Hey 👋 The Crew here.
Well, that time has come. Someone on Reddit posted that when you Google “baby peacock,” more than half of image results are artificially generated. Try it out. Crazy stuff.
We will soon need those AI labels everywhere, eh?
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Reactance theory
Remember when your teacher, parent, or some other authority figure told you not to do something… and you just had to do it?
Some might say you were a disobedient child. A rebel without a cause.
And yet, as you get older, this feeling never really passes.
You feel frustrated at your CMO telling you what to prioritize, or the government limiting your freedom. You still rebel internally.
That’s normal—and it’s called reactance.
In 1966, a psychologist named Jack Brehm said that we experience a negative reaction when someone restricts our freedom of choice. The less autonomy, the more reactance we feel.
Today, we can easily apply that to marketing.
Multiple studies have come out in recent decades that expand and refine Brehm’s reactance theory—many of them in the areas of consumer behavior.
For example, a study from 2018 found that when products are unavailable—like the phosphate detergents that were banned in Miami—it makes them more desirable.
But when you “force” products, you can be perceived as a threat to personal freedom and choice.
So where’s the fine line?
Three ways you can leverage reactance
1) Reduce intrusive ads and overly salesy language
Do you know the most annoying thing a potential customer can see on your website?
Pop-up ads. Or other ads that block content. There’s data that proves this.
In fact, Steven Edwards and his co-authors published a report stating that pop-up ads cause the most negative reactance, and that 55% of customers feel put off by retargeting ads.
Why? Because retargeting ads frequently use a persuasive voice to try and get people to buy.
This is especially true for ads that leverage time-based scarcity, when users might feel forced to buy something in a short time frame.
What you can do: Leverage urgency, but don’t go overboard.
The ubiquitous “buy now or miss out!” wording can cause more negative reactance in your customers than a phrase like “A few days left to enjoy a super discount.”
Nuances matter.
2) Reduce risk
The greater the risk, the greater the pressure.
When you sell something without minimizing the perception of risk, you put a lot of pressure on your customer.
And as we’ve already pointed out, pressure usually makes your customer do the opposite.
On the other hand, if you frame the decision as “low-stakes,” you give more control back to the customer. You empower them rather than “locking them in.”
Here’s how Nike subtly promises “30-day free returns” in its ads:
This allows their customers to get the footwear they like, try it out, and return it for free if they don’t fit. Their choice.
3) Provide full transparency
Honesty doesn’t only make your brand credible…
It also gives your customers the feeling that they are fully informed—and in complete control over their own decisions.
When you’re dishonest, or not forthcoming, you make them feel as though they have lost control over their decisions.
And they see you as manipulative.
Here’s an example of bad practice: Let’s say you look for an Airbnb stay in and find the perfect place. Pricing seems fair—maybe even cheaper than you wanted.
You’re about to reserve the place. But then you see a never-ending list of extra costs that weren’t included in the initial offer. Cleaning fees. Service fees. Occupancy fees…
The price almost doubles—and the extra fees weren’t provided at the first touchpoint. Most people tend to feel “cheated” and disheartened by this.
What you can do: Make your pricing clear from the start. If there’s no free shipping, make sure the fee is clear at the first touchpoint.
Some companies also add “no hidden fees” to their landing or pricing page so they can avoid any reactance. If you’re able, you can try this, too.
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MARKETING: Baby boomers are the richest generation, according to reports. But getting them to spend some of that money… Well, that can pose quite a challenge. This report taps into baby boomers’ consumer behavior data—and offers some tips on how to get them to buy.
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AI MARKETING: Don’t ask AI to think for you, because they can’t. According to a study conducted by Apple’s artificial intelligence scientists, AI tools built on large language models (LLMs) still don’t have basic reasoning skills. Good to know. For many reasons.
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ICYMI, last time we looked at Time-Based Scarcity.
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