Dominate Anxiety Around Radical Innovations

When introducing innovations to your customers, it’s best to make the unfamiliar familiar. Work in phrases like, “…the same way as with the method you’re accustomed to…,” and “Once you do this a few times, it will be as second nature to you as what you’ve been doing up to now….” This reduces consumer anxiety.
     However, when the innovation is radical, the anxiety can overflow in ways that demand additional measures. In a set of studies, York University researchers asked groups of consumers to consider products such as black facial tissue, a beverage sold in a flip-top bag, and a bendable mobile phone. The consumers’ responses were compared to those of groups presented with white facial tissues, the beverage in a bottle, or a typical mobile phone.
     Overall, the anxiety level of the people exposed to the radical innovations was initially higher and judgments of the items were initially more negative. The radical innovation participants also were more likely, when given the opportunity, to select a well-known brand over a lesser-known brand or select an item from a geographical region with which the consumer identified. These consumers were easing their anxiety by choosing the familiar. Once the study participants made this additional item selection though, anxiety eased and judgments of the innovative items became more positive.
     A related study at York University and Canada’s Western University found that radical innovations which carry clear benefits will be better accepted by consumers when introduced by a dominant brand rather than a minor brand. The dominant brand introduction changes people’s perceptions of what an alternative in that product category should be like.
     Marketers not clearly dominant should view introduction of a radical innovation by the dominant brand as a signal to introduce such an innovation in their own product or service line. If the introduction is by a minor brand, the pressure to make changes is not as great.
     On the retailer side, prefer to carry items incorporating a radical innovation if those items come from a major name in the item category. And whenever introducing a highly innovative item, encourage shoppers who might show interest in the item to purchase other items which carry well-known brand names or come from geographical areas with which that shopper identifies. This could be where the raw materials were obtained or where the item was manufactured.

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