Envision How Envy Affects Shoppers

Envy motivates buying. But which items are most likely to be purchased depends on the nature of the envy. Benign envy occurs when a shopper feels that someone with advantages over them is justified in having the advantage. Malicious envy occurs when the shopper believes the someone isn’t.
     Your conversations with a shopper might allow you to determine which of these the shopper is experiencing. Statements like, “I admire that person,” and, “I think I could do that if I try,” signal benign envy. Statements like, “There must have been some cheating, since they don’t have the talent,” “What’s the use of trying?” or, “What they have isn’t really worth my effort,” indicate malicious envy.
     According to studies at University of Cincinnati, University of Miami, and University of Florida, both benign and malicious envy motivate consumers to purchase self-improvement items. Those feeling benign envy are more likely to want to improve in the domain in which the other person has the advantage. If the other person got a job the shopper wanted, benign envy narrows focus onto products and services which build skills for that specific job. On the other hand, malicious envy shifts the spotlight toward cultivating competencies for a related type of job. Appeal further to malicious envy by describing the ease of mastery of the product or service.
     Envy applies to possessions as well as accomplishments. When a shopper believes the other person earned the right to the advantages of owning the product, that shopper is willing to pay a premium for owning the product themselves. The extra money is like a tribute to the respected person. In those studies, people who had this benign envy of someone owning an iPhone, for instance, were willing to pay an average of €80 extra for their own iPhone.
     What about the shopper who believes the other person doesn’t deserve the good fortune? There is then a desire to show how what the other person has isn’t so great, after all. In the studies, people with this malicious envy were also willing to spend more money, but only on a competing product.
     Envy of either type can be aroused temporarily, and maybe unintentionally, in the service situation itself. Researchers at Hong Kong Baptist University, University of Hong Kong, and Hanyang University ERICA saw it happen when a customer witnessed others receiving special benefits because the others were premium customers.

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