All the students enthusiastically raise their hands. Except for one.
Puzzled, the teacher asks, “Erica, why aren’t you raising your hand?” “
I’m not a Yankees fan, Miss Fredericks. I root for the Boston Red Sox.”
Now even more puzzled, Miss Fredericks asks Erica, “How could you possibly be a Red Sox fan?”
“Because my mom and my dad are both Red Sox fans.”
Sensing a teachable moment for the class, Ms. Fredericks moves into lecture mode. “You know, you don’t always have to be exactly like your parents. You can be your own person and still love them.” Then, gaining momentum, the teacher goes on. “Erica, what if your mom and your dad were absolute morons. What do you think you’d be then?”
“Well, probably a Yankees fan.”
Children and adults alike select products, services, activities, and ideas with attention to family loyalty and family pride. There’s an even greater pull when the family itself or the object of choice is an underdog.
People like to help out a friend, particularly when the friend is at a disadvantage. This drive carries over to their relationships with stores and brands. Researchers at Harvard University, Simmons College, and Boston College found that when a choice of chocolate bar brands was offered to study participants, the brand positioned as the underdog was selected about 70% of the time.
If the allegiance is to the customer’s country, we call it patriotism. Researchers at Duke University, Cornell University, and University of Waterloo discovered that when Americans felt their country was under verbal attack, they became more likely to buy American. Study participants perceiving America was being threatened were more likely to choose a Chevrolet than a Toyota, everything else being equal. They chose athletic items from Nike over Germany-based Adidas.
With families, there are also the genes. Researchers at Stanford University and University of Florida-Gainesville identified likings for specific products having a genetic component, such that if one member of the family likes it, there’s a good chance others in the family will, too. This can be helpful to you in making sales when a family is shopping together at your store and in guiding gift selections. Those product categories include chocolate, mustard, hybrid cars, science fiction movies, and jazz.
Click below for more:
Attend to Genetic Influences in Selling
Salute Sales to Concerned Patriots
Include the Kids in Financial Literacy Talk
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