Why are you continuing to buy the same brand of detergent for the last 20 years much after your children have outgrown their white uniforms?
• How did you get into the habit of eating Marie biscuits with tea?
• Do you ‘anticipate’ drinking a chilled bottle of Coke on a warm day?
Consumers want automatic (auto transmission) cars, automatic washing machines, automatic Bluetooth systems. It may be amazing to know that many of our behaviours are an outcome of automaticity - the degree to which our neurosystems react to triggers without our conscious knowledge or control. Evolutionary neuro-biology and cerebral processes are receiving as much importance as digital technologies, and marketers are attempting to find out how brands can become a part of such unconscious actions of consumers. This article makes use of several research studies that have been published by reputed researchers.
Emotional triggers Coke was one of the earliest brands which was a part of neuro-experiments. When consumers were asked to select between two unbranded colas (one was Coke and the other was Pepsi), the majority selected Pepsi as they found it to be sweet (subjective but still based on same logic). When they were asked to choose between Coke and Pepsi, the majority selected Coke. It was found that those parts of the brain associated with pleasure as well as decision-making had been activated when consumers were exposed to Coke. Dopamine triggers the pleasure zones when a likable cue (a brand name) is seen by the consumer. Sheer anticipation of the consumption produces a surge of pleasure and the brand is a part of such repeated experiences.
Perceptual processes The intangible effects of brand associations (impact of the brand name, its associations, logo, shape of the bottle) on the consumer’s mind produces an effect that is significantly different from rational thinking. The placebo effect has been demonstrated with respect to consumer behaviour. Consumers who had consumed an energy drink based on a discount felt that the efficacy of the drink was much lower than those who had bought the drink on its full price.
Consumer perception is based on how consumers interpret information based on their own experiences, past exposure and motivation. Interpretation influences brands. The quality-price association is almost universal when applied to consumer behaviour. Park Avenue, Giny and Jony, Monte Carlo, Del Monte and Vertu - do these brands have a country-of-origin association that implies a higher quality because of the perception of foreignness and the symbolic appeal of being associated with foreign names? Stella Artois, a commonplace beer in Belgium, is a premium beer in the US with its quality-centric positioning “Perfection has a price”.
Britannia several years ago introduced a carton soft drink Zip Sip that had a nutrition association when the category dominated by Frooti meant fun and frolic. Under such a context there are chances that consumers would not have expected a milk-based drink in a carton. Sensory interpretation of brands may also be culture-specific. Dettol, the antiseptic lotion with its burning sensation and pungent odour, appeals to consumers just as ‘heat generating’ pain balms appeal to them. Krackjack biscuits created a new category of sweet and salty biscuits before 50:50 was launched based on such a taste. Kurkure appealed to consumers due to its close similarities to the taste of many Indian snacks.
Familiarity and novelty Kellogg’s probably never advertises its cereals with hot milk anywhere in the world as it does in India (after almost two decades in India)! Dark chocolates have still not taken off in a big way as Indians have a sweet tooth (associations that Cadbury had developed in its recent campaigns).
Consumers remember the past and connect well with it when brands send out messages that are in tune with the past. Britannia’s cheese spread equated itself with cow’s milk and Tropicana associated itself with oranges.
But how do consumers respond to novelty? Novelty activates a part of the brain called substantia nigra. This area is closely associated with learning, memory and emotion. When novelty acts on a number of parts of the brain dopamine release influences consumers’ receptivity. This may not mean that everything that is novel will be accepted by consumers. While Crystal Pepsi (colourless cola) failed, Red Bull the energy drink is a global brand. Several soft drink and beer companies have tried launching energy drinks but Red Bull remains the leader. The contradictory aspects of the brain are the ones that make the job of the marketer exciting and challenging.
Novelty is to be viewed in a cultural context. Dry shampoo may not click in the Indian context but may be sought after in some other culture. Novelty is just not limited to product offerings. Unpredictable rewards are three to four times more “exciting” to neurons, say scientists at the University of Cambridge. Would that explain the success of “time-based” promotions from online portals that announce huge discounts that last for just a day?
Non-product-centric route The wonders that creative visuals and celebrity associations do for a brand are almost unbelievable, given the objective that a consumer has to buy a brand that provides a benefit. The point is that the benefit may be emotional in nature and that is the reason why brands use what is known in marketing literature as the “peripheral” route. The global re-launch of the historical brand Old Spice is an example. In a time span of less than a minute, its commercial shows the protagonist move from one scene to another indulging in a host of activities such as going into the wilderness, carrying a cake, remodelling his kitchen and riding a motorcycle.
Psychologists term this as “pattern interrupts”. By using several formats and variations to convey the same message, brands can prevent an advertising wear-out, a situation where consumers will not suffer from the fatigue of having to see the same ad repeatedly .
This is not to say that just using “pattern interrupts” can work for any brand or to say that the equity of Old Spice brand is not at work.
The campaign had 1.4 billion impressions, 32.4 million downloads and had a 55 per cent increase in sales over three months after the campaign was launched. This shows emotional appeals are as important as rational ones. ‘Irrational’ means getting away from arguments that are product-centric from the parameter of tangible outcomes. While the emotional drama of Old Spice is consciously noted and watched by consumers the brand’s message, “the man your man can smell like”, gets into the mind without the brand being rationally evaluated by consumers.
Ramesh Kumar is Professor of Marketing, IIM Bangalore