Sucker

Saturday as I was doing some grocery shopping, I realized something about myself. I'm a sucker for those fancy water drinks. Hate to admit it, but I'm guilty.

As I walked into Albertsons and past the refridgerated beverage isle, I filled up my basket with water. Seriously? It's water for crying outloud. Somehow I can justify spending $1 on a flavored water but I'm too cheap to buy the $3 juice. As I noticed the weight of my basket all I could do was laugh at myself.

After noticing this trait, I found myself stopped in front of another refridgerated water display. I turned to my friend and admited outloud one word: "sucker". This is marketing at it's finest.

Nudge

I recently finished the book Nudge: Improvng Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness by Thaler and Sunstein (if you haven't read it, I reccommend you check it out). After digesting the book in a six page book report, I have found myself catching inconspicuous "nudges" everywhere. I'd like to share some of my recent discoveries:

• Grocery Stores: The new Safeway store in town has healthy food nudges all over the store. If a customer walks in the the left door, they enter directly into the produce department. The produce department is the most open area in the store. The fruits and vegtables are the main color source in this area. As you move to the back of the store toward the milk, there are racks in the isle way with bannans. So, even if someone bypasses the produce department, they are bound to come across some fresh food somewhere in the store. 
• Overdraft Protection: As a former bank teller, I could tell endless stories of upset customers about overdraft protection. Few people notice that overdraft protection is an opt-out default. This means that if you do nothing, you are automatically enrolled in this "expensive when used" service. Banks are nudging customers to participate in overdraft protection ( a great revenue scheme for banks). 

Take a look around, nudges are everywhere! The examples provided above give evidence that nudges can be a good and bad thing for consumers. Simply being aware of the nudges may be the key to finding a way to listen to the good nudges, and ignore the bad nudges.  

Consumer Engagement

I spent this past weekend in Seattle, WA for a matching intern event for The Boeing Company. The weekend was jam packed with information all about the company. During a presentation given by a Brand Positioning Manager, I was informed about Boeing's  techniques and importance of consumer engagement. This information got me really thinking about consumer engagement.

Consumer engagement is an important aspect in positing a brand. The more a brand is able to engage its consumers, the more invested its consumers will become. There are many techniques company's use to engage its customers.

How is an airplane producer supposed to engage its customers through the Internet you may ask. Take a look at Boeing's website and the answer to that question is splattered all over.

787 Dream Tour

• The section allows airplane enthusiasts to follow where the new 787 Dreamliner is and where it will be next. This tactic fully engages people. Followers are encouraged to develop an obsession of being in the know about this new product. 

• The section also allows customers to view a virtual tour of the airplane and view all the new details in the design. I even found myself engrossed in the extent of information and graphics in this section. 

Randy's Journal

• The section is an interactive blog with real time updates straight from the VP of Marketing. The blog is an excellent way for Boeing to communicate immediate information to its followers. 

After listening to a mini-presentation on Marketing techniques used by Boeing to encourage consumer engagement I have come to realize the importance of it. Next time you find yourself captivated by a company's website, give credit to the Marketing department. 

Impulsive Online Shopping

Bargain shopping has become a hobby of mine. I pride myself in being able to walk away from an item with the mentality that I'll wait until it goes on sale. Scrounging clearance racks is like treasure hunting. This obsession with finding a good deal is not just limited to physical shopping, there are many websites out there that do the work for you. Many sites exist that offer a great deal on a few items for a limited time. Examples of these websites include:

• Whisky Militia
• Steep and Cheap
• Woot
• Seize the Deal

All these websites offer a great deal and the infamous countdown timer. The timer ticks away as you asses your purchase encouraging a sense of urgency on the purchase at stake.

These websites create impulsive purchases. Customers purchase items they don't necessarily need. They feel that they are getting too great of a deal to pass up. In reality, these purchases may be unnecessary. Consumers get so caught up in the idea of saving money that they actually end up spending more on things that they don't even need.

Next time you find yourself scrounging one of these bargain sights, ask yourself:
"Is this really a bargain?"