Marketing Meets Psych 101
By Anila Putcha
Marketing tactics are based on complex human responses to stimuli, and they work because of this connection to psychology. "Getting inside your customer's head" may sound trite, but in fact, it's a sound business strategy.
Good brand managers not only track the changing aspects of the Internet and e-commerce, but also customers' shifting desires in these realms. A marriage of marketing and psychology offers several useful principles that can provide you with insight into why consumers behave as they do.
Familiarity
According to the second annual Ernst and Young Internet Shopping Study (see www.eyuk.com), approximately 82 percent of respondents said familiarity with a product's brand name is important or very important when deciding whether to buy online. Another 79 percent said that familiarity with an online retailer plays an important or very important role in their buying decisions at a manufacturer's Web site.
It's common knowledge that people more often gravitate toward something familiar than unfamiliar, and the degree of attraction increases with the level of familiarity. Therefore, establishing brand loyalty and familiarity is the foundation for any set of marketing principles. This concept is especially critical for e-tailers, because customers have a harder time determining the quality of products sold online. They can't touch, taste, or smell your products, so by giving them a brand they trust, you are providing them with another sense to rely on.<>
