Parade Sparkle for the Jealous

We know the value of selling to the emotions. People often feel better about purchases made on the basis of feelings than on those made strictly on an intellectual accounting of advantages and disadvantages. But knowing which emotion to sell to can get tricky. Researchers at Northwestern University, Nanyang Technological University, and Chinese University of Hong Kong showed that shoppers who feel jealous prefer items that attract attention. In the study, such people selected a brightly colored coat over one with a neutral hue, an unusual-looking pair of sunglasses over a less conspicuous design, and a handbag with a large logo over one with the same logo in a smaller size.
     This preference operates even if the customer believes that the attention grabber will strike friends and family as ostentatious. But the preference doesn’t operate with personal use items friends and family are unlikely to observe, such as the packaging on a deodorant stick. Jealous people want to be noticed.
     The researchers want us to understand that they consider jealousy to be different from envy, and what they suggest for serving the jealous customer won’t work as well with the envious customer. As the researchers conceptualize it, envy arises when a consumer is disturbed that someone else is considered superior to them or has something they want but don’t have. Jealousy results from the loss of special attention the consumer already had: A child shopping with family might be jealous of a sib who is receiving more notice. A young adult might reflect a jealous state by talking with a shopping companion about a partner who was wooed away. Inattention from a preoccupied salesperson can stimulate jealousy.
     If you detect evidence of jealousy, guide the shopper toward items with extra sparkle.

For your success: Retailer’s Edge: Boost Profits Using Shopper Psychology

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