I really appreciated all of the comments received in response to yesterday’s post and I wanted to pick up on one that, as a consumer behaviour expert, I found fascinating.  It also was one of the last comments posted so people scanning through what others have said wouldn’t have seen it.

Mark (MarketingScoops) said: “I had an interesting shopping experience today. I had no intention of shopping but I received a 40% off one item special on my blackberry. Once I was in the store, I entered the shopping mode and bought 3 things. The super special got me in the store and completely changed my mindset.”

This reveals a couple of very interesting issues.

  1. It reinforces my point about a lot of consumer behaviour not being “need” based, but being triggered far less rationally and influenced much more indirectly.
  2. It illustrates the route to understanding consumer behaviour: whilst there is no direct link between the adaptive unconscious mind and the conscious mind, an awareness that it is the former that directs the show enables you to become more aware of its involvement in your own behaviour.  By looking at our own behaviour dispassionately (rather than with the distorted bias of our own conscious delusions) we can start to see how we’ve acted unconsciously and then begin to trace what might have influenced us to do so.  In essence what we have to learn to do is stand back and observe ourselves.

The way to enhance this understanding further is to apply what’s been discovered through studies in social psychology and neuroscience, which often help to explain our seemingly random acts of consumerism.  And that’s the sort of thing I bring readers of my eZine (honestly, how can you resist signing up?!)  Of course, once you start to develop this skill you can apply it to what you see your own customers doing.

Philip Graves

25 Comments

  3. Duane Cunningham

    Hi Phil,

    Thats classic marketing strategy…my Dad used to use it to get people into his stores with a loss leader (made no profit on the sale) but the majority of people by with impulse so it was a very profitable ROI in customer value

    And stores are set up in certain ways as to enhance the possibility of this impulse buying being even stronger in the majority as you would know

    Duane

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  9. admin

    @Lynn Lane
    So far I’ve identified around forty triggers that cause people to buy. The way you phrased your question has really got me thinking though; “how can you break them down…”. Classifying the ones I have would be a very helpful process – I’ll get to work on it. Thank you!

    Philip

    reply to comment→
  12. April Braswell

    Embarrassing and so absolutely true. I appreciate Mark’s candor in saying that because often we WANT to appear soooo much more logically driven than that and don’t exactly tell the truth.

    Shopping and dating are SO much alike. I’ll just refrain from making a comparison right now. tee hee. But we can get into SHOPPING mode, too!

    Best regards,

    April Braswell

    Dating Expert and Online Dating Coach

    Grief and Divorce Recovery Seminar

    reply to comment→
  14. Anthony Lemme

    I know for me, that when I started a meditation practice, stopped watching TV, listening to commercial radio, and started being more selective about what media information I did allow in, that I lost almost all urges to buy unnecessary things. I have always been a hard sell but now I have total control most of the time. I still have my desires but being aware of them is most of the battle.

    We will always have desires(I hope)but I think the key is to be aware of and unattached to them. It’s hard to be an obedient consumer when you are awake.

    Anthony

    http://www.anthonylemme.com

    reply to comment→
  21. Mitchell Rehaume

    Hi Phillip,

    Yesterday I was walking to the post office to pickup a package that arrived for me. Something scary but interesting happened too me. I walked by a MacDonalds and saw the Golden M arch and instantly had a craving for golden fries and a burger. Funny thing is everytime I eat MacDonalds I’m sick for the rest of the day.

    I was shocked that my brain reacted this way, but with your posts I have a better understanding why this occured.

    Thanks for the great info and I’ve signed up for your ezine today to learn more.

    Mitch
    BlackBerry Mobile Education
    Fastest and Cheapest Motorola v551 unlock codes
    Fastest and Cheapest Mototorola v180 unlock codes

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