Psychology (9990) | The product

Consumer Psychology: Chapter 2.4 - The Product

Hello future Consumer Psychologists! This chapter is where we dive into the product itself—not just the flashy advertisements, but the physical object, its wrapping, where it sits on the shelf, and the moment the salesperson tries to seal the deal.

Understanding the product from a psychological perspective is crucial. It explains why a simple change in packaging can double sales, or why you might regret a purchase the moment you leave the store. We'll break down these key concepts, making sure they stick!

2.4.1 Packaging and Positioning of a Product

The product's packaging and location in the store are powerful psychological tools that influence our decisions long before we read the ingredients.

The Psychology of Gift-Wrapping

Why bother wrapping a gift? It’s inefficient and costs extra! Psychology tells us it’s about managing expectations and signalling effort.

• Beliefs of the Giver and Recipient: Givers often believe that beautiful wrapping enhances the gift's value and reflects the effort they put in, increasing the recipient’s anticipation.
• Why Gifts are Wrapped: Wrapping serves as a social cue. It marks the item as special (not for everyday use) and delays gratification, heightening the emotional experience when the gift is finally opened.
• Types of Wrapping: Research suggests that neat, formal wrapping often leads to higher expectations (which can lead to disappointment if the gift isn't great), while casual, messy wrapping might lower expectations, leading to a pleasant surprise if the gift is decent!

Quick Tip: Think of gift wrapping as a ‘pre-purchase’ experience. The longer and more exciting the anticipation, the better the final reveal feels (usually!).

Food Package Design and Taste Perception

You might think taste is just about your tongue, but packaging dramatically influences what you *think* you taste.

Key Study: Becker et al. (2011) - Tough Package, Strong Taste

This study investigated how the physical characteristics of food packaging influence our taste impressions and product evaluations.

• Design Context: Participants were asked to evaluate yogurt samples presented in either a square (considered 'tough') or round (considered 'tender') container.
• Findings: Yogurt presented in the square, tough package was rated as tasting stronger, higher in quality, and better designed compared to the same yogurt in the round package.
• Conclusion: Packaging attributes, particularly shape and presumed 'toughness', act as sensory cues that influence (and often distort) our perception of the product's taste and quality.

Imagine tasting the exact same juice from a heavy glass bottle versus a flimsy plastic pouch. The glass bottle makes you expect, and therefore perceive, a higher quality taste.

Attention and Shelf Position

Where a product is placed in a store is not random; it is highly calculated.

1. Planograms: These are detailed diagrams that dictate exactly where every product should be placed on a store shelf. They are designed to maximize sales by exploiting consumer visual attention patterns.

2. Central Gaze Cascade Effect: When looking at a display (like a supermarket shelf), our gaze tends to focus centrally first. Products placed at eye-level or in the centre of our visual field (the "A-spot") are processed faster and are more likely to be chosen.

3. Use of Eye-Tracking: Psychologists use eye-tracking technology to monitor exactly where consumers look on a shelf or display. This objective data helps retailers determine the optimal placement for high-profit items.

• Example Study (Atalay et al., 2012): Using eye-tracking, researchers found that consumers generally start scanning shelves from the centre and then move outwards. Products that manage to capture the initial central gaze get a massive advantage.

Key Takeaway for 2.4.1: Packaging and positioning are crucial cognitive cues. The wrapper sets expectations (like gift wrap), the container dictates perceived quality (Becker et al.), and shelf placement uses visual psychology (Central Gaze Cascade) to grab attention.

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2.4.2 Selling the Product

Once the consumer interacts with a salesperson, specific psychological techniques come into play to close the sale.

Sales Techniques: Focusing Orientations

Sales approaches can be categorised based on what the salesperson prioritises:

1. Customer-Focused Techniques: Prioritise understanding the buyer's needs, often using a friendly, relationship-building approach.
   Effect on Buyer-Seller Relationship: Builds trust, leads to long-term loyalty.
2. Competitor-Focused Techniques: Focus on highlighting the shortcomings of rival products while emphasizing the superiority of their own.
   Effect on Buyer-Seller Relationship: Can create a competitive, aggressive environment; focuses on immediate conversion rather than trust.
3. Product-Focused Techniques: Rely heavily on listing features, specifications, and factual information about the product.
   Effect on Buyer-Seller Relationship: Can bore or overwhelm the buyer; assumes the buyer knows exactly what features they need.

Interpersonal Influence Techniques: Disrupt-then-Reframe (DTR)

The DTR technique is a persuasion strategy that relies on confusing the buyer momentarily to bypass their critical thinking (Kardes et al., 2007).

• The Process:
  1. Disrupt: Present the product or price in a strange, non-standard way (e.g., "This item costs 400 pennies, that's four dollars!"). This disruption interrupts the routine cognitive processing.
  2. Reframe: Immediately follow the disruption with a compelling, positive rephrasing or reason ("...and that's an amazing deal!").
• Need for Cognitive Closure (NCC): The DTR technique works best on people who have a high Need for Cognitive Closure. NCC is a psychological need to reach a quick, definitive answer or decision, rather than sitting in confusion or ambiguity.
  When DTR works: The disruption creates ambiguity; people high in NCC quickly accept the 'reframe' to resolve the confusion and close the cognitive gap.

Did you know? Disrupt-then-reframe techniques were highly successful in selling greeting cards for charity, often doubling sales compared to simply stating the price (Davis & Knowles, 1999).

Cialdini's Six Ways to Close a Sale (Principles of Influence)

Robert Cialdini identified six universal principles that influence human decisions, which are widely used by sales professionals:

1. Reciprocity: People feel obligated to return a favour.
   (Sales Example: Giving a free sample or a small gift before asking for a purchase.)
2. Commitment and Consistency: People want to appear consistent with their previous actions or statements.
   (Sales Example: Getting the customer to agree to a small point first, making them more likely to agree to the larger sale.)
3. Social Proof: People tend to follow the actions of others.
   (Sales Example: "This is our best-selling product" or showing positive testimonials.)
4. Authority: People tend to obey legitimate authority figures or experts.
   (Sales Example: Wearing a uniform, displaying credentials, or citing expert research.)
5. Liking: People are more easily persuaded by people they like.
   (Sales Example: Complimenting the customer or finding common ground.)
6. Scarcity: Opportunities seem more valuable when they are less available.
   (Sales Example: "Limited time offer," or "Only two left in stock.")

Memory Aid for Cialdini: Remember the acronym R.C.S.A.L.S. (Reciprocity, Consistency, Social Proof, Authority, Liking, Scarcity).

Key Takeaway for 2.4.2: Selling relies on balancing focus (customer vs. product) and using strategic persuasion tactics like DTR (to bypass critical thought) and Cialdini's six principles (to leverage universal social rules).

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2.4.3 Buying the Product

The final section looks at the consumer’s role: how they navigate the purchasing process and how they feel immediately afterwards.

The Engel Kollat Blackwell (EKB) Model of Buyer Decision-Making

This model, developed by Engel, Kollat, and Blackwell, describes the typical sequence of mental and behavioural stages a consumer goes through when making a complex purchasing decision.

Step-by-Step EKB Process:

1. Input: Exposure to marketing stimuli (advertising, store design, product display).
2. Information Processing: The consumer pays attention to and understands the stimuli.
3. Decision Process Stages:
   • Need Recognition: Realising a need or problem (e.g., "My phone is too old").
   • Search for Information: Internal (memory) and External (ads, reviews) search.
   • Alternative Evaluation: Comparing available brands/options using evaluative criteria.
   • Purchase: Choosing the product and location (where) to buy.
   • Outcomes: Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Post-Purchase Dissonance.
4. Variables Influencing the Decision: External factors (culture, social class) and internal factors (personality, attitude) all shape the process.

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first! The EKB model is just a map. Most of your purchases follow this map, even if you don't realise it.

Deciding Where to Buy (Store Choice)

Consumers don't just choose a product; they choose a store based on complex psychological factors, sometimes related to demographics (Sinha et al., 2002).

• Reasons for Store Choice:
  • Atmosphere/Aesthetics: Is the store pleasant, clean, or prestigious?
  • Convenience: Location, ease of parking, speed of service.
  • Assortment and Quality: The range and perceived quality of goods available.
  • Sales Personnel: Helpfulness and perceived knowledge of staff.
  • Price and Promotions.
• Demographics (Age and Gender): Studies (e.g., Sinha et al., 2002) show that demographic factors influence which of the reasons above are prioritised. For instance, younger shoppers may prioritise convenience or aesthetics, while older shoppers might prioritise staff service or quality.

Post-Purchase Cognitive Dissonance

This is the feeling of psychological discomfort experienced after making a purchase, especially a large or expensive one. It occurs when a consumer holds two conflicting cognitions (thoughts) about their choice.

Conflicting Cognitions: "I bought this expensive laptop" (Action/Cognition 1) and "That other laptop was cheaper and maybe better" (Conflicting thought/Cognition 2).

Factors that Increase Dissonance:

• The cost of the purchase (financial or emotional).
• The irrevocability of the decision (can't return it).
• The number of close alternatives that were rejected.

Ways to Reduce Dissonance: Consumers are motivated to reduce this anxiety (Nordvall, 2014) through:

• Seek supporting information: Reading positive reviews about the product *after* buying it.
• Increase attractiveness of chosen option: Focusing only on the great features of the product you bought.
• Decrease attractiveness of rejected alternatives: Telling yourself the alternative options were secretly terrible.
• Revoke the decision: Returning the item (if possible).

Analogy: Cognitive dissonance is like buyer's remorse, but psychologists know you will actively try to convince yourself the purchase was right to soothe the internal conflict.