For product claims, three is the magic number
Richard ShottonExperiments show making just one claim makes that message more effective, but three is the optimum number for driving product preference.
Scarcity is the secret sauce behind everything from Wordle to the McRib
Richard ShottonLike many products before it, Wordle has driven desire by limiting its volume – something all marketers should feel confident to try out.
Laughing all the way to the bank: Three ways humour helps brands sell
Richard ShottonReceived wisdom is that humour doesn’t help brands sell their products, but the evidence says the opposite when brands know how to use it effectively.
Three ways to convince rejecters of the value of your offer
Richard ShottonConfirmation bias makes it difficult to persuade people who don’t want to change, but experimental evidence shows three effective ways to overcome this.
At a loss with pricing? Try applying behavioural science
Richard ShottonA good grip on pricing is a sign of a strong brand, and several behavioural studies offer insights into effective pricing strategies.
Convince consumers your product tastes good before you tell them it’s healthy
Richard ShottonConsumers’ enjoyment of food is influenced by what they see and know in advance, and while flavour-focused messages improve perceptions, health-based ones actually harm them.
Making your copy more concrete will boost ad recall
Richard ShottonConcrete language is easier to visualise and four times more likely to be remembered than the abstract benefits brands like to highlight in their advertising.
It’s good to offer consumers choice, but not too much
Richard ShottonPeople value something more if they have options to choose from but too much choice hampers decision-making, especially if it’s hard to differentiate.
Death metal and rainbow balloons: Why it pays to break conventions
Richard ShottonConforming to category norms may seem like the safe thing to do but it won’t make people remember your brand.
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Consumers think better of a product when they see the work that goes in
Richard ShottonThe ‘labour illusion’ means consumers perceive good products more favourably when they’re aware of the effort put in – but it also makes bad products look worse.
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Don’t believe the doom mongers, trust in ads is not declining
Richard ShottonMarketers are fond of declaring consumers don’t trust ads but the data doesn’t support it – only that they don’t like them, which is a different problem.
Marketers should think more about handbrakes than accelerators
Richard ShottonMarketers spend most of their time encouraging proactive behaviour change, but it’s much more effective to remove the physical and psychological barriers that block it.
Three steps to creating consumer habits
Richard ShottonBuying habits aren’t formed overnight, but they can be created through systematic application of cues, rewards and repeat behaviour.
The power of social proof is that thousands of people can’t be wrong
Richard ShottonSocial proof is one of the most robustly researched behavioural biases, and marketers can use it even more effectively when they have a distinctive product.
Brands that treat customers unfairly during the coronavirus crisis will be punished
Richard ShottonBrands that are tempted to raise prices during this time of scarcity are likely to be punished by consumers afterwards, as experiments show they don’t tolerate those who take unfair advantage of market power.