See Visualization’s Carryover Advantages

When you ask a shopper to visualize acquiring or using the product you’re marketing, the probability of a purchase climbs. Studies at University of Central Florida and Texas Tech University say that this happens not only for the product you’ve asked the consumer to visualize, but also for products the consumer associates with use of the focal product.
     The researchers found this to be true when the focal product was drinking glasses and the complementary product was a water pitcher, with curtains and a curtain rod, and with colored pencils and a pencil sharpener. Another set of researchers saw evidence of an even wider carryover. In these studies at Northwestern University and University of Chicago, people asked to visualize acquiring or using mayonnaise developed more positive attitudes toward ketchup. However, in all these studies, the increase in purchase likelihood is seen most clearly with related products. There’s not a general increase in willingness to buy.
     A carryover effect is stronger when we ask the shopper to visualize acquiring the item, such as ordering it online or putting the item into the shopping cart, than when we ask the shopper to visualize using the item.
     We can, of course, prompt both types of imagining, but sales of the complementary items are more likely if we first suggest visualizing the acquisition, next point out complementary items, and then suggest visualizing use of the items. The effectiveness of advertising and signage is enhanced by illustrations of people acquiring an item, not only of people using an item. Further, the illustrations of people acquiring an item could stimulate larger shopping cart totals if used with sets of complementary items.
     When what is imagined is use of the item, consumer researchers call it a “consumption vision.” Incorporate colorful images and vivid language to stimulate the senses, but give people the minimum amount of technical information necessary to set up the imagining. The power of consumption visions is greater when a person fills in some of their own blanks. In face-to-face selling, provide more details only if the shopper seems to be floundering to visualize.
     Even with technical information plus more details, visualization might not come easily. Researchers at Brigham Young University and Santa Clara University documented how consumers differ widely in the ability and propensity to visualize during persuasive communications. The influential text created by copywriters is unlikely to be completely replaced by images.

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