Because purchasing decisions are rarely as sensible as the people making them.
Human beings are wonderfully complicated creatures.
We can build spacecraft, perform brain surgery and develop artificial intelligence capable of writing an entire marketing strategy in approximately eleven seconds.
Yet we can also spend £85 on a shirt because it has a tiny embroidered crocodile.
The crocodile contributes absolutely nothing to the shirt’s ability to function as a shirt.
Nevertheless, we feel strangely pleased with ourselves.
Welcome to the psychology of marketing.
A fascinating world where what people buy is often less important than why they believe they want it.
Nobody Really Buys a Product
Well, technically they do.
Otherwise, shops would be difficult to run.
But people rarely buy something purely for its functional characteristics.
They buy what they believe the product will do for them.
A luxury watch doesn’t simply tell the time. So does a £12 digital watch, with considerably less anxiety about scratching it.
A luxury car doesn’t just provide transport. It can communicate status, success and personal identity.
And a £6 takeaway coffee isn’t necessarily about caffeine. Sometimes it’s about treating yourself after a morning spent explaining to colleagues that replying to an email doesn’t require a meeting.
People buy outcomes, experiences, reassurance and occasionally a slightly improved version of themselves.
Understanding that is considerably more useful than producing another brochure containing 47 product features.
The Brain Has Already Made Up Its Mind
We like to imagine purchasing decisions follow a logical process.
First, we identify a need.
Then we research the available options.
Next, we compare features, evaluate prices, and carefully select the most appropriate solution.
Finally, we purchase the one with the nicest packaging.
Apparently the previous three stages were largely decorative.
In reality, our decisions are influenced by emotions, previous experiences, familiarity and unconscious associations.
We often develop a preference before we’ve finished explaining to ourselves why it makes sense.
This doesn’t mean logic is irrelevant.
It means logic and emotion work together, sometimes with emotion making considerably more noise.
Familiarity Is a Surprisingly Powerful Salesperson
Have you ever chosen a product simply because you recognised the name?
Of course you have.
We all have.
Faced with two apparently similar products, people often feel more comfortable choosing the familiar option.
Psychologists call one contributor to this the mere exposure effect: repeated exposure can increase our liking for something.
It’s one reason brand awareness matters.
Your advertising might not generate an immediate sale.
Your social media post might not produce a measurable enquiry.
Your podcast might not persuade somebody to buy something before the closing music.
But familiarity can influence which businesses people consider when they’re finally ready to purchase.
That’s inconvenient for marketers who insist every activity must produce an immediate return.
We Buy With Other People’s Opinions
Humans are social animals.
We look to others for reassurance, particularly when we’re uncertain.
It’s why customer reviews, testimonials, recommendations and case studies can be so influential.
A business can spend thousands telling customers how wonderful it is.
But one enthusiastic recommendation from someone they trust may carry considerably more weight.
This is called social proof.
It’s also why a restaurant with a queue can seem more attractive than the perfectly good restaurant next door.
Although sometimes the queue means the restaurant has only one person working in the kitchen.
Psychology isn’t infallible.
Sometimes We’re Buying Peace of Mind
Not every purchase is driven by excitement, aspiration or status.
Sometimes people want to avoid making a terrible mistake.
This is particularly relevant in B2B marketing.
A managing director choosing a new software supplier isn’t necessarily looking for the most revolutionary platform ever invented.
They may be looking for something that works, won’t disrupt the business, and won’t lead to six months of increasingly unpleasant meetings.
Likewise, someone appointing a marketing consultant may be buying more than expertise.
They’re buying confidence, reassurance and the feeling that somebody understands their problems.
Reducing perceived risk can be just as persuasive as promising a spectacular result.
What Does This Mean for Marketers?
It means we should probably spend less time talking about ourselves.
Customers don’t necessarily care that your business was founded in 1987, employs 43 people and has recently introduced an exciting new internal reporting structure.
They care about what you can do for them.
They want to know whether you understand their needs, whether they can trust you and whether choosing your business will make their lives better or easier.
So before creating your next campaign, ask yourself:
- What does the customer actually want to achieve?
- What emotions or concerns influence their decision?
- What might make them hesitate?
- What would help them feel confident choosing us?
The answers may be more valuable than another month spent debating which shade of blue best represents innovation.
People Are Complicated. Marketing Doesn’t Have to Be.
Marketing psychology isn’t about discovering secret techniques to control people’s minds. Although that would undoubtedly make an interesting LinkedIn masterclass.
It’s about understanding that customers are human.
They have aspirations, anxieties, habits, memories and preferences that don’t always fit neatly into a marketing dashboard.
They want to feel understood.
They want to make good decisions.
And they generally prefer businesses that make those decisions easier.
The best marketing doesn’t simply explain why a product is good. It understands why someone might want it in the first place.
Because ultimately, people don’t buy what businesses think they’re selling.
They buy what those products and services mean to them.
And sometimes, apparently, that means paying an extra £70 for a very small crocodile.
