Sunday, June 2, 2013

Hit Shoppers with a Two-by-Four

Researchers at University of Florida and National University of Singapore ended up asking study participants whether they’d prefer a glass of V8 or Campbell’s tomato juice. But before this question, the participants had been shown an advertisement for V8. For one group of participants, the ad read, “Get a full day’s supply of essential vitamins and minerals with a bottle of V8.” For the other participants, the ad read, “Get a full day’s supply of 4 essential vitamins and 2 minerals with a bottle of V8.”
     Some of the people in each group chose the tomato juice. There are people who don’t like V8 or really like tomato juice, and there are people who would rebel against what they’d perceive as an effort by the experimenter to brainwash them using advertising.
     However, we’d expect that more of the participants in each of the ad groups would choose V8 than would choose the tomato juice. They’d been shown an ad for V8 presenting the argument it was good. In addition, there are what psychologists call “demand characteristics.” Most study participants like to help out an experimenter who is nice, and showing the ad would make the participants think the experimenter wanted them to choose the V8. The point is that when you’re nice to shoppers, they’re more open to suggestions you make.
     But that’s not the main point of my telling you about the Florida/Singapore study. Instead my main point has to do with the fact that the people who saw the second version of the ad were even more likely to select the V8 than the tomato juice.
     The only difference in the ads was the higher preference when the ad said, “4 essential vitamins and 2 minerals” instead of simply “essential vitamins and minerals.” Why did this make a difference? Before reading on, make a guess.
     The researcher’s answer is that consumers are attracted to products which use familiar numbers in their names. One way a number gains familiarity is to have it introduced subconsciously in advance. And an ad which uses the numbers 4 and 2 will subconsciously generate the numbers 6 (4 plus 2) and 8 (4 times 2). A preference for V8 was created.
     Other studies verified that when you carry products which have a number in the name, the preference will be greater if you prime the consumer in advance with the mathematical operands.

For your profitability: Sell Well: What Really Moves Your Shoppers

Click below for more: 
Count on Numbers in Product Names 
Prime Your Shoppers Below Awareness

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