Persuasion by Polarisation
Polarisation as a technique of persuasion is as old as time. The technique of social pressure is being used as (one of) the means of behavioural influence for vaccination, however effective marketing tells us that trust is the key to all interactions.
Polarisation as a technique of persuasion is as old as time. The word carries a negative sentiment - conjuring up images of people divided, with contrasting ideas or beliefs. In history, at its most extreme polarisation descended into disagreement and persecution - one group righteous and worthy, the other isolated from society as a means of conversion.
Polarisation is the word that springs to mind when I look at the ‘vaccine divide’ and the increasing social pressure on those who have chosen not to take it. Rest assured, this is not going to be a Musing on the Vaccine, there are enough opinions already in circulation on that.
Over the past month, as I watch events unfold on how the techniques of social pressure and exclusion are being used to influence anti-vaxxers to take the vaccine , I cannot help but see the similarities on how we (albeit more gently) aim to influence purchase in marketing: “Do as I do”, “Only VIPs permitted”, “Don’t miss your chance”, “#Trending”, “x offers redeemed already” - Overwhelmingly the emotional language is one harnessing fear (of missing out or being left out). It is well known that ‘loss aversion’ triggers response.
However, experienced marketers know that employing fear will not persuade all people - and could lead to resentment. Some people will actually retreat further into their ‘habits’, and conversely become more deaf to the messages they are receiving. They will become more rooted in their beliefs - and more vocal in their criticism of your product. More sceptical of the results.
How else then can we influence?
Effective marketing is about understanding psychology, and psychology tells us that trust is the key to all interactions. The creation of trust will enable safety and curiousity, curiousity well answered will engender more trust and then anticipation and expectation, expectation delivered is action, which is then rewarded with emotions of joy and pride. Fear (guilt, urgency, isolation, anxiety) does not have to be used at all, instead we have just positivity.
So, we could say instead: This could help, Here’s something to look forward to, We appreciate you.
Trust creation starts with honesty and transparency - admitting when you don’t know, or you get it wrong. Showing humanity and empathy, especially a cultural understanding. Hearing the criticism - perhaps inviting it so that you can improve your service/ product - and responding to feedback openly and publicly. It will involve identifying individual needs and desires, learning what content resonates, and what doesn’t.
Let’s move away from fear, and work to create trust.
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Apple is coming for email marketing.
It was only a matter of time before Apple turned its’ Privacy eyes to the world of email. With the coming iOS 15 update, Apple will have an increased control on what messages make the inbox, and what information is revealed back to the sender. With ‘Hide My Email’ no messages will make your inbox, and with ‘Mail Privacy Protection’ no tracking is revealed (before the click). Impact will be high: you will lose data (unique email address) and engagement views (opens).
It was only a matter of time before Apple turned its’ Privacy eyes to the world of email. Email marketing- the sending of a commercial message to a consumer who has given you consent to do so, has sadly become synonymous with ‘mass marketing’. We have forgotten the very characteristics that allow email marketing to win above other types of marketing, namely:
1. You know your consumer and their past behaviour, so can personalise messages accordingly and therefore only send messages that have value
2. You know what days/times your consumers read messages, so can send your messages at that time and cut through all the other marketing noise
3. You can build and send emails quickly, at low cost, so have a cost of marketing / engagement / ROI that wins above other marketing channels
4. You get directly into your consumer’s inbox - a very personal space vs other marketing channels - so you are more likely to be engaged with
No doubt, email marketing is a very valuable marketing channel and a treasured route to driving sales. However Positives 1. and 2. have become the poor cousin to 3. and 4. and resulted in a consumer receiving frequent and irrelevant marketing, that frustrate rather than delight.
Too often have I heard the argument “Our unsubscribes remain low”- but remember, the opposite of love is indifference, not hate. When someone truly no longer holds feelings for you, you simply fade from consciousness.
With the coming iOS 15 update, Apple has stepped into shoes that were ready for the taking: an increased control on what messages make the inbox, and what information is revealed back to the sender. With ‘Hide My Email’ no messages will make your inbox directly and with ‘Mail Privacy Protection’ no tracking is revealed (before the click). Impact will be high: Apple could be the single Power with permission to directly message your consumers, and see how they interact with your messages - and you will lose data (unique email address) and engagement views (opens). Implications mean a modification of consumer journeys based on open rate, a loss of owned data (but perhaps an inflation of email addresses, an adjustment of internal targets and perhaps even an inability to link consumers across channels - you simply won’t have the data to do so.
If you don’t have a good reason why a consumer should give you their real email address… start finding one.
All is not lost. Firstly, Apple has revealed ‘burner’ email addresses will end in @privaterelay.appleid.com - so you can identify and manage those consumers using ‘Hide My Email’ eg. incentivise a real email address. Secondly, clicks were the email measure that mattered - and those you still have.
Could Apple have gone further? I await the ‘Apple Marketing Privacy Preference Centre’ - where you can choose not just who you want to hear from, but when and how often. And I wonder how long will it be before Apple bundles this control with only its’ Apple email addresses, taking on the current world email provider champion Gmail.
And remember, usually where one goes, others follow - Apple has set a course others are likely to follow. How is your SMS strategy going?
*All views my own*
The consistency of irrationality
Change without reason turns traditional data-led marketing upside down - and the concept of loyalty. Not only do you need to be pulling all your data insight and activation levers to identify what your consumer needs, and when they need it, now you also have to anticipate irrational consumer behaviour. But, if the irrationality is consistent, and this ‘irrationality’ is driven by needs, then what we are really talking about here is ‘Needs-Based Marketing’.
Following a coffee bean ‘Taste & Choose’ earlier this year, I thought we had found ‘our’ coffee. The chosen coffee beans were an Italian dark roast, with a wonderful depth of flavour. So, imagine my surprise when my Partner suddenly announced without warning he was off to buy some new coffee “because he wanted something difference”.
Wow, change without reason. This turns traditional data-led marketing upside down - and the concept of loyalty. Not only do you need to be pulling all your data insight and activation levers to identify what your consumer needs, and when they need it, and then when they need it again - now you also have to know when they might feel like something different without evidence of rational logic. Finally, we might have an answer to churn in seemingly loyal consumers, without any discernible reason - these consumers just felt like it.
According to McKinsey 36% of consumers during Covid tried a new brand, and 80% of those intend to keep using it - that cuts a lot of existing brand ties. In a year like the one we are living now, where (some) People are seeking experiences, the ‘Novelty’ factor has evolved to the ‘Need something New, and Different’ factor. Just Because. Or perhaps, it was always there, and 2020 has just shone a light on it.
Irrational consumer behaviour - often driven by emotion - is always going to be a struggle to anticipate in an organisation where marketing is directed by data, but if the irrationality is consistent, and this ‘irrationality’ is driven by needs, then we simply need to shift our marketing approach to ‘Needs-Based Marketing’ and evolve our traditional consumer segmentation. According to Tony Robbins, there are six core human needs: Certainty, Uncertainty/Variety, Significance, Connection/Love, Growth and Contribution. Uncertainty/Variety is defined as ‘the need for the unknown, change, new stimuli’. As with any behavioural based segmentation, I would expect a person would cross all of these needs, over-indexing one or the other at different times.
Knowing the needs that drive how a consumer behaves is incredibly hard. Especially given that they flex over time, and are often influenced by external environment. So how about we introduce ‘Needs Options’ into our marketing… alternative options that aim to tackle a Need for no reason at all. This is a risky strategy, only for the B.R.A.V.E (Brand is Ready for Action and Very Excited) - introduce these options too soon, and your consumer may not become brand loyal, introduce too many, and they flee from the paradox of too much choice, and if you wait too long, they will have gone already. But do it right, do it well, and you may just double your Consumer Lifetime Value.
If you’re feeling B.R.A.V.E, it was about the 7 month mark that my Partner’s need for variety kicked in…
*All views my own*
Sources:
https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mind-meaning/do-you-need-to-feel-significant/
The danger of the Popular Vote
Over the past month, I have explained the US Election process to countless friends, and how the Winner is chosen not based on ‘Popular’ votes, not surprisingly, friends have trouble understanding the process.
But, it did get me thinking. There is of course a third option, which is to assign share of vote based on the influence a state has to decide the ‘fortunes’ of the US. Your choice depends on your goal - if you want to win friends or have the highest return.
Over the past month, I have explained the US Election process to countless friends, and how the Winner is chosen not based on ‘Popular’ votes, but on a system which weights share of vote by state, based on its share of population (because ultimately this is what drives the number of congressional districts in a state, which in turn decides the number of Electoral Votes a state receives, out of a 538 pot). Not surprisingly, friends have trouble understanding the process since the President represents the People, and the People have a Popular Vote, which represents them as a Population. I have to be honest, the US route to choosing a President does seem overly complex.
But, it did get me thinking. There is of course a third option, which is to assign share of vote based on the influence a state has to decide the ‘fortunes’ of the US (how that ‘influence’ is identified is open to discussion).
When decisions are made in business, about where to put your marketing effort or investment, do you go the way of the loudest voice with the highest visibility (aka your ‘Popular’ vote), or do you select the segment of worth (aka your ‘influence’)? Your marketing strategy will vary greatly depending on which one you choose - and so might the money you make.
It all depends on your goal. If you want to win friends, the easiest choice is often the most obvious one. In practice, this means following the traffic, and taking note of what is trending. However, if you want to be truly effective, perhaps you need to identify the consumers who are worth more, follow their journeys and prioritise their needs above others. After all, one quiet person in your segment of worth could be equal to 100 people with a loud voice. Only a business fool would not choose to put their time and effort on the consumers with the highest return with the only exception being where the highest return is not aligned to a path of integrity, diversity and values.
The idea that a country makes a choice based on ‘area worth’ is highly controversial, as by default it will make some people matter more than others based simply on the postcode they manage to settle in. The influential will get richer still, not in money, but in share of voice, making way for a new type of ‘postcode vote wooing’. Clearly, this is not the right way for an equal and fair society. But what happens when all those in the society will enjoy a greater standard of living if the influential win?
The good news is that according to Harvard Business Review “a country is not a corporation”, and good economic policy is not the same as great business logic. So, a Business Executive could actually be our worst choice for President. In which case, thank god we just got rid of him.
*All views my own*
Sources:
Do you know who I am?
The accepted Golden Rule of business is “The customer is always right” - a catchphrase apparently coined by Harry Gordon Selfridge, the Founder of Selfridges department store in London. Well… if your customer is a frequent complainer, continuously using business resources, of low spend, engagement, or offers no value (eg. access to a community), you may find that profitability will increase by actually letting some customers go.
However, a non-negotiable Golden Rule has to be “Make the customer feel important” - a sentiment achieved by recognition, language and personalisation.
The accepted Golden Rule of business is “The customer is always right” - a catchphrase apparently coined by Harry Gordon Selfridge, the Founder of Selfridges department store in London. Well… if your customer is a frequent complainer, continuously using business resources, of low spend, engagement, or offers no value (eg. access to a community), you may find that profitability will increase by actually letting some customers go.
However, a non-negotiable Golden Rule has to be “Make the customer feel important” - a sentiment achieved by recognition, language and personalisation. We’ve seen businesses step up the game on this massively across the last few months - points/rewards extensions across the airlines/hotel industry, reduced pricing for those affected by the Pandemic and appreciation and gratitude everywhere. More now than ever, this is a chance to show our customers what values we are really made of.
It was with excitement that I opened reMarkable’s email today (subject line “reMarkable 2 news”) - Was the product I ordered in March finally shipping after a 3 month delay? Instead, I was told “units have already been distributed to journalists for reviews, some of which we expect will be published by the end of the week…unfortunately we’re behind…” - Why was I not addressed by name? Why was the business prioritising journalists over paying customers? Why was the business even going after Press when they clearly could not meet existing orders on time? Why did they think reviews mattered to me when I was already post-purchase? Why was I forced to click a link to see my new shipping date, when it could have been in the email? And why was there no direct email or number for Customer Service?
“It costs 5 to 25 times more to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one.” says consultancy Bain & Company - and unhappy customers can become a brand’s biggest advocates if managed right says Inc.com. A personal message, a sentiment of “stay excited - here’s what you can look forward to”, exclusive content and a link to speak to someone could have done the trick.
If you find yourself in the position of delivering bad news to your customers, don’t do a reMarkable - you can do so much more.
*All views my own*
Sources:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/top-5-reasons-customer-service_b_5145636?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/advisor/2020/04/23/how-airline-and-hotel-loyalty-programs-are-responding-to-coronavirus/#680d7bc8ad25
https://www.inc.com/andrew-thomas/6-ways-to-turn-angry-customers-into-your-biggest-advocates.html