[How About This Book] 'OOO Frappuccino Sold for 5 Days Only'... It Worked Again! Psychological Marketing

Consumers' brains like small achievements
More meticulous marketing increases favorability
Brand loyal consumers... vigorous blind consumption
Increase scarcity with limited time and quantity
When combined with herd mentality
Even unnecessary consumers join consumption

11:11. 5:55. Sometimes, when looking at the clock, certain times seem to appear unusually often. Some may think this is an incredible coincidence or, more seriously, a foreshadowing, but in reality, it is just a momentary focus amid countless repetitive actions. Melina Palmer, author of The Consumer's Mind, explains this as the "priming effect." Palmer is the CEO of Brainy Business, a behavioral economics consulting firm.

She says, "Our eyes move about three times per second on average, checking for potential threats in the surroundings, but if there is nothing to pay attention to, no alert signals are sent to the conscious mind." In other words, things are overlooked unless they are distinctive. The same principle applies when suddenly noticing topics of interest frequently around you after developing an interest in something. For example, when planning to buy a car, you suddenly see many cars of the model you have marked on the road, or when intending to purchase a particular item, you notice street flyers that were previously considered trash. These things were not suddenly more numerous; they already existed but felt meaningless to you. The author adds, "Visual activity happens in the eyes, but the images are created in the brain."

The author delves into behavioral economics, explaining how we think we control our brains but actually do not. She states, "The conscious part of the brain is too slow to decide on countless survival-related tasks moment by moment. Ninety-nine percent of our judgments are handled by the subconscious," and presents numerous examples.

This concept applies directly to brands as well. The author emphasizes, "Whatever we do or sell, the core is the brand." Consumers build experiences through brands, and those experiences form personas in their minds, creating familiarity and affection. She compares the process of becoming captivated by a brand to marriage, saying that while people are picky when dating, once married, most flaws do not affect their affection. Some married people may disagree, but she clarifies that these are not grounds for divorce.

Companies make diverse and delicate efforts to win consumers' hearts through the brand's exterior. Most watch brands set the time shown in advertisements to 10:10, resembling a smiling face to induce positive feelings. However, the time on the watch in iPhone ads is unusually set to 9:14, emphasizing the time Steve Jobs first unveiled the iPhone in 2007. That's not all. The Barbie doll brand names its dolls and even creates birth backgrounds. Twitter named the bird in its logo "Larry," putting effort into building brand stories. The author explains, "One reason famous brands strive so hard is that customers' brains enjoy small achievements and discoveries," adding, "The more meticulous the product maker is, the more customers like it." There is also a psychological effect of thinking, "If they pay attention to such small details, how much more effort must they put into the actual product?"

Once a brand is established, passionate consumers emerge. They show blind affection for the brand's products and services and engage in consumption activities. When scarcity is added, consumption becomes competitive. Starbucks' Unicorn Frappuccino is a representative example. According to the author, the drink was scheduled to be sold for only five days, but this fact was widely shared on social media a week in advance, leading to stock depletion and sales ending in two days. This method has long been Starbucks' marketing technique, and the author analyzes it as a result of combining scarcity and herd mentality. Scarcity value is created by limited time and quantity, and when combined with the human nature of herd mentality, it causes a huge impact. Even consumers who do not recognize the limited value as necessary join in consumption, thinking, "Since everyone is running this way, there must be something I don't know." This situation continues to repeat today.

The variation of the phrase "Josam-mosa (朝三暮四)"?meaning "three in the morning and four in the evening," referring to trickery?also surprisingly works well.

"If you use your credit card 20 times this month, you will receive $50."

"We have deposited $50 into your account. Use your credit card 20 times this month and take the money."

Which sounds more appealing? The latter response is stronger and more effective. In fact, Indian health food manufacturer Zydus Wellness announced incentives in this way, raising the target achievement rate from about 40% to 70%. The author explains this as a motivation method considering the subconscious loss aversion tendency. Most people put more effort into situations where they already have something but might lose it, rather than situations where they could gain something.

The author explains that stimulating consumers' subconscious or changing existing thoughts is not difficult. She even claims that voluntary changes in garbage sorting can be induced by subconscious stimulation. In fact, a company called "Litteri" created a smart trash bin that gives lottery tickets when people properly separate their trash, successfully creating the perception "trash = lottery ticket." In an experiment conducted over 30 days at four Swedish cinemas, the goal was achieved 100%. People even started looking for trash. Of course, the exceptional incentive was a first prize lottery worth 5,000 euros (about 7 million won), but considering social costs, it was an experiment confirming that such methods can be useful in some cases.

This book stands out for interpreting seemingly irrational consumption phenomena from the perspective of behavioral economics. It covers various practical concepts such as nudges, framing effects, priming effects, and herd psychology that can be applied immediately in daily life. However, it is somewhat disappointing that the evidence supporting the claims feels somewhat weak.