{"articles":[{"id":236,"title":"Emotional Intelligence","title_decorated":"How to succeed in a world of AI","slug":"emotional-intelligence","introduction":"Artificial Intelligence is on the rise^{[1](#1571746194388)}","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"How to succeed in a world of AI","detailed_introduction":"While we may be far away from the dystopian futures portrayed to us in Terminator and Black Mirror, it is certain that technology has an ever-increasing role in our lives. Truck drivers will shortly lose their jobs thanks to the development of self-driving trucks, and manufacturers are increasingly relying on machines over humans. In fact, machines can often do many of these jobs much more effectively (and also much cheaper) than their human counterparts. In such a world that is shortly around the corner, the skills that humans have traditionally needed will no longer be required. So what are the elements of ourselves that we should develop? This topic will be explored in the article. So firstly, what exactly is artificial intelligence (AI)? The definition that is most commonly used refers to a technology that is capable of performing a task once thought to require the intelligence of a human^{[2](#1571746194388)}. As the examples above have shown, technology is starting to encroach on the power of humans, and can outperform us in many ways. So where exactly should we focus our efforts, what does AI struggle to emulate? AI is exceptionally good at things like gathering and analysing data. For example, IBM’s Watson may soon be able to make accurate health diagnoses. However, AI largely falls short on its ability to understand and interact with humans. There are an array of cues that we use to gather information about each other from our interactions, that AI simply does not yet have the capacity to understand^{[3](#1571746194388)}. Our ability to infer the mood of others, build rapport, and establish a connection is often lost on technology. So it is these very interpersonal skills that we should focus on developing in the modern technology driven world. Where to start? What would provide you with the greatest advantage over others? Well, emotional Intelligence is probably your best bet, and this refers to our ability to be aware, and manage the emotions of both our own selves and of others. This has thought to be a cornerstone of interpersonal success; having high levels of emotional intelligence allows people to communicate more effectively, and to reduce the anxiety and stress of themselves and others^{[4](#1571746194388)}. It can also help us to diffuse conflict scenarios, empathise with others, and maintain good relationships. There are several ways of improving one’s emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. These will be explained below. Firstly, it is important to know how to listen properly^{[5](#1571746194388)}. This doesn’t involve simply concentrating on the content of what people say, but it involves an extra element of understanding the way that people say things, and the meaning behind their words. Are they expressing happiness or sadness? Maybe they’re angry? Perhaps they are behaving in a way that is incongruous with their speech? These are all aspects of interactions that have a distinctly human element to them, a complexity that (for now) requires a human to grasp fully. By focusing on your ability to listen and infer another individual’s state of mind, you are well placed to develop your interpersonal skills. Secondly, it is also important to learn how to manage your own emotions^{[6](#1571746194388)}. Whether this is stress, fear, or any other negative emotion, it is important to learn how to cope with such experiences. One effective technique for doing so involves being able to think in a positive mindset. For example, let's say that we are afraid of applying for a promotion that we know we deserve. It would be important then to encourage ourselves to think differently about the situation, and to develop further options that we can explore if the promotion does not pan out. This would give us a different mindset and allow us to better handle our experience. Lastly, we should also develop our ability to express ourselves clearly and effectively^{[7](#1571746194388)}. At times we have difficult emotions, and we need to learn how to express these in the appropriate manner, in such a way that also takes into account other people. Techniques to help you do so include the setting of boundaries, priorities, and the ability to say ‘no’. In summary, we have explored the skills that should be developed in the increasingly technology focused world. Doing so will help you stay relevant in a time when our jobs are increasingly at risk from the rise of intelligent technology. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"JWYOyoLr8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/120934/photo-1531746790731-6c087fecd65a.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":500,"width":695}}],"path":"/insights/emotional-intelligence","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":213,"title":"Correlation Misinterpreted","title_decorated":"Correlation doesn't equal causation","slug":"correlation-misinterpreted","introduction":"Within the scientific community, you often hear the phrase ‘correlation does not equal causation’, and for good reason. It is often difficult for scientists to find real evidence that one thing causes another, even when the link is often supposed and implied by a correlation. However, this doesn’t stop media outlets from exaggerating scientific findings; let’s say for example that an association is found between reading and emotional intelligence. For a headline to say ‘study shows reading makes you more emotionally intelligent’ would be a misleading and exaggerated take on the actual findings of the paper. But how much of a problem is this sort of thing? A recent study aimed to find out. ","category_id":13,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Correlation doesn't equal causation","detailed_introduction":"A 2014 study^{[1](#1571733798991)} of media articles which covered the results of correlational studies, looked at the rate at which such a phenomenon occurred (inferring causation from correlation), and found that around four in every five of them did so; clearly it’s a prevalent offence. Yet do these misreported findings really affect the reader's understanding, or do people make up their own mind about the value of a study? The same group of researchers aimed to find out. In their recent paper published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, they discovered that we don’t actually understand causality in a highly sophisticated way. Instead, we are quite simplistic in the way that we interpret these findings, and that we are not as misled as you might think. After reanalysis of their original study, they showed that of all the exaggerated article headlines, only 1 in 5 would influence the way we actually perceive causality. On top of this, exaggerating the headlines didn't actually result in an increased amount of coverage. All in all, this suggests that we can be a little more forgiving of the way that scientific headlines are portrayed in the media. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"PuHd7BaCD","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/084730/photo-1543286386-713bdd548da4.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1000,"width":1500}}],"path":"/insights/correlation-misinterpreted","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":13,"title":"Review","slug":"review","title_singularized":"Review"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":209,"title":"Music and aromas to influence your shopping experience","title_decorated":"Music and aromas to influence your shopping experience","slug":"music-and-aromas-to-influence-your-shopping-experience","introduction":"We all have a favourite song or a favourite scent. But, did you know that music and aromas can be used to influence your shopping experience? That’s right, retailers have devised clever ways to use different aspects of music and aromas to provide customers with a more satisfactory experience, leading to increased sales.","category_id":13,"section_id":1,"override_title":"","detailed_introduction":"Retail markets are becoming increasingly competitive and so it comes with no surprise that marketers and advertisers are constantly looking for innovative ways to differentiate their experience from other retailers. This is known as in-store atmospherics and includes all aspects of your shopping experience, from the music to the lighting. Naturally, research has attempted to discover the most effective combination of in-store atmospherics. One study in particular investigated the use of music and aroma^{[1](#1569943824134)}. Specifically, they compared the volume (high or low) and the presence or absence of a vanilla scent in a retail fashion store, focusing on young female shoppers. Interestingly, the volume of the music and the presence of vanilla in the store affected the shoppers’ emotions and satisfaction levels. Loud music and the use of a pleasant vanilla scent increased customers’ arousal, which in turn beneficially affected their shopping behaviour, including the amount of money and time they spent in the store. It is important to note here that this study was limited to one audience is one type of shop and so it may not be the case that pumping loud music and vanilla scents will work in all stores. Nevertheless, the results show that it is important for retailers to consider in-store atmospherics, as having the right combination of music and aroma can improve shopping behaviours including; time spent in store, money spent in store and overall satisfaction with the experience. Research into this area thus provides unique insights for retailers into adapting their in-store atmospherics to provide a competitive advantage. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"j3q9wdhDs","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/1/152846/photo-1521335629791-ce4aec67dd15.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":500,"width":750}}],"path":"/insights/music-and-aromas-to-influence-your-shopping-experience","published_on":"01/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":13,"title":"Review","slug":"review","title_singularized":"Review"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":240,"title":"Genomics of Consumer Behaviour","title_decorated":"Genomics of Consumer Behaviour","slug":"genomics-of-consumer-behaviour","introduction":"Science fiction has often hinted at a future in which our genetic information is used to augment our lives. ","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Genomics of Consumer Behaviour","detailed_introduction":"In the popular film Gattaca^{[1](#1571747948217)}, humans are genetically tweaked at birth to give them the best chance they could have in life. While we are not currently at this point, it does seem as though some companies are actually using our genetic information in a commercial setting, to offer us customised products and services^{[2](#1571747948217)}. We are coming ever closer to a newer, highly technologically advanced world. This article will explore just how these companies are using our genetic information to tailor the customer experience, and see if there is any substance to this new movement. Firstly, it is important to understand just how this movement has come about. The answer lies in the decreasing cost of technology. Over the course of the last ten years or so, the cost of sequencing one’s DNA has decreased incredibly, making it relatively inexpensive and ever-increasingly accessible to consumers^{[3](#1571747948217)}. The information that is contained within our DNA can be of great value too – allowing for the development of targeted drugs and therapies, health information and even some information about your ancestral heritage. As such, this is becoming a new and potentially radical tool, the potential of which is just being realised. We are very much at the beginning of what could be a new wave in the way products are marketed towards consumers. So what sort of products are currently offered? And how do they make use of DNA information to provide a completely bespoke product? Well, in the UK there are a few companies who are offering such services. One popular use is in the area of health and fitness^{[4](#1571747948217)}. Companies such as DNAFit and DNA Vitality are offering a DNA testing service, which then returns people’s results in a way which can provide them with ‘tailored’ advice about how to both eat and exercise correctly. It portrays the assumption that we each have a way of exercising and a diet that suits us best, according to our DNA. Of course, it is always important to research the science behind such services, and to see if the companies making such offerings have the relevant literature to back up their claims^{[5](#1571747948217)}. One example of a company that has been critiqued for having dubious offerings, is that of Vinome. This organisation tests your DNA to return you with bespoke solutions tailored around what type of wines you will enjoy. Experts in the field believe that such products are misleading in nature, and so we should be careful where we choose to spend our money. Other companies are exploring the role that our DNA might have in showing us the sports that we are likely to excel at. It has been thought that our genetic information contains clues as to whether we naturally have high levels of endurance or are perhaps relatively strong, and as such they might be able to help identify where our natural talents lie. However, the most popular category at the moment seems to be in the area of health. Companies, such as 23andMe^{[6](#1571747948217)}, are offering DNA kits that determine an array of different health information, aiming to indicate risk areas, health conditions, and other traits. The results can be quite useful, providing you with information on how your body responds to caffeine, lactose, and even male pattern baldness. Other more detailed (and expensive) kits such as Genos are also becoming available. In fact, an array of offerings are appearing on the market, such as those from Ubiome: a company that allows you to test the health of your gut. It is easy to see how such information will be of interest to the curious, and it will likely become ever more accurate and comprehensive as time goes on. In summary, we have explored the current offerings that are being made in the field of genomics and customised products. We have seen that some can offer unique insights into our own health, whereas others might have less validated products. Amongst these product offerings, one thing is certain; we are entering a new era of highly personalised services that can offer the consumer an unparalleled level of insight into their genetics, thanks to the rise of technology. Perhaps you are uncertain of whether this level of awareness about our own health is a good thing. Or maybe you doubt the trustworthiness of such companies and what they will do with your information. Nevertheless, it is important to realise that such a change is coming, and will likely be a part of our future. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"giuunYjjV","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/23/131220/photo-1557821552-17105176677c.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":500,"width":889}}],"path":"/insights/genomics-of-consumer-behaviour","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":237,"title":"The Evolution of Digital Payment","title_decorated":"The Evolution of Digital Payment","slug":"the-evolution-of-digital-payment","introduction":"We have moved a long way forward in the last 100 years. Since times when paying with gold coins was the norm, our current society would appear mystical in contrast. With contactless payments, money can now be transferred between two different parties in mere seconds, and the whole exchange is invisible to the human eye","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"The Evolution of Digital Payment","detailed_introduction":"However, this in itself is just a temporary phase; digital wallets are set to become the future. The financial institution Worldpay estimates that digital wallets will be the most popular payment method in the world, and that credit and debit cards will fall from 2/3rds to half of all transactions by 2019^{[1](#1571746674738)}. This article will explore how businesses and retailers should get ahead of the upcoming trend, and how they may be affected by it. Firstly, it is important to mention what digital wallets are. They are most commonly software applications that mimic a real life wallet, but are stored on electronic devices^{[2](#1571746674738)}. They can be used for making electronic transactions in store and online. In their current form, they most popularly appear on smartphones that are enabled to make transactions using NFC technology (near-field communication - allowing two devices to communicate with one another within very short distances); the same thing technology used in contactless bank cards. Google Wallet and Apple Pay represent some of the options that are being developed by large international organisations^{[3](#1571746674738)}. Digital wallets will undoubtedly revolutionise the finance sector and the way we manage our money, but they also have the potential to radically change the way we shop in physical retail environments too^{[4](#1571746674738)}. This is because they will simplify the process of payment, and make it more convenient for consumers to purchase items. Queues, for example, will likely be shortened as customers can quickly pay using their phone. Apple is even developing Bluetooth enabled payment methods, which mean that payment could occur anywhere in the store. Secondly, digital wallets will allow small purchases to be made in a convenient way. As it stands, these are usually made in cash, and so using a digital wallet will lessen the need for physical money, further leading to its demise. Over time, the acceptance of digital wallets will result in a more effortless way of paying. The amount of sales that a business experiences will also likely increase with the adoption of this technology. This is because the ‘pain’ associated with purchasing will be reduced. This phenomena is already seen in the use of contactless cards, as consumers using this method of payment are likely to spend more, and more frequently. The reasoning behind this is that the behavioural costs of purchasing are reduced; it takes much less time and uses less cognitive resources^{[5](#1571746674738)}. We are also much more removed from the physical reality of handing money over to someone. Perhaps the most important benefit that retailers may see from the use of such wallets is the ability to offer a highly personalised customer experience. The digital wallet generates data in real time that can be used to develop a heightened understanding of the consumer. With permission, their past spending habits could be used for brands to provide offers that are specific to the customer, and tailored to their desires. For brands to get ahead of this shift in payment method, they should think about developing the following strategies and techniques in the near future. Firstly, develop a method or system that can deliver personalised messages across all devices and mediums. Personalise the messages based on things like location and purchase history^{[6](#1571746674738)}. Secondly, understand the needs, goals and implicit drives of your customer. When combining this knowledge with real-time data about their purchases, it will provide a unique insight into the offers that might attract them. Lastly, develop a way of analysing the data that is gained through the use of such wallets. Try to identify trends within the data, and use it to help guide future sales^{[7](#1571746674738)}. It is important to also understand what areas the business would like to see improvement in; it could be sales, or customer retention, for example. Understand consumer trends with a view to developing these aspects of your business. However, despite this technology being around for approximately five years, it is yet to fully take off^{[8](#1571746674738)}. For example, Starbuck’s high profile deal with the digital wallet company Square eventually turned sour, as unexpected fees led to financial difficulties. It is not just at the business end though; consumers are also yet to fully adopt the payment method. Despite this, it is only a question of time before an organisation figures out the best way of offering this technology, and when they do, it will be best to be ahead of the curve, rather than lagging behind. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"7RtdrA1Pe","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/122344/photo-1509017174183-0b7e0278f1ec.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":501,"width":751}}],"path":"/insights/the-evolution-of-digital-payment","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":216,"title":"The Power of Priming","title_decorated":"How priming is used in the retail world to influence our purchasing decisions","slug":"the-power-of-priming","introduction":"Are we really in control of what we buy? Although you would like to think that to be true, sadly it is not. The culprit; priming.","category_id":13,"section_id":1,"override_title":"How priming is used in the retail world to influence our purchasing decisions","detailed_introduction":"Priming is the activation of certain associations in memory before carrying out a decision. This means that cunning techniques exist to influence the way in which we make decisions. For instance, B_ _ K could be read as book, bark, etc. Interestingly though, when shown words such as dog or paws before, people are more likely to complete the word as bark. In this case, the list of words serve as a prime to influence the completion of the following word. Surprisingly, these factors are thought to influence us on an unconscious level, meaning we are not aware that they are happening. Marketers have caught onto their influence and use them frequently to encourage purchasing decisions. Research has explored this concept in the retail world, providing us with some quite remarkable results. One study put priming to the test in 1999^{[1](#1571736294695)}. For two weeks in a supermarket, French and German music were played on alternate days and the amount of French and German wine sold was measured. Interestingly, it turned out that more French wine was sold when French music was playing, and the same effect for German wine and music. Even more surprisingly, when questioned after buying wine people struggled to recall what music was playing and were unaware of the effects of music on what they purchased. In this instance, the music acted as a prime to influence purchasing behaviour. Clearly, priming is quite a powerful tool in the fact that it can influence decisions without us knowing. Everything from brand logos, colours and packaging to smells, sounds and sights can prime us to decide in a certain way. Admittedly, it is slightly frightening to think that in some circumstances external factors which we are unaware of are influencing our purchasing decisions. Nevertheless, it is down to marketers and advertisers to devise ways to use priming in ethical and appropriate ways.","thumbnail":[{"id":"E3tH1WSlQ","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/092415/photo-1516594915697-87eb3b1c14ea.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1000,"width":1500}}],"path":"/insights/the-power-of-priming","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":13,"title":"Review","slug":"review","title_singularized":"Review"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":269,"title":"Images vs. Text","title_decorated":"Images vs. Text: The battle for your attention and your wallet","slug":"images-vs-text","introduction":"Is a picture really worth a thousand words?","category_id":null,"section_id":2,"override_title":"Images vs. Text: The battle for your attention and your wallet","detailed_introduction":"We are undoubtedly living in a world that has become more and more image-based. Compare this to when the Internet was in its youth, where it was almost solely a text-based tool. Now, image dominated apps like Instagram and Snapchat have reached extraordinary levels of popularity, image based adverts appear on buses, and the news is rife with various videos. In this environment, in which we are exposed to hundreds of ads and images a day^{[1](#1571820770183)}, how does black and white text hold up in comparison? Do consumers prefer it? Or are visual elements more effective? This piece will try to give evidence above and beyond that which is given by marketers and ill-informed media charlatans. Psychological research quite clearly supports the fact that brands and adverts are often easier to remember if they contain visual elements. From a marketing perspective, it is of high importance to the company that a brand stays in the memory of consumers. Studies show that when a text based message or campaign is accompanied by an image, we are much more likely to remember it in the long term, than if it is just displayed as text alone^{[2](#1571820771705)}. This insight is hugely implemented by companies today. So, brands prefer to use images as it means they are more likely to be remembered, but how do consumers react? The rising popularity of infographics^{[3](#1571820778282)} suggests that we also like to receive information in a way that is visual. In fact, it is clear that images often clarify things in a way that text simply cannot. If we take the example of a population density map^{[4](#1571820872052)}, we can quickly and clearly develop a level of understanding that would be difficult to reach if the data was presented to us in a written format. Companies have realised the power of such methods, often expressing relevant information in a visual way. One example is amazon reviews; if we want to quickly know how good a product is, we only need to look at the five star rating. Images are also a good way of communicating details of products to consumers, such as item quality^{[5](#1571820855117)}. As such, images are especially prevalent on Internet selling sites: it would be hard to imagine an Amazon without space for pictures. In fact, eBay recommends their use as a way of boosting sales, and encourages high quality pictures by letting sellers upload a certain amount for free. However, it is not simply a case of using images. There are several nuances that one must be aware of. This is because psychologically, consumers are lazy. When we look at the way our brain works, we have a limited amount of cognitive resources that we can use to process and remember incoming information^{[6](#1571820858742)}. Due to this, we tend to favour the path that requires the least mental effort. Our attention also works in a similar way; we often disregard irrelevant information at times when the amount of incoming stimuli is high^{[7](#1571820875761)}. This means that if we are crossing a busy city street, we are less likely to see the fly buzzing past our faces than if we were sat at our desk at work. As a result of this, text may sometimes be preferred, if it can summarise what happens more effectively than an image, especially when there are lots of other things competing for attention. When applying this understanding to the brand itself, it is important to remember that brands want to be noticed and remembered. This means that many still opt for visual logos for the benefits they bring in being remembered by consumers, but they should also simplify their logos. This not only results in less effort in processing on the consumer’s part, but also creates an environment that is less taxing, and hence makes the brand more likely to be noticed by the consumer. The best, or most successful brands have picked up on this, and adapted over time. For example, with both Apple and Microsoft, the company logos have evolved to become much more minimalist. Both have chosen visual forms to appear more memorable, but have simplified their design to be more easily processed, and hence recognisable. Below are some tips on how to improve brand recall and recognition. **Tip 1**: To aid recognition, it is important that brands acknowledge their distinctive elements, if they were to change their logo in any way. This could be when simplifying their logo, or in fact during any rebranding procedure. This is because the distinctive elements of a brand’s logo are what consumers use to recognise it. **Tip 2**: To further aid recognition of a product or brand, it is important to display it in the appropriate place. This is because we also take in the context of objects when processing information. A product or brand that appears in an unusual context is less likely to be recognised. As such, if you have created a product that has been traditionally sold in a certain part of the shop, like the freezer section, and it no longer requires it, it is still best to sell it where consumers expect to see it. **Tip 3**: When increasing brand recall, you want consumers to think of your brand first and foremost. This is often especially important for online websites. To do this, you should push your brand name to consumers. Using retargeting ads is one way to do this, as they encourage a consumer to re-explore your company’s website/product if they have already had exposure to it. This will help to solidify your brand in their memory, and ultimately, lead to greater success. The increasing use of visuals and pictures in current society is undeniable. However, before you blindly jump on the bandwagon, just remember that visuals are useful primarily because they simplify. If something works better in text, then by all means, don’t be afraid to express your content in this way. At the heart of it, humans are bombarded with information every hour of their waking days. Anything you can do to simplify your message and get it into people’s heads is the true aim.","thumbnail":[{"id":"22T32jJFw","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/23/084516/lost-places-pforphoto-leave-factory-162402.jpeg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":627,"width":940}}],"path":"/features/images-vs-text","published_on":"23/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":2,"title":"Features","slug":"features","intro":"In-depth knowledge reports that enable professionals to connect with their audience and manage their brands more successfully.","title_singularized":"Feature"},"section":{"id":2,"title":"Features","slug":"features","intro":"In-depth knowledge reports that enable professionals to connect with their audience and manage their brands more successfully.","title_singularized":"Feature"}},{"id":223,"title":"Changing Brands","title_decorated":"Brand switching: Nudges to persuade the consumer","slug":"changing-brands","introduction":"Why are consumers unlikely to change brands? What can companies do to persuade consumers to change to their brand? ","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Brand switching: Nudges to persuade the consumer","detailed_introduction":"If you could get a hundred pounds for less than an hours work, would you? Common sense would tell us yes. Yet when it comes to the brands we choose, the opposite is often the case: many of us don’t consider switching brands, even when it can save us substantial amounts of money. For example, a recent survey by GfK^{[1](#1571739084816)} discovered that changing between brands is highly uncommon in the retail banking and utility sectors. This article will explore why this might be, and will suggest tips that marketers could use to get consumers to switch. So why is it that as consumers, we seem to be so damn stubborn? What is it that's stopping us from switching? Well, a 2012 report^{[2](#1571739084816)} found that when asked, people didn’t tend to switch banks for the reason of price, but instead cited lifestyle factors as their reason. In fact, the top three reasons for switching banks were as follows: which banks their friends and family used, whether the location was convenient, and whether they knew an employee who worked there or not. However, this report only explored consumers’ conscious thoughts in their decision making, tested explicitly through the use of one on one interviews. This doesn’t quite show the whole picture, and there are a few subconscious elements at play which strongly affect decision making. These implicit psychological principles that underlie consumer decision making are as follows. Firstly, the concept of hyperbolic discounting comes into play. This is the tendency to favour smaller rewards now, over larger rewards later^{[3](#1571739084816)}. In other words, we prefer instant gratification rather than delayed gratification. As such, when applied to the concept of switching (for example) electricity suppliers, it means that consumers don’t weight future savings as highly as they should. Further, the smaller these future savings, the less likely they are to outweigh the hassle associated with switching. As such, a tip for marketers would be to incorporate some sort of immediate reward for switching, to appeal to consumers’ desire for instant gratification. Secondly, loss aversion is an important concept to keep in mind^{[4](#1571739084816)}. Essentially, we are much more sensitive to potential losses than we are to potential gains of the same amount. So a 1 in 2 chance of losing $20 seems more significant than a 1 in 2 chance of gaining $20. When applied to a consumer context, we can see it as such; savings of $X seem much less powerful than ‘you can lose out on $X by not switching’. As such, a tip for marketers would be to employ this very principle, framing potential savings as losses. Thirdly, the theory of anticipated regret^{[5](#1571739084816)} may also play a role in consumers’ decisions to not switch brands. This theory states that individuals anticipate regret when making decisions, and therefore incorporate a desire to eliminate or reduce their regret in their decision making model. By making the active decision to switch brands, consumers have the potential to experience buyers remorse, meaning staying with their brand will likely be the path of least regret. Marketers can help dissuade this by offering consumers a ‘price guarantee’. Examples of this can be seen among supermarkets^{[6](#1571739084816)} such as ASDA, stating “If we're not 10% cheaper than Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, or Waitrose on your comparable grocery shop we'll give you the difference.” In addition to the advice above, you should also ensure that your costs are transparent^{[7](#1571739084816)}; this makes it much easier for consumers to make a decision, whilst also making the brand more trustworthy. Finally, one of the simplest, yet most effective strategies would be to make switching as simple as possible. Consumers are inherently lazy, and have a limited amount of cognitive resources to make decisions^{[8](#1571739084816)}. By making it easier for them to decide, you are increasing the likelihood that they will switch to your product or service. All in all, we have explored why consumers often fail to make the change to an alternative brand, and provided tips that marketers can employ to promote change. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"QmE3prbL6","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/101329/pexels-photo-277615.jpeg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1003,"width":1880}}],"path":"/insights/changing-brands","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":222,"title":"Online and Physical retail","title_decorated":"Bridging the Gap Between the Online and Physical Space","slug":"online-and-physical-retail","introduction":"How can brands utilise both online and offline platforms to boost their performance? What factors underlie this performance boost?","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Bridging the Gap Between the Online and Physical Space","detailed_introduction":"The world of online retail has been growing continuously, and is not expected to slow down anytime soon. Online retail has provided modern consumers with the opportunity to purchase everything, from groceries to an entire holiday, all from the comfort of their own home. However, retailers are beginning to realize the importance of utilising both physical and online platforms, with many consumers regularly using three or more different channels to do their shopping^{[1](#1571738806925)}.This integration between e-commerce and brick and mortar shops has been encapsulated perfectly by the opening of Amazon’s various brick and mortar bookstores^{[2](#1571738806925)}. Consumers increasingly expect to be able to access a brand in a way that suits them and fits into their lives. Sometimes this will involve being accessible 24/7 via online services; at others times, brands will need to provide a physical space where the consumer can enjoy aimlessly browsing their products. Whilst brands are desperately trying to provide these multiple touch points to reach out to the consumer, they often lack the seamless transition from online to physical platforms that is crucial for their effectiveness. Yet the myriad of benefits associated with a successful integration between platforms can be invaluable to a brand. Firstly, such integration allows a coherent brand message to develop. For a message to be properly understood and recalled, the consumer needs to be repeatedly exposed to it. What’s more, such exposure is most effective when it comes from a variety of different sources, such as in store, on an email and in a print magazine. This presents brands with the perfect opportunity to decide on the messages and brand values they want to promote, and align them across the multiple channels they are operating in. Indeed, this consistency is what leads to learning, and is highly successful when it comes to communicating a brand’s narrative to the consumer. Another bonus of integrating physical and online platforms is the ability to execute campaigns with a sharper message. One such example is British Airways’ ‘Magic of Flying’ campaign, which had digital billboards displaying #lookup, the billboards in turn showing on-screen children pointing to planes flying overhead in real time. This offline campaign succeeded in attracting online traffic through the lookup hashtag, triggering over 75,000 visits to its website, as well as a YouTube video of the Piccadilly Circus billboard which received over 1.5 million views. This is a prime example of how incorporating both physical and digital elements in a marketing campaign can drive engagement and really pinpoint the intended message. Having primed consumers with the same brand messages across different channels, brands will reap the rewards when it comes to making purchases. When customers go to browse products, whether via website or instore, they will recognize the common signs of the brand. For instance, utilising the same imagery or themes both online and offline allows consumer to feel more familiar with the environment and brand. Consumers have been shown to display a preference for items that they feel familiar with, hence these recognizable brand signs act as cues to remind customers of the brand’s narrative, put them at ease, and ultimately encourage purchasing. Last (but far from least), the coherence gained from integrating platforms, coupled with repeated exposure to the brand’s message, leads to the development of a trusting relationship between the customer and the brand. The consistency and comprehensibility of the brand’s values puts the customer in a position where they are able to feel close to the company, trusting the brand to deliver what it claims to. Brand trust is a key aspect to brand loyalty and so again, improved financial performance is likely to occur as a result of this relationship. So then, the time has well and truly come for retailers to harmonize their physical and online interfaces. Companies need to connect with a future generation of consumers, who constantly flit between both online and offline channels. While luxury brands in particular are apprehensive to engage in this integration of channels, for fear of appearing too accessible or contemporary, they may well be missing out on a highly effective way of increasing customer engagement and sales.","thumbnail":[{"id":"3E5zP3oZk","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/100720/photo-1441986300917-64674bd600d8.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":501,"width":750}}],"path":"/insights/online-and-physical-retail","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":" ","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":225,"title":"User Generated Content Marketing Campaigns","title_decorated":"User Generated Content Marketing Campaigns","slug":"user-generated-content-marketing-campaigns","introduction":"Gone are the days where brands could simply rely on posters and flashy adverts to sell their products. In a time where consumers are more sceptical than ever, demanding authenticity from brands, user generated content (UGC) marketing campaigns have never been more important.","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"","detailed_introduction":"For those unaware, UGC is any content produced and shared by consumers (as opposed to brands) which relates to a brand. For campaigns, this most often comes in the form of a friendly competition or challenge (think Starbucks White Cup Contest ^{[1](#1571739240398)}) or getting users to upload specific content (think Coke’s Share a Coke campaign ^{[2](#1571739352016)}). Essentially, UGC campaigns are a way to create free brand ambassadors and advertisers, in a way that allows a brand to more authentically connect with its customers. UGC is quickly becoming a hit for brands wanting to engage with people in a more human way. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why UGC campaigns are so successful, hopefully encouraging you to consider using UGC within your future marketing exploits. As nice as it is to see Apple release their next best invention, or hear about Facebook’s newest feature, these experiences ultimately lack a sense of emotional investment from the consumer. To the average person, such developments are often seen as a bunch of suits behind closed doors making products for profit, allowing us no insight into the process. The result is simply corporate output, with no reason for people to truly care about anything but the end product. UGC campaigns flip this entire process onto its head. UGC campaigns let people be innovative, gives anyone the chance to be seen or heard (and in some cases win), provides an engaging and entertaining experience, and allows people to be part of a community. Essentially, UGC campaigns mean people can be much more involved with a business, creating genuine connections between the brand and consumer. The bonus is that with so many content creators, there’s bound to be some good material in the mix – and after all, the easiest way to produce content which people like is to have people make it themselves. Who knows consumers better than consumers? Authentic/trustworthy Trust is a rare commodity in the modern day and age, but UGC provides a chance to cut through the defensive shield adorned by any and every savvy consumer. 92% of people are more likely to trust a recommendation from another person over branded content ^{[3](#1571739571572)}; 84% of Millennials report that UGC from strangers has at least some influence on what they buy ^{[4](#1571739623651)}; 51% of Millennials trust UGC more than other information on a company website ^{[5](#1571740112811)}, and the list goes on. In short, seeing users interact with a brand in a genuine way, not centred on sales, goes a long way in humanising the company, allowing people to take their guards down just a little. UGC just provides the means for a more real human interaction to occur. Combine this with the fact that 63% of consumers would buy from a company they consider to be authentic over and above its competitors ^{[6](#1571740128057)}, and you find that UGC campaigns are a recipe for success. Cheap If everything that’s been said above wasn’t enough, to top it all off, UGC campaigns are extremely cost effective. Of course you’ll have to have a strong concept and framework to begin with (and perhaps a juicy reward), but following on from this, consumers do all the work for you. What’s more, people are happy to have taken part at all, enjoying the engaging experience that you’ve provided. This sounds a lot better than another expensive but ineffective ad campaign, getting lost within the sea of content people breeze past on a daily basis. With all that’s been said, it’s a wonder that more brands haven’t jumped on the opportunity whilst it’s still fairly fresh. UGC campaigns provide a fantastic way to engage with your consumers, creating a more authentic brand experience, and allowing your company to be associated with free, high quality content, all at once. Just remember to have fun with it, and keep these campaigns as light-hearted as possible. The best UGC campaigns have all stuck to this rule^{[7](#1571740138073)}: engagement comes first, sales later. It truly is the age of the consumer, and any company would be wise to embrace UGC with open arms. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"K7Nib_p7M","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/101116/pexels-photo-431722.jpeg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":2250,"width":3000}}],"path":"/insights/user-generated-content-marketing-campaigns","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":226,"title":"Typeface in marketing","title_decorated":"Comic Sans or Times New Roman? Choose your font carefully","slug":"typeface-in-marketing","introduction":"When typing an email how often do you pay close attention to the font you use?","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Comic Sans or Times New Roman? Choose your font carefully","detailed_introduction":"You might just rely on the automatic font which appears on your computer or select one you are familiar with. Although font may not seem like an influential and powerful factor to consider, in the world of marketing, it is. Specifically, typeface (aka font) is a key area of design which marketers should consider. Not only does the appearance of the font seem to matter, such as its legibility, research also suggests that typefaces can have personalities, would you believe. As a result, different typefaces actually produce noticeably varied reactions in consumers, which in turn can have important consequences for the message or product being marketed. Perhaps the most obvious part of typeface, mentioned briefly already is the appearance of the typeface, specifically its readability and legibility. Typefaces can vary greatly in how easy they are to read, understand and enjoy and research has seen how this can be applied to logo design. Interestingly, it’s been shown that when a logo is somehow unclear or ambiguous, it will decrease the amount of trust that consumers have in a firm^{[1](#1571741562936)}. It may also affect their overall attitude towards it in a negative fashion. As such, it can be important for marketers to consider such small details, as they could actually have a large effect on how consumers react to a brand or product. But typeface design is also much more than this, fonts can have personalities too^{[2](#1571741739515)}! In fact, research has shown that individuals tend to rate typefaces as having certain qualities. For example, these qualities include directness, gentleness and cheerfulness, and we tend to match more than just personality to different typefaces as we also feel as though they have different tastes. A recent study performed at Oxford University^{[3](#1571741761379)} showed how we tend to match round typefaces to sweet products, and angular typefaces to more bitter and sour products. As such, it is clear that consumers respond to more than just the written meaning in a brand’s content, but also that way in which it is presented. Below are some tips on how to implement such findings in your work. Tip No 1. Ensure that the typeface you use on any branded material is both legible and readable^{[4](#1571741782725)}. This is highly important for consumers, as we tend to be lazy creatures. As such, consumers often do not pay attention or attempt to decipher fonts that are difficult to read or simply illegible. By making the font readable, you ensure that it requires less effort for consumers to process, making people more likely to read to message and, as such increasing the chances of your message being conveyed and understood. Tip No 2. Ensure that the personality of your selected typeface matches with the personality of the product that you are trying to sell^{[5](#1571741808161)}. This is because consistency is important to consumers. By being consistent in all parts of your brands output, you help strengthen the message and understanding of your brand in the consumer's mind. To have a particular font that emits an aura of class might be appropriate for a luxury product, but not for a construction company, which might favour a simple and bold font. Typeface plays a huge role in the world of marketing; small details which seem insignificant can actually have a large impact upon consumers, and a brand’s image and success. As such, it is vital to pay close attention to these details as one wrong font could mean a whole message is ultimately ignored by consumers. When creating a message or product it is worth ensuring that the typeface is easy to read and that the personality of the font matches the personality and image of the brand, as the consequences of failing to meet these demands can have detrimental effects on the success of a brand. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"BhNBDXeJf","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/105118/texture-handwriting-sutterlin-vintage-99562.jpeg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":2250,"width":3375}}],"path":"/insights/typeface-in-marketing","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":230,"title":"Third Space","title_decorated":"Third Space: Three is a Magic Number","slug":"third-space","introduction":"‘Luxury’ is changing.","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Third Space: Three is a Magic Number","detailed_introduction":"Take the fact that in 2014, whilst £131 billion was spent on acquiring personal luxury goods, a whopping £355 billion was spent on unique travel adventures^{[1](#1571743757117)}. This statistic alone symbolizes the current shift in the consumer mind-set, from the aspiration to own luxury goods, to the desire for luxury experiences. As a result, the future of luxury appears to be more experiential in nature, allowing customers to gain satisfaction from the contribution that experiences can add to our identity and happiness, rather than through owning physical goods. This trend is almost certainly influenced by the social sharing world we live in, in which all of our experiences are captured and subsequently plastered over Instagram and Facebook, for all our friends to envy. This resonates especially for the Millennial generation, a demographic predicted to shortly outspend the baby boomer generation. In addition to a constantly changing definition of luxury, new brands have arisen, and are embracing modern ways to communicate with consumers; hence the luxury space is increasingly crowded. Typically, the world of luxury has resisted digital technology and new ways to communicate with their customers, as they have to protect their high status, built on exclusivity and uniqueness. From this struggle to demonstrate their unique value in a competitive modern landscape, and the consumer demand for more experiential luxury, a solution has emerged in the form of third space. The concept of third space depicts a place in which brands can demonstrate their values and share their story, yet without the pressure for customers to make transactions. For example, Louis Vuitton’s 2015 London exhibition, which presented the Fall 2015 collection along with the opportunity to discover the stories behind the products, and become fully immersed in the brand. Alternatively, the Dior restaurant in Seoul or the Burberry café in London also offer a unique touchpoint with a brand, again without the imposing expectation to buy a product. These carefully crafted spaces can function as an effective marketing strategy, as they provide brands with the freedom to express themselves and communicate their brand story in a means which is compatible with their brand values. For Louis Vuitton, an exhibition, rather than a Facebook post. These spaces are often interactive, and have the ability to raise awareness of distinctive brand cues that will be recalled when the consumer goes to make a purchase. What’s more, the engaging and often innovative nature of a third space is likely to enhance attitudes towards the brand, which again will increase customers’ likelihood to make a purchase. The unique benefit of a third space lies within the chance to build a genuine relationship with the customer, which is enabled through the process of physically experiencing a brand. The physical space enables brands to build both an emotional and sensory connection with the consumer, an achievement which is far harder to accomplish online. Research has shown that a rich and memorable experience is obtained when individuals are simultaneously educated, entertained, immersed, and comfortable^{[2](#1571743913173)}. These four aspects can be incorporated into retail through the use of a third space and will allow for a deeper emotional connection to develop between the consumer and the brand. A third space also contributes to the integration between online and physical stores. By offering a place which is neither an ecommerce platform nor a bricks and mortar store, the brand has created a hub to focus purely on curating a showcase for the brand, which can then be referred back to in other channels. Further, it appeals to the millennial consumer who is seeking to discover the brand in a more experiential manner, before making any decisions on whether to purchase from them. The face of luxury is changing and as a result brands are increasingly required to create innovative experiences as competition is forever growing. A third space is the perfect opportunity for brands to do exactly this. Ultimately third spaces allow a brand to; engage consumers by enabling customers to build a relationship with the brand, tell a story expressing their important and distinctive values, seamlessly integrate marketing channels to encourage sales and perhaps most importantly, in today’s digital world, the idea of a third space appeals to the modern consumer who seeks novel experience. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"qf1TY95Ye","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/112120/photo-1490436512653-03e8f0e01d54.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":868,"width":1416}}],"path":"/insights/third-space","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":232,"title":"Small Businesses","title_decorated":"Size Matters: Is a Small Business Right for you?","slug":"small-businesses","introduction":"Facebook, Snapchat, Airbnb, Uber. The attraction of a startup is enticing, and the potential financial rewards are mind blowing. While the profits of these companies are akin to that of lottery winnings, it is important to remember that so are one’s chances of success.","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Size Matters: Is a Small Business Right for you?","detailed_introduction":"If you are willing to forego the glamour and popularity that startups offer, you may find that a more appropriate solution is waiting out there for you; the small business. The potential benefits of owning a small business are very lucrative indeed. In fact, it is often an overlooked part of business and entrepreneurship, which is disregarded in favour of the startup. While owning a small business might not put you in the limelight, or attract media attention in the same way that Airbnb or Uber have, it is still a very valuable opportunity. This article will help to determine whether such an opportunity is right for you, and whether you are psychologically ready to take one on. To start with, what is a small business? A small business here refers to a pre-established business that is limited by both number of employees and by revenue^{[1](#1571744453645)}. It has a proven track record and an established history. Such businesses are often for sale when an individual perhaps wants to retire, but has no one to pass the business on to. It is important to remember also, that they are often small due to the niche area that they fill within the marketplace, and not because they are unpopular. Such businesses offer individuals an excellent opportunity to gain both experience and financial profit, however, they have a unique set of demands which mean they aren’t for everyone. We will explore these below. Firstly, running a small business presents you with the opportunity to be in a leadership role early on in your career^{[2](#1571744457649)}. It gives you the opportunity to shape a company, and be in total control. However, it is important to ask yourself whether you think this will actually benefit you and the way you work. Many of us actually like the way that having a boss can alleviate some of our responsibility. Instead of having to create a plan and make our own decisions, it can be pleasant and relaxing to leave the bigger decisions to others, who are perhaps more experienced. Yet for others, this may be the perfect opportunity to be in control of a company’s future, and to ‘answer to no-one’. To help you understand where you fit in regards to your responsibility, take a ‘locus of control’ test, which can be found online. This will help show you what your own attitudes towards personal responsibility are like^{[3](#1571744486439)}. Secondly, take into account the social aspect of your career. Running an independent business can be quite a solitary affair. Let's compare it with the traditional way of getting a job within an organisation. In this instance, you are likely to come into contact with a lot of peers who have had similar backgrounds to you, whether it be education, upbringing etc. They will likely be performing similar tasks to you throughout the workday, and provide you with a chance to socialise. In the scenario of running your own small business, these like-minded peers are rarely there, as you are alone in controlling the company’s future. It may also affect your social identity^{[4](#1571744516469)}; many people enjoy working for an organisation or a brand because it makes them feel as though they are part of something bigger. This can be harder to achieve in a small business, so it is important bear this in mind. When we take these two different factors into account, it is important to realise that your social habits are worth thinking about. To help understand how your social habits compare to others, it can help to take a personality test. Something like the big 5 personality test will show you how introverted or extroverted you are; this is a useful indicator of your socialising habits^{[5](#1571744539070)}. Thirdly, you should have the ability to build strong relationships with people^{[6](#1571744567178)}. This is especially important, because you will likely be at the disposal of several people's’ whims, and in control of several others’ futures. You will have to have employees that trust in you and believe in the business, and ensure you maintain amicable relationships with both your customers and your clients. In summary, we have explored several of the key psychological areas that should be thought about before entering the world of the small business. Once you have given these aspects the right amount of thought, you will better understand whether this line of work is for you. The small business provides a lucrative and tantalising opportunity, for those who fit the bill. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"njrt3scwT","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/113551/pexels-photo.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":2250,"width":3375}}],"path":"/insights/small-businesses","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":239,"title":"GDPR","title_decorated":"GDPR: The Effects on Consumers and Businesses","slug":"gdpr","introduction":"Throughout history, mankind has heralded various items as the commodity to own. From copper, to silk, to gold, to oil, for each generation, there appears to be some physical object that we just can’t get enough of. Yet in the 21st century, something remarkable has happened. This crucial good has entered into the digital realm – and that highly sought after commodity?","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"GDPR: The Effects on Consumers and Businesses","detailed_introduction":"Data. And companies, love, your data. Data about your purchases, tastes, friends, opinions, photographs, age, location, internet searches, facial information, and countless other things. With every data point we hand over (or often are forced to hand over), it feels as if we’re leaking our entire identities to corporations across the globe. However, as luck (or years of discussion and debate) would have it, on May 25th 2018, this is all set to change, with the EU’s introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Essentially, because data has become so hugely important in the modern world, and the fact that companies so freely capture, exploit and sell our personal data, the EU has introduced new legislation to empower EU citizens’ data privacy. In this article, we will explore how this will affect both consumers and businesses alike. The main premise of GDPR is to give users a high level of control over their data, and to make companies transparent in their actions. One of the biggest changes under this legislation is the right for people to request whether personal data concerning them is being processed, where, for what purpose, and whether it will be passed onto other organisations. Businesses must also, on request, provide a copy of one’s personal data, free of charge. Users will have the right to have all personal information erased, and to have personal data transmitted from one organisation to another in an easily readable format (for example, making the process of changing banks easier). In addition, terms and conditions must be provided in an intelligible and easily accessible format, with consent being easily withdrawable at any point. Essentially, you will now be able to observe and (mostly) dictate how your data is being used, being informed in a way that is accessible to anyone. Of course, this same news largely comes as a painful shock to companies, big and small. There are of course the obvious drawbacks, in that the data that companies are so used to easily obtaining and abusing, will now be much more limited. Businesses will need good reason to collect data, and users will be much better informed of the information which is stored about them. In addition, companies will need to create infrastructures to be able to deal with the new regulations. Such tasks range from documenting what data the organisation holds and reviewing how consent to process data is gained, to assigning a data protection officer and planning how to deal with subject access requests (a written request for any information that a company holds on you). Clearly there is much to be done. Yet the legislation was passed in April 2016, giving a smooth two years to prepare for this eventuality. So how are companies faring? Not well, it would seem, with a worrying number of businesses being woefully underprepared. For example, many businesses are severely underestimating the scope of change, whilst others are not even confident where their data is being stored – 12% don’t know, with only 47% being very confident^{[1](#1571747744294)}. In a recent experiment, the Financial Times mailed six different companies subject access requests^{[2](#1571747744294)}. Facebook and Amazon failed to reply at all, and whilst the other four companies did reply quickly, the FT noted that “responses were varied and most fell short in some way of a comprehensive SAR response”. Perhaps most worrying of all, a government report published in late January 2018 found that fewer than half of businesses and charities were even aware of the new data laws^{[3](#1571747744294)}. Considering that companies may be fined up to 4% of annual global turnover, or €20 Million (whichever is greater), for the most heinous failures to comply, this lack of preparedness could be highly damaging. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. One trend which has been sweeping the world is a general distrust of organisations. Following the introduction of GDPR, businesses can look to start building open and honest relationships with their followers. In theory, consumers will have more faith in organisations, knowing that their data is well regulated. As well as this, GDPR may well be the kick up the backside that some companies need. Many companies are no doubt overrun by excessive, unnecessary or outdated data, in a format that may be highly confusing, making for a daunting task. GDPR will force them to make sense of, and downscale their data, whilst having to sort out key procedures (such as being able to detect, report and investigate data breaches). Overall, GDPR is set to be a massive change in the way that data is handled. No longer can businesses hoard consumer information, hiding behind a wall of obscurity. In a sentence, GDPR is essentially a huge power shift away from businesses, towards the consumer. Only time will tell what consequences GDPR will have, but no doubt this legislation will denote a crucial moment in the history of consumer rights.","thumbnail":[{"id":"4qn__76F1","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/123640/pexels-photo-325229.jpeg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":658,"width":1880}}],"path":"/insights/gdpr","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":242,"title":"Habit Creation","title_decorated":"Old habits die hard: make new ones instead","slug":"habit-creation","introduction":"How can you improve your productivity? Is there something you've wanted to do, but found it hard to start? How can you make positive habits that last?","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Old habits die hard: make new ones instead","detailed_introduction":"Every year I hear the same news from my dentist; I need to start flossing. Yet despite well intentioned attempts, the habit rarely sticks. And I’m not alone here, many of us often try (but fail) to make positive changes that will impact our lives; both at home and at work. So maybe you feel as though your productivity at work could be improved? Or perhaps you feel as though you are not really meeting your potential? This article will aim to address that - talking you through the creation and maintaining of new habits. By exploring what leading psychologists know of habit formation, maybe we can not only start flossing, but start to develop habits that empower you throughout your day, and help you reach success. So what exactly is a habit? Psychologists have defined it as an ‘externally triggered automatic response to a frequently encountered context’. In other words, it’s a behaviour that we perform without thinking whenever we find ourselves in a familiar context^{[1](#1571753129520)}. Such an example includes washing one’s hands once they’ve gone to the toilet, or switching the light off once you’ve left a room. The first step in creating a new habit is to identify what it is you would like to change. What would you like to incorporate into your daily routine? How could you boost your productivity? It could be anything, from having a glass of water in the morning, to listening more to your colleagues. Whatever your habit is, your next step is to identify the context that you’re going to do it in. When or where will you be engaging in your new behaviour? Get specific, if you wish to listen more, then start by simply focusing in on your daily meetings at work to begin with. This will ensure that you have linked your habit to a particular cue, a necessary part of habit formation^{[2](#1571753129520)}. In terms of the process that we undergo in order for the habit to form, it’s actually quite simple. All we have to do, is to repeatedly perform the habit for a certain period of time^{[3](#1571753129520)}. As we continue to perform it, it gets progressively easier, demanding less and less of our cognitive resources. Yet despite the simple process, this does not necessarily mean that it is easy. Luckily, psychologists have explored the process, and have identified several techniques that can be implemented to increase our chances of successfully adopting a new habit. These are detailed as follows. **Be Realistic.** Popular culture has littered us with a colourful array of numbers all trying to profess the amount of time that it takes to form a habit. For example, you may believe that it takes 21 days. In reality, this is rarely the case and can be quite misleading. The more accurate figure lies somewhere closer to 66 days. By this point, most people find that their habit has become automatic; they can do it without thinking. So bear this in mind and don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t come to you quicker. **Keep it simple**^{[4](#1571753129520)}. A habit will be more difficult and will take longer to form if it is complex in nature. Instead, focus on keeping the habit simple to begin with. This will increase your chances of succeeding, which in turn can boost your motivation to further develop yourself. It will show you results earlier on in the process, and keep you engaged. Once the habit starts to set and becomes easier, you can then think about increasing the complexity of your routine. **Incorporate it into an existing routine**^{[5](#1571753129520)}. A 2013 study looked at how we take up the habit of dental flossing, a habit that many of us struggle doing despite the fact that we know we should. Those who flossed after they had brushed their teeth (thus linking the habit) had a stronger and more frequent habit. This was also seen at an 8-month follow-up, suggesting that doing so can improve our chances in the long run too. Thus, adding a new habit to an existing one may be more effective than trying it in a stand-alone manner. Overall, by staying realistic, keeping it simple and squeezing the habit into an existing routine, this will increase the likelihood of successfully incorporating a new and helpful habit into your life. Using the example mentioned previously, flossing is a good example of a habit which is realistic (many do it and it is an important part of dental hygiene), simple (it is not a complex task requiring much thought) and it can be easily incorporated into the routine of you brushing your teeth. Following these three steps will hopefully let you make the changes that you’ve been wanting to achieve.","thumbnail":[{"id":"VaPwbPSBw","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/140645/photo-1553531889-65d9c41c2609.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":467,"width":700}}],"path":"/insights/habit-creation","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"There are several things you can do to encourage habit formation: Keep the habit simple. Be realistic in the creation of your habit. Incorporate it into your existing routine. ","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":251,"title":"Logos and Branding","title_decorated":"Logos: The Centrepiece of Brand Identity","slug":"logos-and-branding","introduction":"Why is brand identity important? How do companies decide on a specific logo to use?","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Logos: The Centrepiece of Brand Identity","detailed_introduction":"The past is littered with examples of companies that have experienced struggles with their brand identity, often manifesting itself as a lack of unity and cohesiveness. Such inconsistencies within the brand can lead to negative outcomes, often accompanied by a drop in share value. Take MTV for example: in past years they have moved away from their musical roots, instead favouring low-effort content such as ‘Jersey Shore’^{[1](#1571755169223)}, a program which itself was not popular enough to see it continue past 2012. As such, the share price of its parent company Viacom has seen a sharp decline over the past few years^{[2](#1571755169223)}. Clearly a brand’s identity is important to its success. There is something about maintaining cohesiveness which leads to a brand’s success, which can be easily achieved through a logo. The etymology of the word ‘metaphor’ stems from Greek, where ‘meta’ means across and ‘phora’ means to carry. In this sense, the word metaphor refers to a device that transfers meaning from one thing to another^{[3](#1571755169223)}. Yet it does not need to be understood solely in a linguistic sense, but can be used visually too. When applied to a brand, a visual metaphor should carry the company's core internal values and character, carrying it across externally into their logo^{[4](#1571755169223)}. But why is this important? As mentioned before, a lack of unity within a brand’s values often results in a drop in value of the company, and generally lower levels of success. This is because consumers become confused by conflicting brand identities, no longer engaging with the brand to the same degree; in other words, the brand loses its meaning. As such, a company’s visual metaphor should be easy to understand, easy to remember, and consistent with its values and product. This will help to solidify the brand’s public image. But one should also be aware of the way in which memory works, and in particular our associative memory. This is a system in which we learn to associate certain things with others, and is of great importance in branding^{[5](#1571755169223)}. Each signal that the logo emanates, be it colour, shape or content, activates associated concepts in our brain. For example, rounded logos are perceived as more harmonious, whereas angular logos are perceived as more aggressive^{[6](#1571755169223)}. Subtle aspects of a logo trigger different associated concepts. It is therefore important to be mindful of this associative memory system when constructing a visual metaphor for the brand, as you want to ensure that your image or logo triggers the correct concepts. Take Apple for example. In its youth, its identity was strongly focused on challenging the norm, with the slogan ‘think different’, opposing the conformity of brands like IBM and Microsoft. This is reflected in its logo, which echoes the story of Adam and Eve^{[7](#1571755169223)}. By biting the apple from the tree of knowledge Eve acts in defiance of authority and in favour of individual freedom. As such, the logo aims to activate these concepts in the brain, which encourages a strong cohesive link between the brand’s values and logo. Overall, it’s clear that the best brands all have logos that are linked with the core message of their company. As a result, extreme care and detail should be put into the design of a logo, as it so heavily influences how a consumer immediately perceives your brand. Just remember, a strong and cohesive brand identity is a key driver of success, for companies around the globe.","thumbnail":[{"id":"0ybx5Uqe4","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/144231/doctype-hi-res.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":500,"width":746}}],"path":"/insights/logos-and-branding","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":249,"title":"Interpersonal relations & personal space","title_decorated":"Get out of my face: Understanding personal space","slug":"interpersonal-relations-personal-space","introduction":"How should you behave at work? How do you work with your colleagues? How can you develop better working relationships?","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Get out of my face: Understanding personal space","detailed_introduction":"By our very nature, we are social creatures. We can’t help but to constantly speak with other people. Yet our interactions involve so much more than just spoken words, and the nonverbal aspects of communication say a lot about us too. The way we cross our arms, puff out our chests, or slump our shoulders: these all indicate things about who we are and what we’re feeling^{[1](#1571754730896)}. The amount of personal space which we prefer is another one of these very indicators. Now, perhaps you’ve met a charismatic, smooth-talking, touch-feely South American, or a typical, stiff-upper lipped Englishman who goes to great lengths to keep his distance. While stereotyping is wrong and often leads to negative outcomes, new research has revealed an element of truth which lies behind these sweeping generalisations. We all know that feeling we get when a stranger edges just a little bit too close. This is of course because he breached our personal space: the distance we comfortably keep during interactions with other people, which can vary depending on the person. New research^{[2](#1571754730896)}, published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural psychology, explored this idea of personal space. They studied around 9000 different people in a total of 42 different countries, exploring their preferred minimal distance from other strangers. The results revealed some intriguing findings, and helped support some things that we already knew. The countries that seemed to enjoy the smallest amount of inter-personal space included Argentina and Peru (approx. 80cm), while the UK was around average, at 1m. This shows that there may be a grain of truth behind the stereotypes mentioned earlier. But why does this happen? What causes people to prefer different distances from one-another? What does it mean? In truth, we aren’t really sure yet. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t short of ideas. One such idea is personality. We believe that this plays a role, such that aspects of who we are and how we engage with the world influence our preferences for different social distances. Research has shown that when we are described as ‘warm’ and of equal perceived status, we tend to prefer to be closer to each other^{[3](#1571754730896)}. Another idea is culture. As mentioned previously, different aspects of someone’s upbringing can affect the way they interact with others. Some believe that temperature also plays a role. The thinking behind this is that people in warmer climates would prefer smaller distances between one another, because we feel more socially close when it's warm. The results from this study actually confirm this, at least in part; people in colder climates actually preferred smaller distances in their intimate relationships, when compared to their warmer country counterparts. Another suggestion is that our personal distance from others is due to how vulnerable we are to parasites and infection. The thinking behind this is that we subconsciously would prefer larger distances if we were more susceptible to such illnesses. The results showed that in this study, it was actually of little relevance. However, although it didn't seem to matter here, other studies have alluded to its importance^{[4](#1571754730896)}. You might find this information interesting, yet rather useless really. How could you benefit from knowing about personal space? The truth is, when we interact with anyone, personal space is necessarily involved, whether we notice it or not. So how can you use this knowledge to your advantage? Well, to really understand personal space, you need to play with it. The next time you find yourself in conversation with someone, note the distance that you have both subconsciously agreed as acceptable to one another. Now have fun with it. Slowly move forward a little. What happens? Do they move back? Now return to your original spot. Do they gravitate towards you again? Returning to the equilibrium? It can be quite interesting to understand personal space this way, to explore what happens when you change it. Once you have an understanding of how it works, you can start to use it to your advantage. Let's say for example, that you want to get to know someone better, or improve relations with your colleague. Try slowly, and at a comfortable pace, moving towards a more personal level of interaction. By reducing the amount of space between you, it is a way of indicating that you are on a friendlier level. It also allows you to touch the other person. This might sound strange at first, but research has shown that friendly touch can be very beneficial. Such that waiter tips increase by around 5% when they have friendly interactions of touch throughout the service^{[5](#1571754730896)}. However, be sure to gauge their response. It’s possible that a ‘too far, too soon’ sort of reaction could occur. When someone feels as though their personal space has been intruded on, they are liable to become anxious, uncomfortable and sometimes angry^{[6](#1571754730896)}. As such, check to see if they are open to your behaviour. If not, then retract and return to a level of interaction that you are both comfortable with. Through having this knowledge, it can also help you to understand why you might feel a certain way towards someone, such as anger, despite them having done anything wrong. It can also give you an appreciation of other cultures, and avoid you misinterpreting someone else’s behaviours. All in all, we have seen how different cultures have different notions of personal space. And that by understanding this concept, it can help us better understand human behaviour. We have also explored how to use this knowledge in real world interactions to get along better with our peers and work colleagues. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"H5SeGvpIT","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/143316/photo-1490111718993-d98654ce6cf7.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":500,"width":750}}],"path":"/insights/interpersonal-relations-personal-space","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":241,"title":"Speaking to a Robot, The Future of Customer Service?","title_decorated":"Speaking to a Robot, The Future of Customer Service?","slug":"speaking-to-a-robot-the-future-of-customer-service","introduction":"Artificial Intelligence has been widely talked about – and with good reason. It has the potential to take the jobs of people, and the power to revolutionise the way in which we live. While this may sound exciting and innovative to some, others may find themselves worried at the prospect of a future where robots have so much control^{[1](#1571751940500)}. Nevertheless, such AI is currently seeping into our lives as consumers, with effects yet to be fully realised. This article will explore just how AI is starting to manifest itself, and how this might affect the consumer experience. ","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"","detailed_introduction":"So what exactly is AI? Well, for the purposes of this article, we will define it as a piece of technology that can perform tasks once thought to require the intelligence of a human^{[2](#1571751960571)}. One point to be made, is that many large companies have already started to incorporate AI into their business. One common use is the ‘chatbot’, a computer program that can autonomously conduct conversation through written or spoken dialogue^{[3](#1571751978526)}. Companies such as Disney, RBS, Lloyds Banking Group and Renault are in fact using such chatbots already as a first point of call before real human-to-human contact. This has shown to be beneficial for the company, as chatbots can often solve basic queries without the need for more costly human intervention. It is only when the customer has a more difficult issue that another human may need to get involved. If you’re curious about the technology behind these chatbots, a few companies offer them^{[4](#1571752026088)}, one of which being IBM’s Watson. The Watson platform means that any companies who are using it have the capacity to learn how to handle a greater array of more complex tasks, as their chatbot technology improves. As its abilities become more and more advanced, it will be able to perform a lot more of the tasks originally done by call centre workers. As such, you can see how such a technology has the potential to take away human jobs. In terms of customer service however, how may it be affected by this shift? There are many possible responses to this question, and many may be true. We will explore the possibilities here^{[5](#1571752048983)}. Firstly, it is thought that customer service could improve. By getting the chatbots to perform the less challenging tasks, it lets the talented members of the customer service team to focus their efforts where they’re most needed, thus giving the customer a more tailored, and more effective response. It also means that customers can get responses faster, as employees should be more free to deal with any issues. Secondly, it may also improve customer service by assisting the efforts of the call worker. This means that the call worker may have an AI service which can guide the workers through the necessary processes to meet the customer’s wants and needs. There is also software being developed by affectiva which can help workers in the way that they interact with customers, by detecting the emotion in the customer’s voice and providing advice on how to deal with them effectively^{[6](#1571752066500)}. As such, instead of taking away from the human’s role, it may also be able to add to it, thus enhancing the consumer experience further. Thirdly, however, it is also possible that customer service could be damaged by this shift^{[7](#1571752177505)}. The technology is still in relatively early days, and has yet to fully establish itself as a valuable tool. Consumers have often expressed discontent when talking to a ‘robot’ and may feel dissatisfied knowing they’re not talking to a real human. The accuracy rates of chatbots have also come into question. Lastly, good customer service relies on more than just the correct response; customers are often looking for things such as empathy and understanding, or the chance to be listened to. It will be a while before commercial AI can match these abilities in a well-trained human. Overall, we have seen how AI is working its way into our lives, and we have touched upon how it may impact customer service as we currently know it. The effects are yet to be fully seen, but we can be sure that it is slowly becoming a reality that we will all face. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"cULalijAC","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/133920/photo-1485827404703-89b55fcc595e.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1000,"width":1500}}],"path":"/insights/speaking-to-a-robot-the-future-of-customer-service","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":244,"title":"Sensory Dining Experience","title_decorated":"Come to your senses: Dining in the 21st century","slug":"sensory-dining-experience","introduction":"How has the dining experience changed over the years? Where will it turn next? What does science have to offer the industry?","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Come to your senses: Dining in the 21st century","detailed_introduction":"Pasta, pizza, burritos, fajitas, curries, sushi: we love all types of food, and it comes as no surprise that restaurants have been a part of our society for hundreds of years. As a nation, we love eating out, and we welcome dining experiences from all over the world. Big cities are continuously engaging in new dining experiences and following key consumer trends in the food and drinks industry, whilst even small towns are likely to have their own Chinese, Italian or Mexican restaurant. Given that the restaurant and eating out industry makes up a significant part of our country’s economy, the question is, where will it be heading in the near future? To start with, let's go back to basics with one of the most cited studies in the field by Lynn^{[1](#1571753403339)}, who explored the factors that influence how much customers are likely to tip waiters. The results showed that simple friendly behaviours such as touching, smiling, greeting, and even drawing happy faces on customers’ cheques, are likely to increase tips given. In fact, smiling to the customer actually increased tips by around 140%. Studies such as this one show the insight that can be gained when applying psychological principles to the study of restaurants. However, this study was performed over twenty years ago, and while the results are still applicable today, an array of new research has been made that can help take dining experiences to the next level. This new research is performed in the field of ‘crossmodal correspondence’, which looks at how we are likely to associate an experience from one sense to that of another. An example would be ‘this colour red (visual) looks heavy (weight/feeling)’ or ‘this cheese tastes light and airy’. Such use of vocabulary in this way is plentiful in modern language. Yet more importantly, is how it can be applied to the restaurant industry to boost the customer experience. Giving customers a multi-sensory dining experience will greatly improve the likelihood of them returning for more. One of the key studies in this area was conducted by Spence and his colleagues at Oxford University^{[2](#1571753423813)}. They showed that to truly personalise the dining experience, think about the soundscape. This refers to the ambience and the music that is being played. Research has shown that we perceive foods as tasting differently depending on the music we hear. As such, participants in their study had the same food, but believed it tasted either sweeter, or more bitter, depending on how the music was pitched. Second, make sure the plates match the meal. Both the colour and the shape of the plate give off sensory cues that influence the consumer’s expectation and even their perception of the dining experience. One study found that participants rated their desert as tasting sweeter, more pleasurable and more intense if it was presented on a white plate, rather than a black one^{[3](#1571753445804)}. Finally, make sure that the menu is matched to the meals detailed inside. Research has shown that factors from the weight of the menu, to the use of italics, can all affect your perception of a restaurant^{[4](#1571753467369)}. In this case, heavier menus and italicised font give off an air of top-rate service, and suggest that the restaurant in upscale. It is also important to keep all sensory cues congruent with each other, such as the sound, shapes, font, and semantic meaning, to give off a consistent message to consumers. By engaging in this multi-sensory approach to the restaurant experience, you will give your business a modern focus based on the most up to date research. On the whole, food and the restaurant experience plays a key role in most of our everyday lives. The key to success in today’s world is to create a multi-sensory dining experience for customers. This entails everything from matching the music to the food, as well as using the appropriately coloured plates for different meals. Scientific research has hugely contributed to the restaurant industry, as shows that even minor details affect how customers will see your food and restaurant. Ensuring that customers receive a consistent harmony of senses when they visit a restaurant will increase the likelihood of them favouring the food and wanting to return for more. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"N6GkqJgPR","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/140831/photo-1488992783499-418eb1f62d08.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":853,"width":1453}}],"path":"/insights/sensory-dining-experience","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":248,"title":"Sales and Shopping Behaviour","title_decorated":"Buying more than you need: The psychology of sales","slug":"sales-and-shopping-behaviour","introduction":"Do you ever find yourself buying more than you really need? Do you ever think that retailers use little tricks to get you to buy more?","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Buying more than you need: The psychology of sales","detailed_introduction":"People go crazy for sales. Everyone’s seen footage of the black friday events; throes of ravenous shoppers willing to sacrifice any sense of civility for the chance to get a deal. While admittedly this is an extreme phenomenon, there’s no question that sales are everywhere in western culture today. We have Christmas sales, summer sales and clearance sales, to name but a few. They are so ingrained in our understanding of the world that we have come to expect them at certain times of the year. On the surface, sales represent a chance to purchase products at discounted prices, but as many of us know, we often come back with more items than we intended to buy. More importantly, we often purchase more items than we actually need. Psychology attempts to explain why The first psychological principle that is often exploited in sales is that of scarcity. When our ancestors were alive, the need to stock up on resources that appeared scarce would have benefited them, because they would not know when or if they could get them again. Although this is something that rarely affects our lives today, the principle is still active in our minds. Apple offers an excellent demonstration of how to do this well; they never have enough stock of their product at launch, making it appear to be a highly desirable item. This ultimately increases demand for Apple’s products, resulting in high initial sales and a lot of media attention^{[1](#1571754679315)}. Alongside scarcity, a sense of urgency in the purchase is usually encouraged too. You may notice that sale signs are almost invariably in red, and there is research to explain why^{[2](#1571754682695)}. Researchers suggest that the colour is linked to danger; both from an evolutionary perspective and a learned perspective. For example, stop signs and warnings are displayed in red. As such, the use of the colour red is used to attract the attention of consumers and encourage them to act quickly. To avoid losing out on the deal, they’re encouraged to buy the product now. Social proof is another powerful principle that is very much active during sales. It is the basic idea that we look to others to determine the correct behaviour in a given situation^{[3](#1571754701249)}. In a retail environment (such as during sales), this manifests itself in an imitation of what others around us are doing. So if others are trying on products or queuing up to buy them, then we are more likely to do it too. This could create a sort of cascade effect, where your purchasing behaviour may in turn influence that of others. Some businesses have even exploited this principle online. Ebay, for example, tells you how many other people are looking at that item, generating a sense that it is the ‘correct’ behaviour. This is all in an effort to drive up sales. Importantly, it explains why we may buy things that we weren’t expecting to. From an evolutionary perspective, there are other reasons why sales may encourage us to buy too much. We have inherited a drive within us to improve our social status, as it would have helped our ancestors take advantage of the benefits of being higher up within a social structure^{[4](#1571754701249)}. Today it still provides us with benefits, such as better health, and higher self esteem^{[5](#1571754745554)}. As part of this drive, we look to purchase more luxurious and prestigious goods^{[6](#1571754766652)}, which we can then display to others. Retailers that offer sales may activate this status motive within us, providing an opportunity to gather such products at lower prices than normal. Perhaps then, outdated psychological tendencies are the cause of unnecessary purchasing. We have an inbuilt drive to stock up on valuable resources- products- incase they run out (although highly unlikely today), buy because other people are buying, and buy to increase our social status. Important to note however is that this should not be used as a scapegoat to justify that extra pair of shoes or new phone, as we are able to overcome these seemingly inbuilt mechanisms. Through rational thought, awareness and by simply taking a step back, this can help to stop us from falling victim to the thrill of the purchase. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"tBJDHznT5","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/142838/photo-1526178613552-2b45c6c302f0.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1000,"width":1500}}],"path":"/insights/sales-and-shopping-behaviour","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":252,"title":"Look Now Buy Now","title_decorated":"The Changing State of the Fashion Industry","slug":"look-now-buy-now","introduction":"The world of fashion is forever changing and it seems almost impossible to stay up to date with the latest trends and popular colours and so on.","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"The Changing State of the Fashion Industry","detailed_introduction":"This hive of activity also creates inevitable competition with brands constantly looking for new and innovative ways to market their products. In the last few years, the fashion industry has taken another bold leap, letting customers buy the outfits they see on the runway immediately after they have seen the show^{[1](#1571755479091)}. Today’s generation is obsessed with staying up to date and widening their social media presence, and their fast paced lifestyles mean they often demand things now and in the present rather than waiting and looking towards the future. Perhaps this is the fashion industry’s way of dealing with these new challenges. Burberry was the first to implement this new experience. Where retailers often used to display their clothes on the runway four months before they reached the shops, they are now transitioning towards selling them immediately both online and in-store. Burberry are not alone in this endeavour, established brands such as Paul Smith, Banana Republic and Tom Ford are doing the same. This is thought to reflect a new focus on the consumer in the fashion industry. Whereas fashion magazines and critics would normally dictate the taste of the market, consumers now get to choose. In a sense, they are becoming the modern day critic; tailoring the market to their tastes via money, instead of words. Such a change is happening in part due to the rise of Internet and social media, in which more platforms for exploring fashion exist, and consumers of all sorts are becoming more aware and able to make up their own mind. This shift in the fashion industry reflects a larger trend of our modern society mentioned briefly earlier; instant gratification. This is the expectation of being pleased or satisfied instantly. It is something that we are all born with, although the extent to which it affects us varies even as children^{[2](#1571755479091)}. This is seen in an influential set of studies performed at Stanford in the 1960’s, in which researchers offered children either one marshmallow now, or two if they could wait 15 minutes without eating it. The most important results of this study were found once the participants had grown up; those who were better at delaying gratification, also performed better in life on a range of factors such as social skills and school tests. As such, psychology has realised the benefits that can occur through waiting. Although this desire for instant gratification may have existed throughout human history, it is only very recently that so many of us have been so readily able to satisfy it. This is driving change in the world we see, at an increasingly fast pace. Modern technology is often cited as the cause; now we have almost everything that we want in our pockets, and it is only just a few clicks away^{[3](#1571755479091)}. Be it films, music, food, directions or clothing. Never before in our history has the world been so tailored to instantly meet our needs, yet for the majority of humans who have ever existed, the world has been completely different. We are undoubtedly living in a time where instant gratification is commonplace, and it’s permeating into the fashion industry. In terms of the benefit for the fashion business, it may be especially good for large companies that appear at these popular fashion shows. This is because it could help encourage sales, as consumers won’t have time to forget about the items that they’ve seen. Memorability is an important factor in a consumer’s decision to purchase a brand, so the long four-month wait for products to appear in shops can often waste the financial benefits that the fashion show may bring. Ultimately, this shift will lead to a consumer led industry, which should be met with open arms. Other sectors that have made similar shifts have flourished by focusing more on the consumer. Take the TV and entertainment industry for example; it is radically different to fifteen years ago, yet companies are continuously offering great new content. The take away message here is that industries are changing, and they are changing fast. Brands are being forced to disperse new and innovative ideas constantly in order to keep up with demands and competition. As such, it may be difficult to understand exactly how the fashion world will change. But it certainly will, and most likely for the better. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"Mr16_A8Vc","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/144548/photo-1505929015770-0963996b9a2a.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":500,"width":720}}],"path":"/insights/look-now-buy-now","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":253,"title":"Luxury in the Digital World","title_decorated":"Luxury brands: A traditional market dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century","slug":"luxury-in-the-digital-world","introduction":"The luxury sector is a large and lucrative sector of the market, being valued at over €1 trillion^{[1](#1571755813667)}.","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Luxury brands: A traditional market dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century","detailed_introduction":"In spite of this, it’s currently lagging behind the rest of the market, being more latent adopters of a digitalised model. This is because it’s hard for brands to create notions of luxury in an online world, where the tools that companies have available to them are highly similar across markets. In this digitalised world, it is important for luxury brands to keep the elements that made them luxury in the first place. This presents them with challenges, such as how to stay exclusive and premium in the online world, when other large corporations have the ability to spend just as much on marketing. Despite the challenges that luxury brands face, it is important that they remain engaged with the marketplace, and establish ways of portraying themselves appropriately in the digital realm. We will explore how such brands have faced these challenges, and provide tips as to how they can further their luxury image online. So what exactly is a luxury brand? For the purposes of this article, we will define it as a brand that is designed around an image of comfort and elegance^{[2](#1571755813667)}. Previously, it was far easier for them to portray such aspects of their brand in a physical retail space. Elements such as lighting, interior design, architecture, and friendliness of staff, could all be adapted to fit the premium image that they were going for^{[3](#1571755813667)}. In a digital world, they require new tricks to succeed. One way in which luxury brands have increased their presence in the digital world, is through collaboration. In fact, many of these brands have combined their efforts with technology companies. In doing so, it allows them to catch on to the wave of increasing consumer interest in certain tech products, while maintaining the relevance of their luxury brand^{[4](#1571755813667)}. One such example comes from Hermes and Apple, which have combined to create a more luxury version of the Apple Watch. As such, Hermes have harnessed the consumers’ interests in new wearable tech, while attaching their luxury brand name in the process. Other brands have taken similar approaches, such as Swarovski and Balmain. Another way in which some luxury brands are establishing themselves online, is through the design of their web pages. They are using unconventional and modern design tactics to differentiate themselves from other more product oriented webpages^{[5](#1571755813667)}. Prada offers an example of such design, and whilst not at the cutting edge, it still provides a good example of an unconventional layout, typeface, and innovative webpage dynamic. Such methods are an effective way of differentiating a luxury brand from that of another sector. The above tactics used by luxury brands are both innovative and effective, but how else should they try and compete in this ever-changing marketplace? One way might be to focus on their ability to personalise^{[6](#1571755813667)}. As more and more brands are engaging with this trend, it is important for luxury brands to keep up. By personalising the experience, customers feel that the encounter is more hand-tailored to them. Encouraging such personalisation could be done in many ways, both large and small. For example, using the customers’ names on emails can aid in personalisation, all the way to a completely bespoke personalised experience at all major consumer touchpoints. Another way to increase notions of luxury is to focus on exclusivity^{[7](#1571755813667)}. In the online world, this could manifest itself as a more secretive online experience. As such, notions of ‘unlocking’ secure content and chancing upon highly valued web pages could further this. To do so, portray your brand content in a more enigmatic and tantalising manner, or avoid being explicit with all of the content you produce. However, keep in mind that this should be more of an illusion: keep the content accessible for consumers! Finally, offer unparalleled levels of customer service for an online experience^{[8](#1571755813667)}. This could take many forms, from having someone at the other end of the phone to help you with your order, with no wait times and no pre-recorded messages, to a software that allows written communication with helpful staff on the webpage. Online customer service is the perfect opportunity for luxury brands to differentiate themselves from others in the market. To excel in an area where others often fail is an excellent way of establishing a premium identity online. In summary we have explored the challenges faced by luxury brands in the digital world, seen what they have been doing to combat these challenges, and provided tips for future ways of engaging with consumers. What is certain, is that luxury brands need to stay innovative in order to maintain their status within the marketplace. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"jRDxnoyaS","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/145105/photo-1489686995744-f47e995ffe61.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":876,"width":701}}],"path":"/insights/luxury-in-the-digital-world","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":260,"title":"The psychology behind unwanted Christmas gifts","title_decorated":"The psychology behind unwanted Christmas gifts","slug":"the-psychology-behind-unwanted-christmas-gifts","introduction":"Most of us, if not all, have spent some time chucking pointless tat into our trolleys in preparation for Christmas. Something about the season gets people buying garbage they would never even think to during the rest of the year. The list is endless, comprising of things like novelty Simpsons ties, socks the recipient will never wear, potato-powered clocks, and - the worst contender - sprouts!","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"","detailed_introduction":"Many might argue that this is nothing more than harmless fun. However, the situation becomes a little bit more serious when one realises that British shoppers wasted over £2.5bn every year on unwanted gifts^{[1](#1571757847290)}. Many families cannot afford the extra pressure on their wallets, simply for the sake of a present that will likely never get used. So, why do we continue to waste precious money on unwanted gifts? The truth is that all of us consumers are relatively limited in the cognitive power we have to expend on tasks like Christmas shopping. With stores stocking thousands of items, and only 0.0004% of sensory processing being conscious, according to Timothy Wilson’s estimate in Strangers to Ourselves^{[2](#1571757914178)}, it is simply impossible to deliberate over every decision. Instead, our decisions are influenced by simple, subconscious principles, which stores are able to use to “hack” shoppers’ brains, and encourage them to make unnecessary purchases. So, four such principles are presented below. The first is impulse. As discussed, we are all limited in our capacity for careful, reasoned thought. A great illustration comes from a study in which American participants were offered a free snack, which could be either some fruit or some cake. Surprisingly, most chose the fruit. However, after a tiring mental task, like counting down from 100 in multiples of 17, people were more likely to choose the cake. Similarly, at Christmas time, stores bombard us with flashing lights, jingly tunes, and glamorous decorations. All of these features conspire to distract and tire the mind, and make shoppers less able to suppress their impulse to buy. Eventually, shoppers’ rational brains will simply be too exhausted to resist even the most pointless purchase. The next principle is Scarcity. There is an enormous amount of research illustrating the fact that scarce goods are perceived as more valuable. For example, a study has shown how supermarkets can increase sales of products by introducing a “Limited Time Only!” sign^{[3](#1571757932241)}. When shoppers recognise that there are only so many figurines of Anna and Elsa from Frozen available to buy before the 25th of December, they feel an extremely powerful urge to buy one before it is too late. Number three on our psychological countdown is priming - a psychological principle in which exposure to a stimulus will evoke related thoughts and behaviours. For example, one study demonstrated that orange products such as Fanta and Reece’s Pieces are more front-of-mind at Halloween, when orange decorations adorn the shops^{[4](#1571757961135)}. Likewise, when stores put up their Christmas decorations, they are nudging shoppers towards making a Christmas purchase. In fact, sensory researchers in the States have shown that combining the sounds and smells of Christmas in-store is a very effective way to increase sales of Christmas products^{[5](#1571758000287)}. Suggestion is the fourth driver of Christmas shopping. As cognitive misers, we much prefer to be told what to do rather than making difficult decisions for ourselves. For example, psychologists from Temple University conducted an experiment in a small pet store, where sales staff were trained to ask for a week, “Would you like to purchase this accessory today?” Compared to the baseline, having the staff make a suggestion tripled the sales of the prompted product. Then why do we buy tat at Christmas? Because we’re told to! So, the next time you’re contemplating putting that novelty Simpsons tie into your shopping basket, take a moment to consider these four principles that may be “hacking” your brain. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"AydOmHXhr","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/152200/photo-1480732149909-d4e710a0f81c.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1001,"width":1500}}],"path":"/insights/the-psychology-behind-unwanted-christmas-gifts","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":266,"title":"Product and brand names","title_decorated":"What’s in a name? The role of labels in consumer behaviour","slug":"product-and-brand-names","introduction":"Take a moment to think, do you believe that things would be different if your parents had given you a different name? Perhaps one a lot more difficult to spell, or perhaps an unusual name? ","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"What’s in a name? The role of labels in consumer behaviour","detailed_introduction":"Surprisingly, research has shown that your name can influence both how others react towards you, as well as the assumptions people make about your personality^{[1](#1571818931381)}. In the same way your name can influence people’s behaviour, similar reactions are made when it comes to brands^{[2](#1571818931381)}. Different aspects of a brand or product name can influence to attitude of a consumer. A brand or product name is what distinguishes the subject for its competitors, for examples Coca-Cola and Pepsi, both are carbonated drinks but on hearing Coca-Cola it brings to mind very different associations than Pepsi. The name itself lets consumer know that the product has a link with both kola nuts and extracts from the coca leaf. As such, the basic content of the name is important in itself but is only one part of the equation. Names have other properties, which significantly affect consumers’ expectations and perceptions. One of these properties is the sound that the word emulates when spoken^{[3](#1571818931381)}. Try saying the word out loud. Does it sound harsh, round, or smooth? This is important in understanding the following properties of a name. If you’re in the food and drink industry, consider the taste that your brand name has. This might sound strange at first, but yes, it’s true that even unrelated nonsense words can convey information about expected taste^{[4](#1571818931381)}. As such, words that are rounder, smoother, and lower pitched in nature are perceived as tasting sweeter. An example of this would be the word ‘bouba’. Whereas words that are higher pitched, harsher, and more angular speech sounds are associated with more bitter and sour tastes. Such nonsensical words might include ‘kiki’. This transfers readily across to real life products; as an example, exotic fruit juices such as guanabana or feijoa will already convey information about the expected taste of the drink inside, even when the consumer has yet to try them. Similar to the point above about taste, you need to consider the shape of your name^{[5](#1571818931381)}. Of the following two words, which one is most like a circle, and which one is most like a square: ‘blum’, ‘clax’. Research shows that most of us will pick blum as the circle, and clax as the square. Clearly names have an associated shape to them. On the whole, we associate smoother words with round shapes, and harsher words with more angular ones. This is important in terms of matching the product shape with the shape of the name, as doing so will create a more harmonised experience for the consumer. The amount that people appreciate and like a name is also linked to how the speech sound appears, with an overall preference being for rounded shapes. As with much of marketing, design, and advertising, it is important to keep the brands output consistent across all spheres. This is just as important here, in the naming of products and brands. By keeping elements congruent with each other, for instance a sweet milkshake with a name that appears ‘soft’ and ‘sweet’, businesses can positively influence the way their brand is perceived, the way the product is evaluated, the perceived healthiness of the product, and a consumer’s intent to purchase. So, it might be interesting to notice some of the brands around you and see whether their names match up with the image of the brand. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"J-La_Gytd","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/23/081521/photo-1508061538535-6effdf9eb6f5.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":501,"width":750}}],"path":"/insights/product-and-brand-names","published_on":"23/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":271,"title":"Mindfulness and Shopping","title_decorated":"Mindfulness and Shopping","slug":"mindfulness-and-shopping","introduction":"Mindfulness involves the repeated activity of focusing our concentration on one thing, citing many long term benefits, such as reduced stress and better mental awareness.Practicing mindfulness can help you overcome senseless shopping habits, driven by impulse.","category_id":null,"section_id":2,"override_title":"Mindfulness and Shopping","detailed_introduction":"A number of steps can be taken to maximise the effectiveness of this mindfulness:

Engage in regular practice
Find a guided meditation that you like
Develop a set of questions to ask yourself when you find yourself about to purchase something
If in doubt, try waiting

You’ll be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t at least heard of mindfulness. It is crammed into our attention by many companies marketing the next cure for all one’s mental ailments, an app that will find you the inner peace you are looking for. In line with the recent barrage of mindfulness meditation apps popping up on the market, many people are also endorsing them as a valid means of achieving that state of nirvana. But how useful are they for those of us who aren’t just looking to clear up that mental clutter, but also the clutter we accumulate through mindless shopping? Mindfulness is an approach that encourages a state of better mental awareness, clarity, and peace, through the repeated activity of focusing our concentration on one thing. Someone who is practicing mindfulness might take ten minutes out their day to sit quietly and focus on their breath as it enters and leaves the body. Or they might be doing the dishes while trying to focus solely on the act of washing them, instead of the myriad of other things that go through our minds. Mindfulness apps are applications which can be downloaded onto a phone or tablet, that encourage the practice of mindfulness through guided meditation sessions. These can be listened to whenever the individual wants, and are of varying durations. In the context of our mindset, mindfulness differs significantly from shopping. In mindfulness practice, we are told to exercise an amount of control and concentration on one thing. To keep an awareness of what is going on in our minds. Meanwhile when we shop, a feeling of senseless spending and uncontrollable indulgence can often overcome us. In fact, mindless spending might be the antithesis of mindfulness. We’ve all been there. Bought something on impulse. Been swayed by the advertising efforts to convince us how we really need that new pair of shoes. Or that jacket we would never normally buy, but it's been reduced by so much, we simply must have it! Well, mindfulness could help us overcome these spending splurges, and offer us some respite in the face of our ever increasing spending habits. The greater amount of emotional control that regular meditation brings allows us to notice when our emotions are getting the better of us, and encouraging us to spend. On top of this, the greater level of awareness that we have over our own internal monologue (that voice that we hear and associate with ‘I’) will allow us to notice when we are being swayed by the purchase, and could let us to intervene. This increasing amount of control that mindfulness brings is evidenced by a recent study, which showed how regular mindfulness practice results in subtle changes in the way we engage with the world. In particular, it showed how mindfulness can alter the way our mind works^{[1](#1571823134284)}. Those who engaged in regular mindfulness training showed that grey matter was reduced in the amygdala (associated with fear and emotion among other things), and importantly, grey matter increased in the prefrontal cortex (associated with decision making and planning among other things). This indicates that the practice can encourage more controlled rational thought about the shopping decisions we make. One particular study found that participants were able to improve their concentration levels by engaging in mindfulness^{[2](#1571823140301)}, which in the face of a shopping spree, is a very helpful ability. An array of other studies show how the practice of mindfulness brings with it benefits that can ease both depression and anxiety, giving individuals a little more control over the internal goings-on of their mind. For example, a recent meta-analysis showed how mindfulness is a promising means of intervention to treat these two issues amongst youth^{[3](#1571823145336)}. As such, there is a body of evidence to show that mindfulness can have powerful effects on the mind, which may also span over into our financial decisions. So, if you are looking to gain control over your spending through mindfulness, there are several different things that you could do. 1. **Engage in a regular practice.** To see benefit from meditation and mindfulness, you have to have developed a frequent practice. The same way you wouldn’t expect to speak french fluently after one lesson, don't expect yourself to succeed in meditation after one sitting. It doesn't have to be a long period, but try to make it regular. 2. **Find a guided meditation that you like.** For beginners it may be easier to look on youtube, soundcloud, or download a free trial for one of the mindfulness apps. This will show you the basic structure of a meditation session and help guide you through it, though you can also do it by yourself without the need for external input. The process of meditation is actually much simpler than people think, and really only involves your continued focused attention on one thing, be it your breathing, a candle’s flame, or the sound of waves crashing on the beach. Whenever you notice your mind wandering, bring it back to the thing you were focusing on. 3. **Now that you have established a mindfulness practice**, you will be more likely to notice when the emotions of a purchase are guiding your decisions. Develop a set of questions to ask yourself when you find yourself about to purchase something. Tailor them to your own needs. They could be along the lines of; do I really need this item? Will I use it often? Will I lose out by not buying it? 4. **Try waiting.** When you find yourself about to buy something and you aren't sure about it, try holding off for a day or two. This will give you the time you need to make a calm and controlled decision. In summary, mindfulness may offer a way out of the indulgent and often overwhelming world of mindless spending. Using the tips and tricks covered in this article, you may find yourself more at ease the next time you come across an ‘amazing deal’ or a ‘bargain’ that you just can't keep your hands off. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"58sETlBfy","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/23/140712/photo-1506126613408-eca07ce68773.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1700,"width":1462}}],"path":"/features/mindfulness-and-shopping","published_on":"23/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":2,"title":"Features","slug":"features","intro":"In-depth knowledge reports that enable professionals to connect with their audience and manage their brands more successfully.","title_singularized":"Feature"},"section":{"id":2,"title":"Features","slug":"features","intro":"In-depth knowledge reports that enable professionals to connect with their audience and manage their brands more successfully.","title_singularized":"Feature"}},{"id":243,"title":"Social Media and Marketing Go Hand-in-Hand","title_decorated":"Social Media - Myth or Necessity?","slug":"social-media-and-marketing-go-hand-in-hand","introduction":"As the number of people on social media is growing^{[1](#1571752659024)}, so are the opportunities for marketing.","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Social Media - Myth or Necessity?","detailed_introduction":"Marketing has seen substantial transformations over the last twenty years^{[2](#1571752661590)}, and some researchers believe that marketing through social media has become more important than traditional channels of advertising^{[3](#1571752679339)}. The figures would support this, as it is estimated that $31 billion was spent on social media marketing in 2016^{[4](#1571752735146)}. A prime example of just how successful such methods can be, comes from West Jet’s 2013 Christmas campaign. It has been seen 45 million times on YouTube, resulted in a 77% increase in bookings and led to a rise in revenue of 86%^{[5](#1571752804298)}. This article will explore whether the rise of marketing in social media is a myth, or a necessity to keep up with today's advertising world. Firstly, social media campaigns have become popular because of their power to influence. Close to 2 billion people are active social network users. In a population of 7.3 billion people, that is a staggering amount^{[6](#1571752876228)}. As such, it is easy to see how marketing through such routes has the potential to reach and influence a large audience. This is part of the reason why it has become such an integral part of recent presidential campaigns for potential candidates. Brands often set up fan pages on social networking sites as a platform for releasing content. They have proven to be a successful resource, as users are more open to receiving brand messages on such sites than from other sources^{[7](#1571752934659)}. In effect, these pages provide an effective way of influencing consumers. Their popularity has increased also due to their ability to offer a more targeted approach. This way they can market their products to particular tribes of consumer; ones that they know are likely to engage with their product and brand. Social media also allows users to interact and engage further with the content that the brand produces, through systems such as liking and commenting^{[8](#1571752968907)}. The medium of social marketing also provides a new way in which companies and brands can be creative. Whether this is in innovative layouts on sites such as Instagram, or clever competitions that engage with consumers. One such competition was Starbuck’s #WhiteCupContest, where customers drew designs on cups and the winning design was printed and put into circulation as a limited edition. The competition helped create great content for their social media sites; around 4,000 designs were uploaded within three weeks. It also raised awareness of the company’s environmentally conscious approach to their use of reusable cups. This example shows how social media is used in creative ways, to promote a variety of aspects about a business. Research has identified three ways in which brands can engage intelligently with social media as a form of marketing. As such, when looking for bloggers or individuals that will promote your product through their website, it is important to keep the following three points in mind. Is this blogger authentic? To ensure positive outcomes it is worthwhile asking yourself what the motivations of the blogger are. If you think that they are driven by profit or financial motives it is best to stay clear. Instead, focus on a blogger that releases content which is true to his/her inner motivations and goals^{[9](#1571753014268)}. This helps to ensure that the credibility of the blogger remains constant and doesn't hamper your brand. Is this blogger compatible? Ask yourself whether the blogger seems compatible with the message, character and ethos of your brand^{[10](#1571753017324)}. It is best to aim for a blogger with high compatibility rather than one with high levels of popularity. This may help to keep your brand image consistent across sites, and maintain the authenticity of your brand. Diversity; the idiom of ‘don't put all your eggs in one basket’ comes to mind. It is important to diversify in the bloggers that you choose; more than one is ideal. This ensures that you can maintain an online marketing presence if one was to encounter issues. These three points will help ensure that your business succeeds in this new approach to marketing. Radical changes have occurred in the field within the last 20 years, and it is important to stay up to date and competitive. The evolution of advertising does in fact point towards social media and its powerful role, however, we are yet to see if it is a necessity. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"Jde8ve1Ge","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/135346/photo-1516251193007-45ef944ab0c6.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1000,"width":1500}}],"path":"/insights/social-media-and-marketing-go-hand-in-hand","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":270,"title":"The three Cs of marketing","title_decorated":"The three Cs of marketing","slug":"the-three-cs-of-marketing","introduction":"The western world is teeming with thousands of product adverts, brand messages and pieces of promotional content. It is estimated that we see anywhere between 350 and 3000 product adverts a day^{[1](#1571820901203)}. So among all this competition, how is it that brands are able to stand out? After all, it is a war for our wallets, and that starts with a battle for our attention. The three different factors of content, consistency and cult will be explored here, so that one can understand how to stop consumers in their tracks, in order to truly engage with them. ","category_id":null,"section_id":2,"override_title":"","detailed_introduction":"Content refers to the actual things that a company produces for marketing purposes, be it posters, TV ads, viral videos, or social media posts. Although the marketing sphere produces some excellent content that consumers respond to, there is also a lot of weak content produced. It seems as though many companies have the mindset that as long as they’re producing something, then it should fulfil all their marketing needs. However, there is rarely one, and only one solution in life. Even good productions need more than just valued content; consistency is key. So what is consistency, and why is it so important? In the marketing world, consistency refers to elements of a brand’s identity that are stable over time, and over the content they produce^{[2](#1571820904071)}. It can include anything from the colour scheme of the logo, to the message of the brand. This factor is highly important in attracting the attention of consumers; people are more eager to pay attention to messages that fit in with the brand’s overall message, character and ethos, than messages which appear irrelevant and inconsistent. One of the reasons that consistency is liked among consumers, is that it makes it easier for a brand to be remembered. A brand or advert that is more memorable is more likely to be recalled in the consumer's mind, and this is highly important if you want them to purchase your product. In being consistent, you are adding to a concept of a brand that already exists in the consumer’s memory. Our brain learns best when we don’t have to process completely new information, but when we can integrate it into some pre-existing knowledge^{[3](#1571820925866)}. Familiarity is hence important for advertising effectiveness and efficiency. Yet, a balance needs to be struck between familiarity and novelty; if an advert is too homogenous then we will not process it, as our expectations and memory fill in the gaps instead. As such, any new campaigns or messages have to be both consistent with the brand, but also provide new stimuli for the consumer to process. Brands should also be consistent in the type of market that the product is catered towards. As humans, we don’t just take into account the product we see, but we also take in the context surrounding it. For example, it would be inconsistent for a designer company to start producing affordable clothes for the everyman. Doing so could harm the image of the brand, likely followed by a fall in sales^{[4](#1571820951572)}. As such, it is important not to change key parts of your brand’s identity on a regular basis. Keep the elements that make your brand distinctive, as losing them can confuse consumers and hamper your image. One good example of consistency within a brand’s message can be seen throughout the recent history of Lynx’s adverts. If we look at their 2011 campaign ‘Fallen Angels’, it shows angels falling out of the sky, at the smell of an average looking guy who uses Lynx^{[5](#1571820981732)}. Their 2016 ‘Find your magic’ campaign focuses on guys who all have a ‘thing’, which separates them from the crowd, so to speak. It focuses on the individual, but finishes off by suggesting that you should use Lynx’s grooming products, in order to add that necessary final ‘touch’ to your identity. The common factor that both adverts hold, is that by using Lynx products, you become more attractive to others. While the newer adverts have progressed to make this message more subtle, it is undoubtedly still there; the first shot of their ad features an average looking guy with an attractive girl beside him. On the whole, Lynx provides a good example on how to keep your message consistent while evolving over time, and to achieve success while doing so. The third factor of ‘cult’ is rather interesting. In this case, a cult refers to a group of people who strongly admire and associate with a brand. They are a niche set of consumers. Their brand message needs to resonate with a specific group of individuals, a ‘tribe’ of like-minded thinkers. To do this, it’s important to focus on a shared lifestyle, or shared aspirations between the ’tribe’ and the brand. Examples exist particularly in the fashion world; streetwear labels Supreme and Palace have achieved a cult status in recent years, in part due to their ability to share their brand message with consumers. While celebrity endorsements often add to the hype of such brands, successful cult brands establish themselves with more. Palace has carved out a strong brand identity through authenticity and nostalgia^{[6](#1571821104625)}. Most importantly, however, it stays true to its London origins, while offering a fresh take on fashion. It is this strong sense of identity that consumers buy into, establishing its cult following. The authenticity of their brand lies in its origins; the brand has arisen out of the creator’s early days in the skate world with his friends. This history will help to ensure that palace is viewed as authentic, throughout the life of the brand. All in all, we have explored how content, consistency and cult are used in marketing. We have explored their roles, with the aim of seeing which factors are best at grabbing the attention of consumers, and standing out from the crowd. Content may be important, but consistency is ultimately what helps attract the attention of customers. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"oJ5LDKPvs","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/23/085016/photo-1479660095429-2cf4e1360472.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1001,"width":1502}}],"path":"/features/the-three-cs-of-marketing","published_on":"23/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":2,"title":"Features","slug":"features","intro":"In-depth knowledge reports that enable professionals to connect with their audience and manage their brands more successfully.","title_singularized":"Feature"},"section":{"id":2,"title":"Features","slug":"features","intro":"In-depth knowledge reports that enable professionals to connect with their audience and manage their brands more successfully.","title_singularized":"Feature"}},{"id":265,"title":"Coffee Product Design","title_decorated":"Black in a small cup please: product design in the coffee industry","slug":"coffee-product-design","introduction":"What makes a good coffee? Is it more than just the right recipe? And what does psychology have to add to this industry? ","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Black in a small cup please: product design in the coffee industry","detailed_introduction":"Coffee is one of the most widely sought after beverages, not just in the UK, but worldwide^{[1](#1571818125075)}. In fact, the number of coffee shops in this country has rapidly increased and is still rapidly increasing^{[2](#1571818175913)}. As such, the coffee industry represents a significant part of the world economy, and is very much a part of our daily lives. For many people, coffee is as essential as food in their daily routine and people often claim that they cannot ‘function’ without it. What do people like about coffee? Maybe it is the sweetness, or the bitterness, or the authentic style? These are the important questions which need to be answered to get a better understanding of what customers want. Despite its prevalence in the real world, coffee is rarely mentioned in academic literature, and so it is important to bring to salience for business to tailor their approach to consumers in today’s competitive coffee market. Surprisingly each design element of the coffee product, from the packaging to the cup that it comes in, influences the way that we expect the coffee to taste. And by matching the expectations that the consumer has, with the actual experience that they will receive from the product, you are increasing the amount of satisfaction that they will receive^{[3](#1571818300885)}. For example, if a consumer is expecting a bitter tasting coffee than the appearance of the coffee should seem bitter. That may sound ridiculous but the truth is that certain features of a coffee product can influence people to think that the coffee is going to taste bitter. A research study found that intense and bitter coffees should be served in short mugs^{[4](#1571818303680)}. Apparently, as customers we expect to experience a truer coffee taste when the coffee is served to us in a short mug. For instance, lets says you are trying to market a new espresso based product. To increase the success of the product, it is important to match the packaging to the taste of the contents by using smaller mugs. Interestingly, this is thought to explain why espresso are typically served in smaller cups, not just because they are a smaller beverage anyway, but because the small cup is associated with the idea of a bitter taste. On the flip side, the same study found that sweeter coffee should be served in wider diameter mugs, as apparently we expect that coffee will taste sweeter in cups with a large diameter. This makes it important for success coffee marketers to know your customer well; if they tend to want sugar in their coffee, then cater to them by having a product that matches their taste. Lastly, serve more aromatic coffee in narrower mugs. This could be of use perhaps when marketing to coffee ‘connoisseurs’. By making the product narrower, approaching a thin sleek design, you can give the impression that the coffee will be aromatic and pleasant smelling in nature. This will satisfy the needs and wants of the more upmarket section of coffee consumers, those who are looking for something more than a pick-me-up on their Monday mornings. Coffee marketing is definitely something to think about, as even the size and shape of a cup can have a lasting effect. Products need to be matched to a customers expectations in order to increase a customer's satisfaction and the likelihood of them coming back for more. Although, this is not suggesting that a different cup is needed for every type of coffee as not only is that highly impractical, it is also very cost ineffective. But perhaps small changes like wider cups for sweet coffee and smaller cups for bitter coffee should be considered, as these can have a huge impact on how a customer experiences the coffee.","thumbnail":[{"id":"GOJd9dEjJ","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/23/080513/photo-1502849394214-c4b6352145ee.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":2159,"width":1562}}],"path":"/insights/coffee-product-design","published_on":"23/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":276,"title":"Office Design","title_decorated":"Office Design","slug":"office-design","introduction":"The past century has seen incredible advances in technology, knowledge, and culture. Yet for some reason, the design of most offices remains highly outdated, reminiscent of a bygone era.","category_id":null,"section_id":2,"override_title":"Office Design","detailed_introduction":"While excellent examples of innovative offices do exist^{[1](#1571824994726)}, the majority of us are still working in drab, prison-like buildings, or space-saving cubicle style set-ups^{[2](#1571825002400)}. This article will explore why the old office design principles have become outdated, and how psychology can help improve our office spaces, to make the workforce better satisfied, and more productive. One could of course write a whole book on office design, so here we will touch on some of the aspects that can be most easily applied. So why have these office environments become outdated? One of the main reasons lies with technology, and a shift in the type of work that people are doing. Now labelled ‘knowledge-workers’, referring those who work with information, many of us who work in this sector are increasingly using technology to communicate, learn, and disseminate knowledge. This means that the office design of 100 years ago is fast becoming a hindrance. With this shift in style of working, the office environment needs to be able to encourage collaboration, and the sharing of knowledge. As of yet, the cell-like, uniform setups common in most office buildings do not allow for this^{[3](#1571825020124)}. So what changes can you apply to your workplace? What can you do to the environment to see an improvement in the way your organisation works? Primarily, you need to get an understanding of the type of organisational culture that is present^{[4](#1571825027756)}. This is important, because it affects how your employees want to behave, and interact with each other. For example, is there a focus on creation at your workplace? Or maybe it is more performance-focused and goal oriented? Identifying the culture will help you understand how you can improve your office layout. Here are some tips that will help^{[5](#1571825033186)}: For creative workplaces, incorporate designs that encourage social interaction and strategic thinking. This can be done by creating group spaces that allow for brainstorming and discussion. For collaborative workplaces, focus heavily on promoting social interaction. This can be done by having rooms that allow for a wide range of activities to take place; from informal team building to recreation spaces. Encourage impromptu meeting spaces and residential elements of design to promote feelings of comfort and ease. For control oriented workplaces, or organisations with a strict hierarchical design, develop rooms for meetings and formal presentations. Competitive workplaces, however, should develop areas that allow workers to complete individual tasks in a more private setting. Once you have understood your organisational culture, and which sort of spaces your workplace can benefit the most from, there are many other equally important aspects that you can think about. For organisations that don’t have the budget or time to perform a complete redesign of the office, the following tips can be generalised to most office situations, and should benefit the workforce no matter the organisational culture: 1. **Give employees the ability to customise their workspace.** Several studies have found that when workers are allowed to customise their own office environment, it results in improved perceptions of working conditions, quicker performance, with no loss in accuracy^{[6](#1571825042086)}. It also resulted in greater job satisfaction, along with higher physical and psychological comfort. In other words, the workforce becomes more productive and happier when they are allowed to decorate their offices themselves; it helps them feel empowered. As such, allow workers to bring in things like plants, artwork, and desk lights. You could even give them a small allowance with which they can customise their office. 2. **Give workers space for focus.** As we have previously alluded to, each organisation has different needs. However, all businesses require a space for individual focus, just to differing extents. Things like open plan offices or external distractions can hamper workers’ ability to concentrate. As such, you should incorporate a quiet space that allows them to work in peace^{[7](#1571825047859)}. Encourage workers to lose themselves in their work, so that they can achieve a sense of ‘flow’ and concentration. This can be done by promoting a clutter-free environment, and offering a choice as to where and how they can work. This will ultimately help the productivity of the workforce, as they can work in a way which suits their style. 3. **Incorporate green areas.** This allows for your employees to recover and restore energy. The demands of the day can often leave people feeling tired both physically and cognitively, so you should design spaces and activities that allow them to replenish, and nature is a fundamental aspect of this. For years, psychologists have known of the benefits that nature has on our wellbeing. An array of literature exists that shows how having access to green spaces can help us recover from illness quicker or restore our energy levels^{[8](#1571825057084)}. To apply this to your workplace, incorporate plants into the working environment, and try to maximise the amount of daylight that workers get. Working near a window can not only improve people's health and alertness, but also their levels of stress and mental fatigue^{[9](#1571825058698)}. 4. **Lastly, think about your furniture.** Small details of interior-design can have an effect on how we feel in a space, and interact in it. For example, one recent study showed how curvy furniture can provoke feelings of pleasantness, peacefulness and calm as opposed to angular furniture, which does not boast the same benefits^{[10](#1571825069067)}. All in all, we have explored the need to think about the way our offices are designed, and observed how small design aspects can have an impact on the way workforces behave. We have provided tips that can be used to improve the office environment on a general level, and also with a more specific culture oriented approach. For most, offices are the place in which we spend most of our waking hours, and as a result, it’s important that you don’t rush over its design: both for your benefit, as well as your employees’ benefit.","thumbnail":[{"id":"BdKU57Syp","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/23/102044/photo-1497366858526-0766cadbe8fa1.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1001,"width":1500}}],"path":"/features/office-design","published_on":"23/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":2,"title":"Features","slug":"features","intro":"In-depth knowledge reports that enable professionals to connect with their audience and manage their brands more successfully.","title_singularized":"Feature"},"section":{"id":2,"title":"Features","slug":"features","intro":"In-depth knowledge reports that enable professionals to connect with their audience and manage their brands more successfully.","title_singularized":"Feature"}},{"id":238,"title":"Storytelling in Advertising","title_decorated":"Storytelling: appeal to your customers’ hearts, not their heads","slug":"storytelling-in-advertising","introduction":"When you’re asked to think of the world’s best storytellers, you may think of great playwrights like Shakespeare, or novelists such as Harper Lee. Yet in recent years, brands have noticed the potential that a good story can have, and are becoming more and more adept at making them¹.","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Storytelling: appeal to your customers’ hearts, not their heads","detailed_introduction":"Take John Lewis for example: their Christmas campaigns have successfully captured the attention of customers since 2007, and have resulted in us looking forward to the next release. Storytelling allows businesses to communicate with consumers on a more emotional level, meaning a more human connection can be made between the two. This shift towards storytelling is both fashionable and popular, and is likely here to stay. This article will explore how advertising agencies can make the most out of this powerful means of communication, and provide them with guidelines on how to do so effectively. Firstly, several core elements are needed in the story. After researchers analysed many stories and discourses from storytellers, they discovered that the following underlying basic elements were present in the structure of all stories². The first is anticipation; a sense of hope for the future. Crisis; some form of conflict or life-altering event. Help; characters receive help, however major or minor, along the way. Finally, we have goal achievement; in which the end goal is achieved. In the context of advertising, businesses have to create excellent stories that connect with consumers in only a short amount of time. As such, it is common for some of the elements to be missed out or only lightly touched upon, but it is important to include as many as possible³. One thing that all successful stories, TV shows, and films have in common, is that they make you care about the characters. Without this emotional connection, the listeners have little motivation to continue with the rest of the story⁴. Research notes the importance of making listeners care, and arousing emotion within them. Take an example from the Nike ‘Find your greatness’ campaign. It depicts an overweight runner steadily making his way closer to the camera. The character is perhaps more typical of the exercise population than the models that normally appear in such adverts, and we are let into what seems to be his thoughts at the time. Within a few seconds, the viewer becomes intrigued as to who the runner is, and this creates a desire to know more about him. But most importantly, by letting us into his thought process the viewer feels a sense of connection, and it is this which is important in storytelling. Audiences should not have the brand message ‘driven home’. Like with most successful art, there should be some room for subjective experience and opinion on what the advert is trying to deliver⁵. This allows the viewer to connect with the story in their own unique way, which will provide a more powerful experience for them. It changes the activity of watching the advert, from something which is passive, to something more active and involving. Building upon this, it means that brands lose some of their ‘control’ of how their brand message is perceived. However, this is less of an issue when it comes to storytelling adverts, because the ones that work do so when they build a connection with the viewer, and don’t force their message on consumers. A better approach is to be open to the advert, and try to understand the way it makes consumers feel. One especially valuable tip, is to make sure that the advert focuses entirely on the story itself⁶. The best storytelling adverts accomplish this when we don’t even know what the product is that they’re selling: it’s only at the very end of the advert that we see the company’s logo. Take Everlast’s ‘Boxing Makes You Bigger’ campaign; it creates a story that makes you feel for a small boy and his friend who are living in impoverished conditions, and the brand logo for Everlast appears only in the last few seconds. A similar tactic is taken with many other successful story based adverts, such as Chunky Soup’s ‘This one’s for mum’ advert, or Lynx’s ‘Find your magic’ campaign⁷. So perhaps some of the best storytelling today can actually be found in the world of marketing. To create successful stories brands are using the basic elements of storytelling; anticipation, crisis, help and goal achievement, to create a simple structure. Then, techniques are being used to ensure the stories succeed in the marketing world by encouraging consumers to make emotional connections with the characters and allowing them to interpret the story in their own way. Using such methods will likely foster success, provide strong competition for other brands and develop a brand further than using traditional advertising techniques⁸.","thumbnail":[{"id":"BBH0UvUfp","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/115625/photo-1474932430478-367dbb6832c1.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1000,"width":1500}}],"path":"/insights/storytelling-in-advertising","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":233,"title":"Signatures & Personality","title_decorated":"Sign here please: What your signature says about you","slug":"signatures-personality","introduction":"Did you ever see the film catwoman? I particularly liked the scene in which a scientist analyses Catwoman’s handwriting, in order to make deductions about who this lady is, and what her personality is like. It seemed like total science fiction at the time! Even scientists agree that the evidence to back up handwriting analysis is weak. Yet there is one related topic which has been of valid interest to many academics; the analysis of signatures. So what does your signature say about you? Are you confident and bold, signing documents with large flourishes? Or are you reserved and calm, with small understated signatures? We will explore these very ideas below, and see what the academic literature has to say on the subject. ","category_id":4,"section_id":1,"override_title":"Sign here please: What your signature says about you","detailed_introduction":"A quick google search brings back a rather dull definition of what a signature is; ‘a person's name written in a distinctive way as a form of identification in authorizing a cheque or document’. But for many, a signature is much more than this. Just like our family, friends, pet dogs, material goods, or our work, we hold our signatures close. They are unique. They change little yet represent us throughout our lives. It is more than a form of identification: it is an expression that allows us to portray ourselves to the outside world. It goes on a range of documents, from formal letters to artistic paintings. It is a way of taking ownership of something, of adding a personal touch. Despite this diversity in signature style, the vast majority of published academic studies on signature look at one key element. Signature size. In fact, researchers associate this one element with a variety of different factors. The first factor is narcissism^{[1](#1571744942693)}. Now perhaps you know someone who is a typical narcissist. They always talk about themselves, everything revolves around them, they believe they are the best and that they could never do anything wrong. Nothing is ever their fault. Now what sort of signature do you think they have? Is it going to be small and understated, or epic and attention grabbing? Well, researchers have explored this. The size of a person’s signature links to how narcissistic they are. The larger your signature, the more self-focused and individualistic you may be! Yet signature size is not the only thing that relates to narcissism. The embellishments that you add also indicate aspects of your personality. The key piece of research on this was conducted by Dillon^{[2](#1571744947153)}. He found that among females, the more embellished a signature was, the more narcissistic the individual. So if you have a habit of underscoring, circling, or adding stars to your signature, then ask yourself what this says about you! Traits other than narcissism are associated with signature size. The most recent study in this field was done in 2016 by Mailhos and colleagues^{[3](#1571744976349)}. They analysed the signatures of around 340 different people to see if any correlations existed. The results were interesting. They found that the size of one’s signature was linked to how socially dominant they are. This means that the larger you write, the more likely it is that you will be commanding and authoritative among others! Another study by Raval et al.^{[4](#1571745000990)}, took a slightly different approach. They got participants to do a task that either improved their mood, or kept it the same. The results showed that the people who had their mood elevated, tended to have larger signatures. Remember to take these points with a grain of salt. Although the information here comes from academic papers, it is important to remember it doesn’t apply to everyone. For example, not everyone with a large signature is socially dominant, as there are always exceptions! Yet all in all, we have seen how the elements of size and embellishments are linked to our personalities. So take a second to think about your signature during the next document you sign. Does it in any way match who you are as a person? Do you want to alter it to better represent who you are? ","thumbnail":[{"id":"CLvIKczxy","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/22/114612/photo-1457298483369-0a95d2b17fcd.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":883,"width":1383}}],"path":"/insights/signatures-personality","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":4,"title":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","title_singularized":"Analysis"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":212,"title":"Caring for the Environment","title_decorated":"What we say and what we do: how to actually care for the environment","slug":"caring-for-the-environment","introduction":"Psychologists have long known that what we plan to do, and what we actually do, are very different things. In fact, if we’re honest, we also know this too. Every January, millions of us think ‘this will be the year I’m going to get in shape’, but all we have to show for it are a dusty set of dumbbells and an unused Fitbit. As such, our attitudes don’t always correspond to our behaviours. This is what makes the new study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, an interesting development^{[1](#1571733463512)}. The researchers have identified a way to encourage positive behaviour in an area that affects everyone: the environment.","category_id":13,"section_id":1,"override_title":"What we say and what we do: how to actually care for the environment","detailed_introduction":"The way they tested this was simple. They asked participants who commuted in by car, to imagine that their work was shutting down the car park to extend the building, and was offering public transport as compensation. Then, for one group they gave environmental reasons as an explanation (such as reduced emissions etc.) and for another group they cited personal goals as a reason (more time to read, encouraging exercise, etc.). The results showed that when environmental explanations were given, most people’s enthusiasm was weak, and in fact many would continue to commute by car anyway. The other group, however, were much more willing to adopt the new measures, and even expressed more enthusiasm for them. All in all, the study shows how aligning environmental goals with people’s personal goals can encourage better adherence and enthusiasm. This study could have implications in a large array of different spheres, from government campaigns to advertising. Apparently it’s much easier to work towards personal goals, than global goals.","thumbnail":[{"id":"YE0ySefAs","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/23/112245/photo-1501856054482-8b7fbff7b3fe.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1175,"width":1568}}],"path":"/insights/caring-for-the-environment","published_on":"22/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":13,"title":"Review","slug":"review","title_singularized":"Review"},"section":{"id":1,"title":"Insights","slug":"insights","intro":"Bite-sized updates on what makes brands and consumers tick, to empower good decision making.","title_singularized":"Insight"}},{"id":273,"title":"The Psychology of Cars","title_decorated":"The Psychology of Cars","slug":"the-psychology-of-cars","introduction":"Cars are changing, at a faster pace now, than ever before.","category_id":null,"section_id":2,"override_title":"","detailed_introduction":"Even today, consumers can drive models that steer for you, ensuring that you stay in lane on the motorway. They can do this and more, including keeping an appropriate distance between you and the cars in front, and taking appropriate action to protect you in cases of danger^{[1](#1571823550390)}! One need only search ‘Tesla autopilot predicts crash’ to find thousands of videos of automated cars miraculously predicting and responding to hazards. So it’s clear that cars are becoming ever more futuristic and autonomous as time progresses, but what will they look like in the future? More importantly, how will consumers engage with them? This article will explore this very question, addressing the psychological drivers of car usage, and envisioning how they will adapt in the future. As we have mentioned, cars are becoming autonomous. They will become entirely driverless surprisingly soon, and the current way that we engage with the automobile market will shift. We can see this transformation happening already, as a younger generation of city dwelling consumers have been brought up with accessible, comfortable, and personalised transport, offered by services such as Uber^{[2](#1571823553183)}. As they grow older, it’s easy to see them doubting the benefits of individual car ownership. Aside from the cost savings for the consumer (training, maintenance, fuel etc.), such services are better for the environment, reducing the number of cars that need to be produced. In the future if, or more likely when, services such as Uber combine with self-driving cars, the roads will not only be much safer^{[3](#1571823573730)}, but consumers will have an entirely different relationship to cars as we do today. Historically, there have been several key drivers of car ownership. One of these has been the car’s ability to meet some of our biological and psychological motives. In total, there are five key motives^{[4](#1571823592508)}: freedom, social status, expression, excitement and protection. We will explore these below, with reference as to how they might change in the future manifestation of the car. Perhaps primarily, is the value of the car in putting an end to nature’s constraint on human movement. Through automobile technology, we have been able to travel further and faster than before, giving us complete freedom over where we can go. We are free from the dependence on our basic human capabilities, or animals such as horses. The ability to travel satisfies some of the tendencies we may have picked up from our original nomadic hunter-gatherer days, in which we had to travel and search to survive^{[5](#1571823644183)}. In many ways, the car is an extension of our territory. It allows us to set up camp (albeit temporarily) almost anywhere in the world, and we can furnish it just like a house, with our choice of music, paraphernalia, setup etc. However, in the future, it is uncertain whether cars will still serve this purpose. Many companies are preparing for a future where cars are perhaps communally owned, yet still, many of us will want to use cars for the purpose of exploration without constraint. As such, it is likely that a smaller market will still exist, with the individual driver in mind. Next comes the social element: this is a very influential factor in purchasing a car or other motor vehicle. Owning a certain type of car has the ability not only to impress others, but to influence the way we appear to them^{[6](#1571823680035)}. It is a way of signifying membership to a specific group, a social statement. Social status is communicated through many aspects of a car, one of which is engine size. This metric is often used in conversation as a means of assessing one's comparative standing, and shows the social value we place on our vehicles. Vehicle class is also a part of this, and some are often designed with social status in mind. For example, the SUV category is often critiqued as not only unnecessary, but aimed at a part of the market (soccer moms) that have no practical use for the qualities of the vehicle (large engines, off-road capabilities). Ultimately, vehicle brand is also used as a medium for displaying one’s social status. Brands like Mercedes, Tesla, and Aston Martin convey a premium image, whereas others may be more for the practical owner, such as Toyota or Mazda. This aspect of car use will most likely be prevalent in the future, with brands still competing to make premium options available for those consumers with money to spend. Next, cars allow us to express our personality, and identify with certain groups of people^{[7](#1571823714953)}. The visual design of cars can create feelings and ideas within the eye of the viewer, and as such, each car has a distinct persona. This comes across in the words that people use to describe cars, often personifying them as ‘he’ or ‘she’, and using descriptive words such as attractive and elegant. People often choose their vehicles for these very reasons, liking cars that are perceived to be similar to them in some way. They can also gain us membership into different groups of people, allowing us to identify as part of something bigger. Take the American biker culture for example, which often revolves around the quintessential Harley Davidson brand. However, this element of choice and expression will likely fade, as humans start to view their vehicles more like buses instead of an extension of themselves. Vehicles can also offer us fun and excitement. For example, many people engage in motor racing for the thrill of it^{[8](#1571823745553)}. They see it as an adrenaline rush. The stimulation of the central nervous system is fun for many people, and creates an activity that people want to do repeatedly. As such, this is likely to continue in the future, but perhaps with driver aids, allowing humans to push vehicles to new speeds previously unthought of. In contrast to this, cars also allow us to meet some of our basic human needs, namely that of protection and shelter. They act as a sort of second skin, allowing us to stay safe and secure while we travel. This is likely to be a key factor in future consumer decisions regarding cars, as the technology and automation will allow for much safer roads. On the whole, we have explored the 5 key psychological motives of car use up until now, and have alluded to how they might change in the near future. One thing that is certain, however, is that the attitudes of consumers are going to shift dramatically as technology evolves, and that cars as we know them today will seem like dinosaurs to the man of the future. ","thumbnail":[{"id":"ieN3YlqP5","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/theretailpsychologist-production/coucou/2019/10/23/093337/photo-1511919884226-fd3cad34687c.jpg","caption":"","dimensions":{"height":1000,"width":1500}}],"path":"/features/the-psychology-of-cars","published_on":"23/10/19","author":"Jaxom Sundaram","management_summary":"","category":{"id":2,"title":"Features","slug":"features","intro":"In-depth knowledge reports that enable professionals to connect with their audience and manage their brands more successfully.","title_singularized":"Feature"},"section":{"id":2,"title":"Features","slug":"features","intro":"In-depth knowledge reports that enable professionals to connect with their audience and manage their brands more successfully.","title_singularized":"Feature"}}]}