Monday, September 30, 2024

Label Desired Behaviors to Increase Likelihood

As reported in Genesis 1:3, God commanded, “Let there be light,” and there was light. On a separate note, legend says the spirit of Bloody Mary foretells the future only after her name is chanted 13 times.
     The use of a label by researchers at Zeppelin University, University of Cologne, and UNSW Business School to bring a concept into existence does carry less significance than did the report of God’s command. Still, unlike with the requirements of Bloody Mary, the researchers needed to use the label only once. Their studies conclude that when we coin a name to describe a behavior, we increase the likelihood others will engage in the behavior.
     In one of the experiments, participants were asked to engage in the behavior of writing a highly positive review hyping their dining experience. The instructions for some of the participants used the word hypeview, a word created by the researchers to describe this behavior. The instructions for the other participants did not use this word. Those participants who had read the word hypeview wrote more positive reviews.
     In another of the experiments, participants were encouraged to reduce plastic waste by not using a lid when picking up a takeout cup of tea. For some of the participants, this boycotting of lid consumption was described as lidcotting. Each study participant was then offered a free cup of tea. Among those who accepted the offer, participants who had previously been exposed to the behavioral label were less likely to take a lid.
     A possible explanation for the power of behavioral labels is that the existence of a name indicates the behavior is relatively common, and people are generally more likely to engage in behavior they consider to be the norm. The explanation the researchers analyzed has to do with consumers being more receptive to carrying out a behavior they’ve previously imagined themselves doing. The label unites the various parts of the behavior sequence, making the whole easier to imagine. This explanation was supported by another of the researchers’ experiments.
     Related to this explanation, some consumer researchers have created the term consumption vision to describe a shopper’s mental image which is vivid and specific enough to let a shopper vicariously experience benefits they would personally enjoy in using the product or service. Consumption visions increase purchase likelihood. Encourage consumption visions in your shoppers by labeling the behaviors you want them to initiate.

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Dream Consumption Visions of the Past 
Image at top of post based on photo by Gianandrea Villa from Unsplash

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