Of the multiple emotions and attitudes that the proper development of a product strategy can trigger in us, I consider that one of the most effective and relevant within the Marketing and Advertising commandments is one that awakens in consumers a need for acceptance social, which seduces our status quo, and positions us within that pyramid of recognition that as social animals we are climbing, with the aim of reaching the top.
The engine of our behavior to reach that top (or even anywhere above the base) is fueled by what we can experience with the sense of our sight, as the first step to come into contact with a product. As logical as it sounds, people can only imitate when they observe what others do. In short, the observable has power, and a lot.
Let's remove the connotation of "human beings" for a moment and look at people as "influencers." Think of the number of brands and products that we interact with on a day-to-day basis when we interact with those “entities”. Clothing, accessories, technological devices, among other things that in a certain way will capture our attention and raise some emotion; positive or negative. We call this social influence, whether you like it or not, you are always going to have some degree of influence on another person, and that influence is strong enough when the behavior is most observable.
Will people tend to talk more about your pants or your underwear? No matter how branded the latter is, simply if it is not observable, then it is less likely that people will talk about it. In this sense, we unconsciously act as advertising vehicles for companies; always traveling with articles that will be visible to other consumers.
Most importantly, if we feel good or have had a positive shopping experience with such items, we will be more likely to socialize with others. At this point, what once entered through the eyes will be discussed, activating a more powerful “voice to voice” in the spectrum of our emotions.
Of these arguments, the most important thing is that the observable stimulates the buying action. We have heard, and studies support it, that human beings are more emotional than logical when making a purchase. Based on this, what is most exposed to our eyes will not only drive a greater “voice to voice”, but will also act as a reminder of those items that we have forgotten for days or weeks. Like the activation of a passive memory, where we thought we needed that product, but we did not get it.
Furthermore, the more daily and routine what is observed, the more it will tend to talk about it. What do you think we will have more in mind, that spectacular trip that we once had outside of our country? Or the foods and their brands that we interact with on a daily basis? No matter how good the experience on that trip was, we will only talk about it a few months later or when they ask us; unlike our meals, which we deal with every day.
With this idea, I invite you, when innovating in products, to engage in strategies that expose them publicly and as observably as possible. Likewise, do not forget, and if possible, carry out a strategic cross promotion with complementary categories, but that they inject a daily sense of practicality to the buyer. This strategy is sure to impact the entire spectrum of generations of human beings. We love practicality, and the simpler the better.
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Reference: Berger, Johan. (2013). Contagious.
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Sebastian Ant
Business administrator
Master in Marketing - University of South Florida
