 2014. {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with integrating time and money in the promotional material? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Friday Research: Imagine All The Consumers Imagining Your Products

When Will You Use This?  

Developing marketing and promotional campaigns.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

It was noticed long time ago that majority of consumers tend to imagine themselves with a product (in specific future situation) before making a purchase.

Current study* looks into the obstacles that suppress a consumer’s imagination (or "imagining the consumption of a yet-to-be-purchased product in a future situation"). Authors suggest an idea that the consumer imagination combines sensory information about a promoted product with relevant prior experiences from memory. For example, Ann is reading a magazine and spots an ad of a dress she really likes. She first imagines how she will appear at work's coctail party wearing an advertised dress. Moreover, information from memory about similar, relevant prior experiences is used to create a mental rehearsal of that future event. This information from memory includes not only relevant prior experiences but facts related to those experiences, such as type of clothing worn or food served at such an event.

This study highlights that the consumer imagination, rather than considering product features, increases purchase intentions because consumers are more likely to feel a sense of ownership.

Give your customers space for imagination race...

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks  

 

You might find it really useful to know when your customer's imagination should be tickled with your campaigns. This study particularly suggests that "clothing, sports/exercise equipment, electronics, and furniture are product categories in which touching before purchase is important. Thus, in an online shopping site for such products, a promotional emphasis on considering product features may be more convincing than stirring the imagination, especially for those consumers who like to touch products before buying. Likewise, marketing efforts designed to stir the imagination should be more fruitful for occasions that are likely to have an element of ambiguity, such as holiday parties or perhaps job interviews. On the other hand, ad appeals for products purchased for unambiguous occasions, such as going to work, may not benefit from efforts to evoke the imagination and do just as well with an emphasis on showcasing product features and attributes."

*Spears N.,Yazdanparast A. Revealing Obstacles to the Consumer Imagination. Journal of Consumer Research:01/2014.{Thanks for the material}
 
P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with rankings and evaluations, how do they help to sell? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Friday Research: Is Divide and Conquer a Better Pricing Strategy?

When Will You Use This?  

Developing and designing your promotional materials that include price information.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

Whether making purchases online or in person, people often come across prices that are split into two or more quantities. For example, an online fashion retailer offers you a dress with a base price of just £15, but with a shipping fee of £4.95. This company could charge a single combined price of £19.95, respectively, but instead choose to display arguably more complicated partitioned price instead.

Partitioned pricing is a widely used pricing strategy and current research* investigates the impact of regulatory focus on the perceived attractiveness of partitioned and combined pricing.

The study reveals that promotion focused individuals perceive partitioned prices to be more attractive than combined prices, while prevention focused individuals rated the two types of pricing similarly attractive.

Unite or Divide: Is "All Included" Better?

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

 

Following the results of current research, ads designed with higher levels of ambiguity would benefit from the addition of partitioned pricing information.

Earlier authors define promotion focused individuals as the ones who "place more importance on what they “want” to do" and prevention focused individuals as the ones who "place more emphasis on what they should, or “ought” to do." Having that in mind, current study suggests the importance of partitioned pricing for companies selling the products which are associated with promotion concerns.

Moreover, authors highlight that "companies must always balance the costs and benefits of adopting different pricing strategies, and the current research suggests using combined pricing for products with prevention concerns may be the better choice in the long run.<..>We suggest that low seller reputation turn on a red light, which leads consumers to become prevention focused and pay."

*Kay Lee, Choi, Jungsil, & Yexin Jessica Li. Regulatory Focus as a Predictor of Attitudes Toward Partitioned and Combined Pricing.Journal of Consumer Psychology: April (2014) {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with pricing strategies? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Sunday Video: This Will Make Your Content Easier To Read

Engaging content is the new kid on the Marketing block.

But your copy has to be easy to read in the first place.

Need I say more?

Watch this video and learn a few powerful secrets I'm using for my copywriting.

 

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

Friday Research: Knock Knock Knocking On Your Customers' Oblivion Doors

When Will You Use This?  

Planning and developing your advertising and other online communication.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

Current research* investigates the effect of archetypal symbolism in reception of educational services advertising, based on the analytical psychology and its conscious and unconscious aspects and neuromarketing in online communication.

The study reveals that conscious logical and informed assessment of aesthetics, value, usefulness, quality has an effect on global positive impression of advertising leading to the purchase of the product (in this case, information technology educational services).

Furthermore, archetypal symbolism (including colours) also affects advertising and leads to the purchase of the product. Researchers find that Jungian unconscious archetypes (the Self, the Old Wise Man and the Great Mother) has the highest effect on global positive impression of Internet advertising leading to the purchase of the product.

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

 

If you're involved in Internet marketing (and who isn't these days?), these results are important, showing that people are highly influenced by subliminal stimuli.

As authors suggest, "analysis of associations assigned to selected pictures shows that it is advisable to include in educational advertising the content such as images and symbols that relate to the knowledge and experience which can be purchased during the education and should also incorporate spiritual and even exotic aspects and provide associations linked to the ability to experience peace and rest. Other elements of such advertising should show the importance of memories and events of the past and the importance of nature and wildlife. All highlighted aspects make up the human health and thus emphasize the 'healthy' approach to education and the role it plays or should play in the culture. <..>Analyzing the colors that are suitable for advertisement of educational services, it appears that the election of respondents are focused on such colors as red , orange, yellow. silver. blue. turquoise and brown. Gold color is controversial, it may be - on one hand - both repulsive and destructive but on the other it may point out to passion. Color purple and grey were identified as negative, oppressive and gloomy. While planning to create an advertisement of educational services it is worth to take into account the above mentioned colors."

*Kowal, Jolanta and Węgłowska-Rzepa, Krystyna, Conscious and Unconscious Influences in Internet Advertising in Transition Economies (February 11, 2014). Proceedings of the International Conference on ICT Management (ICTM 2013), September 2013. {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with triggering unconscious mind of your customers? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Sunday Video: Show Your True Voice, Dear Brand

Brand's voice should be more than just a cool phrase - make it work for you.

Watch this light video and learn the basics of your brand's voice.

Because it matters big time.

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

Sunday Video: Take The Bull Of Luxury Marketing By The Horns

The future is very bright for luxury goods market.

And I want to see you setting the Thames on fire with your luxury brand. 

Here is my second video in the series of Luxury Marketing which will teach you a few tips and tricks.

Writing is cheap, watch the video.

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. If you missed the first video on Luxury Marketing, no worries - you can find it here.

Friday Research: The Power of Lists Or How Do Rankings Influence Evaluation?

When Will You Use This?  

Developing ranked lists to increase sales as well as managing your own presence on Top Lists.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

People love lists and there is an ever-present Top 10 List for just about everything.

Given the influence of ranked lists on both the consumers and producers, it is important to understand how people use the information provided on these lists in their decision making.

Current series of experiments* examines the “top 10 effect,” the power of round numbers, and how our perceptions can be manipulated. Researchers demonstrate the existence of a cognitive bias in the interpretation of ranked lists: there is an observed significant importance of round numbers (end with a 0 or 5, such as 25, 50, 100). This research shows that round-number categories (e.g., top 10, top 25), rather than place-value categories (e.g., single digits, the twenties) guide the interpretation and value of ranked lists.

Moreover, researchers observe that despite the fact that ranked lists are already explicitly ordered and highly structured, consumers still mentally subdivide them into a smaller set of subjectively generated categories.

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks  

 

It’s obvious that people find ranked lists informative and influential. Consumers often choose goods and services based on a product’s inclusion in a ranked list (just think Billboards music charts, Time 100, Forbes lists, etc).

If your company is a subject to third-party ranked lists, it’s important to have a few things in mind:

• if you are just on the outside looking in to a round-number category, invest more actively and devote significant resources to improve your rank (the ones who should be more worried are those ranked 11th in a top 15 list, or 26th in a top 25 list, etc).

• aim for a round-number category to make sharp numbers prominent and reduce consumers’ tendencies to see your products as second-rate.


*Mathew S. Isaac and Robert M. Schindler. “The Top-Ten Effect: Consumers’ Subjective Categorization of Ranked Lists.” Journal of Consumer Research: April 2014.{Thanks for the material}
 
P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with rankings and evaluations, how do they help to sell? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Sunday Video: Sink Your Teeth Into Luxury Marketing

The luxury goods market has been increasing for many years.

So if you're building a luxury brand, make hay while the sun shines.

Watch this light video and be fed with a few insights on the situation and specifics of luxury marketing.

Bon appetite!

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

Friday Research: Oh Yes, Sex Actually Sells To Women As Well

When Will You Use This?  

Planning and developing your marketing messages for women.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

Previous literature have established that women’s economic decision making, contrary to men’s, is virtually insensitive to the presence of sexual cues.

Wrong!

The current research* investigates female economic decision making after having touched sexually laden stimuli. Researchers found that after touching boxers, women expressed a higher preference for a smaller immediate reward rather than a larger delayed monetary reward; the same treatment led female consumers to be less loss averse for money and food and to be willing to pay more for the rewards. The authors explain these findings by showing that the closeness of an appetitive (or sexually energizing) item activates Pavlovian consummatory responses.  Remember good old Pavlov's experiments with dogs? We are actually so similar in our primary responses.

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks  

  

While marketing for females customers, keep in mind that tactile sexual stimuli enhance women’s reward seeking decisions, and exposure to sexually rewarding cues can lead to a non-specific craving for all sorts of rewards like money, food or drinks.

*What a feeling! Touching sexually laden stimuli makes women seek rewards.Anouk Festjens, Sabrina Bruyneel, and Siegfried Dewitte, Journal of Consumer Psychology, forthcoming.{Thanks for the material}
 
P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with "sex sells" type of marketing? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Sunday Video: The Einstellung Effect

Your brain is amazing.

But has some mysterious ways to help you save your time and energy (even when you don't want to).

Watch this video on The Einstellung effect and learn how you can make a better use of your decision-making process.

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

Sunday Video: Newcomers Must Work Harder!

Once online world was a lazy tiny pond...

These days it's a packed overcrowded public pool and if you're just learning to swim here, you better be ready to work hard.

Watch this video and check some insights on why and how newcomers must work harder than market leaders.

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

Sunday Video: Moon On The Stick - Marketing Trends of 2014

I think you are ready for this.

My last video in the series of  Top 5 Marketing Trends of 2014.

Hold your breath, dearest Marketer.

The fifth video is on Emotional Engagement. Fresh-baked, right here:

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. Missed the fourth video? Check it here.

Wednesday Video: Could Email Marketing Be The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread In Digital World?

There was a time when Social Media was this fancy fabulous queen of the digital world.

It has changed.

Recent study suggests that Email Marketing is now as big as the Eiffel Tower and as important as beautiful shoes to women (very important!).

Check this video and find out why, and how to use it for yourself.


P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. Want to learn more? Check my recent post on how timing is crucial for your Email Marketing.