Friday Research: You Gotta Show Me And I'll Be Yours (On Social Network Only)

When Will You Use This?  

Targeting consumers on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+ and others, as well as on other user-reviews sites, community forums, and social mobile applications.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

Social media has emerged as an important channel for bidirectional communication between businesses and consumers, so it is very natural for is to ask what is the relationship between a consumer’s inherent motivation to participate in public UGC (user-generated content ) activities and his purchase behavior?

Current* research investigates the relationship between a user’s online image-seeking behavior and his purchase expenditure. Researchers find that users who engage in SNS (social network sites) for image-seeking spend less and are more price sensitive. Despite this, those users spend more when exposed to site features that inspire self-presentation, like brand pages.

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

 

It’s important to note that image seeking users tend to spend more when they join brand pages on social media platforms but are also highly price-sensitive when compared to the more utility-driven consumers.

Therefore, you might want to choose to invest more in website that is fundamentally more attractive to image-seeking individuals. Furthermore, you can design these features into your social media network to 'catch' certain individuals and increase conversion.

*Investigating the Effects of Image-Seeking Behavior at Social Network Sites on Purchase Behavior: A Text Mining and Econometric Approach Prasanta Bhattacharya, Tuan Phan & Khim Yong Goh, National University of Singapore, February 2014 {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with creating visually-stimulating website? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Tuesday In India: Your Heart Will Sink When You See This

In December 1995 an Indian farmer committed suicide after being unable to pay off his debts.

Then all hell broke loose.

An epidemic of suicides among farmers followed in a flash.

Today’s news is alarming: every 30 minutes one Indian farmer commits suicide.

Aiming to raise awareness and fund grieving families, The Times of India has started the initiative, called ‘Save the farmer’s family’.

The 2-minute video focuses on a poor family which is trying to survive after a father’s suicide. There are no beautified corners and no happy ending.

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your favourite campaign used to raise awareness for social issues? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Sunday Video: Newcomers Must Work Harder!

Once online world was a lazy tiny pond...

These days it's a packed overcrowded public pool and if you're just learning to swim here, you better be ready to work hard.

Watch this video and check some insights on why and how newcomers must work harder than market leaders.

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

Friday Research: Oh, You Keep Me Warm And I'll Pay More!

When Will You Use This?  

Planning and managing your shopping environment.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

Is it possible that temperature affects consumer spending?

Current research examines whether warmth (warmth of one’s surroundings or the tactile temperature of the product) can be a buying incentive in the shopping environment. The researchers found that warm temperatures increase individuals' valuation of products. Furthermore, people in a warm room were willing to pay more than those in a cool room for a majority of consumer items shown to them, and other participants were willing to pay 36% more for items when holding warm, versus cool, therapeutic pads.

The studies suggest that exposure to physical warmth activates the concept of emotional warmth, evoking positive reactions and increasing product valuation.

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

It’s obvious that environmental factors influence people’s decisions in the shopping situation. Physical warmth can shape consumers’ purchase decisions and here are a few ideas how you can use it for your benefit:

• Optimize your shop’s temperature

 • Heat boosts attractiveness of your product so offer your products warm but only where it is an enhancement to the product.

• If your product has generally cool temperature and normally shouldn’t be heated, give your customer some other warm bonus, like a cup of tea or coffee.  

*Zwebner, Yonat, Leonard Lee, and Jacob Goldenberg. "The Temperature Premium: Warm Temperatures Increase Product Valuation." Journal of Consumer Psychology (forthcoming) {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with warm and cold stimuli in the shopping environment? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Tuesday In India: Our Bright Future Depends On Them

This warmed the cockles of my heart.

Youth channel Bindass from Disney UTV networks has aired a campaign called ‘B for change’ to show the sensitivity and strength of today’s youth.

Yes, today’s youngsters are passive, reckless and mad as a March hare.

But they are also incredibly determined, caring and bold enough to change the world. They can actually move heaven and earth when deeply inspired and energized.

This is one of those motivational drops from India:



As far as I’m aware, Bindass has created a partnership with NGOs to actually enable Indian youth to take real action and bring some desirable change.

Tuesday just got lighter.

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your favourite promotion on social media channels? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Sunday Video: SEO Basics Easy As ABC

Breath fire into your website.

Have you suddenly woken up and  felt that SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is like a new kid on your block? You want to become friends but you just don't know how. 

You came to the right place.

Watch this video and learn some important tricks on how to improve your SEO before you can say Jack Robinson.

It really is that fast and easy.

P.S. Yes, you'll hear me pronouncing "SEO" as "CEO" and it's a tiny experiment I'm doing these weeks, so don't get scared or scratch your ears, just eat the content :)

P.P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

Research Friday: People Choose Only What They Can Get At The Drop Of A Hat?

When Will You Use This?  

There might be some situations when it is profitable to make wait time seem more aversive and current* research helps to understand what influences consumers’ perception of wait time. For example, as the authors suggest, “the manager of an online store wanting consumers to opt for expensive expedited shipping would want the shipping wait time to seem more aversive.”

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

Tendency to assign humanlike characteristics, intentions, emotions to time is called "time anthropomorphism".

Current studies* analyze the connection between consumer reaction to wait time and his feelings of power. The authors conducted five studies, each analogous to a consumption setting. In the first study, consumers were offered a choice between a $5 gift certificate valid immediately and a $10 gift certificate valid after one week; in the second study, the consumers were offered a choice between withdrawing and investing money; in the third study - a choice between expedited and regular shipping; in the forth and fifth studies - a choice between inferior and superior products.

Customers who scored high on time anthropomorphism and low on power were more likely to choose readily available option (for example, the rewards or inferior products that were obtainable immediately) and less likely to choose the options which was postponed in time.

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

You might have already noticed that when the wait time stands in the way of two options, a consumer often opts for the one which is available sooner.

As authors suggest, “for low-power individuals, the potency of wait time can be heightened by anthropomorphism. So, if a manager is aware that the target segment comprises those who usually feel powerless in their lives (e.g., due to low income), inducing time anthropomorphism could heighten the potency of both aversive and beneficent wait time. However, since our studies usually find null results for high-power participants, managers may even ignore the power variable and just induce anthropomorphism in their communication.”  

*Frank May and Ashwani Monga. When Time Has a Will of Its Own, the Powerless Don’t Have the Will to Wait: Anthropomorphism of Time Can Decrease Patience. Journal of Consumer Research, February 2014. {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with the wait time? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Tuesday In India: If Love Had A Voice, What Would She Say?

Love is in the air.

And Cadbury Silk wants you to care about it.

The sweets giant has just hit the headlines with its new social media campaign for the upcoming Valentine's day in India. Not just to tickle your brains with nostalgic memories but also to launch a limited edition pack for lovers.

Kind of worn but cute.

Basically, Cadbury asked Twitter users to share their first love memories (using #FirstLoveIs), then integrated the best lines to create personalized sweet doodles. I'm sure there will be at least one which will make you smile (perhaps, blush) so check them here.

For me, the campaign brought back the memories of that Turkish chewing gum 'Love is' with liners about love - it was extremely popular in Post-Soviet countries in the 90s.

Well, great things need to be modified, not forgotten. Nice one, Cadbury. I can see teenagers chit-chatting about this at school and fighting for a piece of sweet bar.

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your favourite promotion on social media channels? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Sunday Video: Moon On The Stick - Marketing Trends of 2014

I think you are ready for this.

My last video in the series of  Top 5 Marketing Trends of 2014.

Hold your breath, dearest Marketer.

The fifth video is on Emotional Engagement. Fresh-baked, right here:

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. Missed the fourth video? Check it here.

Research Friday: How To Become The King Of Loyal Customers?

When Will You Use This? 

 

Planning and developing your commercial settings to provide meaningful experience for your customers and encourage place attachment.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today?

 

Place attachment is defined as one’s strong emotional bond with a specific location.

Current research* examines how people develop, experience, and act on place attachment in commercial settings. It is found that commercial place attachment emerges from experiences of familiarity, authenticity and security offered by the commercial setting, and from the associated experience of homeyness.

Moreover, it’s noted that consumers experience this unusually domesticated commercial experience as a gift from the service provider, and reciprocate with supportive behaviors toward the place, in particular volunteering, over-reciprocation, and ambassadorship.

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

 

Your business would only benefit from strong emotional bond with you customers. In order to provide enjoyable, extraordinary, and meaningful experience and social interaction, you don’t have to go for something extraordinary or spectacular. Make sure your customer feels comfortable at your business settings; there are a few symbolic elements that are similar to the general home environment; your interactions are always warm and respectful; your customer feels secure and safe, and it’s easy to find one’s way around a place.


*Debenedetti, Alain, Harmen Oppewal, Zeynep Arsel), Place attachment in commercial settings: A gift economy perspective, Journal of Consumer Research, 58 (Feb), 2014. {Thanks for the material}


P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with place attachment? Do you have one specific place (not your home!) you could go to war for? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Wednesday Video: Could Email Marketing Be The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread In Digital World?

There was a time when Social Media was this fancy fabulous queen of the digital world.

It has changed.

Recent study suggests that Email Marketing is now as big as the Eiffel Tower and as important as beautiful shoes to women (very important!).

Check this video and find out why, and how to use it for yourself.


P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. Want to learn more? Check my recent post on how timing is crucial for your Email Marketing.

Tuesday In India: Some Sort Of Nostalgia

“Indians are the Italians of Asia and vice versa. Every man in both countries is a singer when he is happy, and every woman is a dancer when she walks to the shop at the corner. For them, food is the music inside the body and music is the food inside the heart. Amore or Pyar makes every man a poet, a princess of peasant girl if only for second eyes of man and woman meets.”

Gregory David Roberts, Shantaram

Sunday Video: Reach For The Stars - Marketing Trends of 2014

I made a list of Top 5 Marketing Trends and there will be no bigger fish to fry this year.

Need I say more?

The fourth video is on Personalization. Sink your teeth into this:

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. I always talk very spontaneously so please be kind and take my pauses and tongue slips as natural reaction trying to be myself while imagining you :)