Buying Babies: The Weird Ways Your Customers Think
There’s a surprising reason why Kleenex uses golden Labrador puppies in their ads in Australia…
And a surprisingly similar reason why Mini Cooper has barely updated their car designs since relaunching as a BMW brand in 2001…
…and it’s all to do with the weird way humans think.
It’s only been in the past few decades that we’ve had the fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) technology to “read” thought patterns – and see the parts of the brain that light up when we think certain thoughts.
This technological and scientific leap has completely changed the way we’re understanding ourselves.
And it’s completely revolutionising the field of marketing.
Up until recently, the best models for why we buy were economic models.
“We buy for logical reasons – to fulfil a need!”
“We take all of the information at hand, and judge its importance.”
“We make the rational choice that is in our own best interests.”
Today, we realise how imperfect these models are – and how irrational we can be as consumers.
These “rational consumer” models certainly didn’t explain our preferences towards some brands in favour of others.
The emerging field of Neuromarketing is explaining the reasons why we buy – in ways that Don Draper and his cohort of Mad Men could have only dreamed of.
For example, why do pictures of cute puppies make us buy more toilet paper?
Neuroscientists studying consumer preferences for toilet paper brands Andrex and Kleenex discovered consumers’ preference towards Andrex was linked to their use of a Labrador puppy mascot.
The Labrador puppy mascot didn’t just capture buyers’ attention and market share!
Oddly, the neuroscientists researching this preference discovered the Golden Labrador pup evoked thoughts of a young family, toilet training, absorbency, and softness – all positive connections for selling toilet paper!
Meanwhile, researchers for DaimlerChrystler discovered the Mini Cooper’s “big-eyed” car design evokes some similarly weird neural connections – triggering the same area of the brain that would be triggered when looking at a baby’s face.
From Martin Lindstrom’s book, Buyology:
“Above and beyond the car’s “wide bulldog stance,” “ultra-rigid body,” “1.6L 16-valve alloy engine,” and “6 airbags with wide protection” (goodies lauded on the car’s Web site), the Mini Cooper registered in subject’s brains as an adorable face. It was a gleaming little person, Bambi on four wheels, or Pikachu with an exhaust pipe. You just wanted to pinch its little fat metallic cheeks, then drive it away.”
Next time you see the Fiat 500, take a look at it from the front and see how DaimlerChrysler applied this research to develop their own cuter-than-a-MINI competitor.
Then have a look at the “faces” of other cars.
Compare how headlights are getting more “eye-like”, and grilles are getting more “mouth-like” in modern cars.
Then look at the “faces” of different car types. Tough cars. Prestigious cars. Cute cars.
This kind of neural patterning is the most likely reason why some design changes improve sales on some websites – but not others.
And why a big bright trust or security icons may improve sales initially (comforting potential buyers, and increasing sales by anywhere from 8.8% to 72.05% based on test results)…
…But make the security icon even bigger and brighter and it may damage sales (scaring customers away, and leading to a 400% decrease in sales on one particular website!)
Unless you’re spending $100,000’s on expensive lab equipment and researchers, conversion testing is the only other way to get this kind of insight into what your customers respond to.
You won’t always know the reason why – or the neural pathway being triggered.
But you will see its effect.
You’ll discover how little certain parts of your marketing (that you thought were important) truly matter – and how much other parts make a difference.
And – in addition to delivering big increases in sales, it can give you interesting insights into the weird ways your customers really think.