The Psyche’s Influence on Marketing
From the classic jingles of Coca-Cola to the alluring simplicity of Apple, brands have long since realized the power of understanding their consumers’ psychology. In today’s fast-paced world, businesses seek to form profound connections, an endeavor demanding more than surface-level marketing. Enter psychology, an invisible puppeteer subtly influencing consumers’ behaviors, decisions, and preferences. Here, we’ll explore its role in marketing, emphasizing consumer behavior, behavioral science, and psychometric profiling through Brandmind’s ASPECTS Model.
1) The Impact of Values on Consumer Behavior and Advertisement:
First, let’s decode consumer behavior. It’s more random than it seems. Behind every decision to purchase, a complex web of psychological variables shapes the action. Advertising plays a significant role in this decision-making process by connecting with consumers on a subconscious level.
Consider the iconic Nike campaign “Just Do It.” It doesn’t just sell sports apparel; it sells an ideal – the value of pushing past limits. According to the ASPECTS model, this resonates with people who identify with or aspire to these traits, connecting with their emotional ‘Stimulance’ and ‘Thrive’ features.
By understanding these behavioral motivations and profiling their customers, brands can create ads appealing to their target audience’s values. For example, Volkswagen, a brand profiled as ‘Affiliation,’ reflects family values and safety, but the diversity in its car models allows it to speak to different personality types. The Volkswagen Arteon, with its sleek design and robust engine, targets those with ‘Power’ as a critical trait, appealing to their desire for status and leadership.
2) The Power of Behavioral Science in Shaping Decisions:
At the heart of marketing lies a profound understanding of why consumers make the decisions they do. This is where behavioral science steps into the spotlight, offering a richly woven tapestry of insights for marketers to leverage.
In essence, behavioral science explores the mechanisms behind our choices, digging deep into why we gravitate towards certain products, and what makes us loyal to specific brands. It reveals that our choices are less about the products themselves and more about the stories and experiences attached to them.
One classic marketing strategy derived from behavioral science is the ‘Scarcity Principle.’ Brands often harness this concept to foster a sense of urgency among consumers. By projecting the notion of limited availability, the Scarcity Principle pushes consumers towards immediate action, tapping into our innate fear of missing out. An excellent example of this is Amazon’s “Only X items left in stock” notification, which subtly nudges customers towards immediate purchases.
For an in-depth exploration of behavioral science in marketing, refer back to our blog post titled “The Intriguing World of Behavioral Psychology: A Marketer’s Ultimate Weapon.” In it, we delve into more fascinating principles that you, as a marketer, can use to subtly influence consumer decisions.
3) Psychometric Profiling: The Future of Segmentation:
Knowing who its customers are is only half the battle for a brand. It’s equally crucial to understand their needs, wants, and motivations. Enter psychometric profiling. This combines behavioral segmentation, socio-demographic data, and the ASPECTS Model to understand consumers more deeply.
Using psychometric profiling, brands can identify and align key personality traits with product and advertising preferences. For instance, those who rank high on the ‘Cognition’ trait in the ASPECTS model might appreciate a product marketed with facts, figures, and detail-oriented messages. Think Dyson, whose advertisements delve deep into the science behind their innovative designs.
On the other hand, individuals who identify with the ‘Safety’ trait may prefer brands like Volvo, known for their safety-first marketing approach, providing a sense of security and risk aversion.
Imagine this process at every step of the customer journey, especially for email marketing or any other type of customer communication. This type of data-driven segmentation will be implemented in the CRM to be segmented by marketers and supports, on the other hand, to be more concrete in marketing communication per personality type to achieve a massive increase in Marketing KPIs and Conversion Rates.
But Profiling is essential for the whole Customer Journey: from initial awareness through consideration to the point of purchase and beyond, understanding and aligning with the consumer’s psychological traits ensures a seamless, personalized experience.
In conclusion, psychology’s role in marketing is undeniable. The power to resonate with consumers on a deeper psychological level equips brands with the ability to tailor their strategies effectively, creating products and advertisements that genuinely speak to their audience’s core values and motivations. As we move forward in this data-driven era, those who master this art will be the brands that rise above the noise.
Ready to unlock the treasure trove of insights that psychology offers in your marketing context? Start implementing these layers today and see the impact on your business. Then book a meeting with our CEO for a first analysis of your own business – for free.