Marketing Secrets You Need to Know

[Mika]

Let’s say you are trying to buy a hand sanitizer, both products have the same quantity and the same price, however, one has a tagline, kills 97 percent germs, and the other bottle says 3 percent germs are unaffected. Which product will you choose? Well, in most cases, you will choose a product that says it kills 97 percent of germs, right?

Well, this is actually a cognitive bias that goes by the phrase “the framing effect.”

This is used by the marketers to determine what information they will be presenting to their consumers to get them to buy. This is based on the fact that people try to avoid any potential loss. Therefore, consumers find it appealing when the positive features of the products are highlighted, instead of the negative aspects.

The studies have demonstrated that the frustration of losing $20 is more powerful than the joy of winning $20. So, when you want to influence someone, frame it around the positive aspects.

 

[Jasmine]

I am not aware of the term the framing effect, however, I absolutely agree with the points explained here. I have been working as a marketer for many years. I started in an ad agency, after working on the agency for 4 years, I left my job to start on my own and I have been working as a freelancer for more than 4 years. There is an anecdote about Kofi Anan, former UN General Secretary. He once went to a school and showed a white paper with a black dot in the middle and asked the kids what they see. Everyone said black dot, no one said they see the white. When we see depends on how we are programmed. However, the common consumer behavior says that people like positive aspects. Therefore, when you want to market, you need to highlight positive aspects of the product. However this does not mean you need to lie about the product.

 

[Shaf]

If you can study a bit of human psychology especially when it comes to buying decisions, you will have a powerful edge in marketing and advertising.

One ad might convert better than another because of a slight change in wording, on the pictures or even tone of voice.

Like you said, one of the key things is that people love to save money. They love to feel they are getting a better deal in something. A survey once asked people if they would like to get a $10 for free in a store, or pay $10 to get an item worth $20.

People went with the first choice even though they will still get $10 for free either way. It's trick like this that marketers use to deceive people. It's also one tactic the scammers use really well, promising you triple your investment for no work done. This greed of ours is a powerful tool for marketers.