Recall How Nostalgia Turns Toward the New

Between January 1 and May 24, 2020, there were 861,000 mentions of “nostalgia” or “nostalgic” in Twitter posts, according to a count cited by Prof. Lan Xia and two colleagues at Bentley University. These three researchers contrast this with the count of 404,000 mentions during the equivalent 2019 interval. They attribute the difference to a monumental event—the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. The clear threat to our welfare stimulated nostalgic thoughts of former times, they say.
     Of interest to marketers is where the researchers took this next: Nostalgia generated by threatening events indirectly stimulated a desire to buy items newly introduced to the marketplace. In an email exchange about the study, Prof. Xia asked that I emphasize, “We did not find a main effect (i.e., collective stress event does not lead to higher new product purchase intention). The effect is indirectly through nostalgia induced when people cope with events such as COVID. So it is more of a silver lining effect that goes with potential negative effect on product release during stress times.”
     Prior studies have linked nostalgia to increased sales of items and experiences associated with bittersweet reminiscences of the past. That makes sense. But an increased interest in newly introduced items seems surprising. In her reply to me, Prof. Xia explains, “We find that naturally occurring nostalgia is more negative than that previously studied in the lab (e.g., recall a nostalgic event). But the effect is independent of positivity or negativity (which is consistent with prior research). Nostalgia promotes self-continuity and approach motivation (i.e., desire to search for meaning) and new products fit that motivation, thus the effect.”
     We want to continue our identity into the future, not just verify it from the past. The turn toward the new occurred during the time of the Black Lives Matter movement and demonstrations following the George Floyd killing as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social unrest is, as with a public health crisis, a collective threat. The effect also was demonstrated with the individually-oriented threat of imagining details of one’s own death.
     These results don’t advocate for releasing novel products during socially threatening times. Rather, if other factors argue for release, there’s no need for socially threatening times to cause a veto.
     I’ll add that these studies also don’t argue against offering retro products during socially challenging times. Nostalgia can stimulate purchasing both old and new items.

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