What exactly influences current technology has on our buying habits can be long over. We could write a book full of it. And so did psychologist Kit Yarrow: he wrote a book about "the new consumer mind". Quite a thick book, so we're just going to get the most out of it.
This is a part 2 blog so you know all about the 5 most important influences. In the previous blog you read all about positive about innovations, customers believe customers and a faster brain.
In part 2 you can read about the power of image and how we feel connected like never before.
Power of image
A picture says more than a thousand words. Who doesn't know this statement? The fact that an image or photo sometimes says more than text is a fact that current technology responds well to. The fact that a photo is becoming increasingly popular is reflected in the rapid adoption of Instagram and Pinterest, the shift from text to mainly posting photos on Facebook and the ability to send photos in chats Photos and videos are fast, easy, "emotionally fraught" and additionally suggestive. Aspects that fit perfectly in a time when there is no longer time for typing long texts. But also a time when there is more need than ever to make connections.
Facebook posts with photos get an average of 53 more likes and 103 more comments than posts with text only.
We can't get around it any longer. Image is hot,consumers scan rather than read them. A good example is the social store website and app of Wanelo. They're eagerly responding to this. The platform is similar to Pinterest. However, at Wanelo you click through on the photo what you bring to the visual webshop. Wanelo's numbers don't lie. After two years, they have as many as eight million users who spend an average of 50 minutes on the platform. Hard-hitting figures and facts that make us more aware than ever of the importance of image is in today's society. And moreover, how indispensable image is as a marketing technique.
The reason images have so much power these days is simple. Our purchases are mainly driven by our subconscious. Through our five senses, we are exposed to millions of particles of information every second. Of course, we can never take all that in. That is why we focus on everything that is new, satisfying and especially interesting. Moreover, it has to solve a problem. The rest of this information is put into our subconscious, where the magic happens.
Despite our belief that we make choices consciously and with logic, our brain unconsciously moves non verbal messages. For this reason, symbolic communication is a good marketing tool. Symbolic marketing circumvents the more analytical and rational parts of our brain and leads the linea recta to our emotions and memory. Are you still following it? The core: images, smells, sounds and symbols are emotionally fraught and are quickly processed by us. Conclusion: today's consumer is so overloaded with information that they no longer think clearly when making a purchase. As a result, all information in the subconscious mind has a greater influence than we thought possible. And that means that we marketers need to understand more than ever the power of visual language ("semiotics").
Connected like never before
Commitment, that's the fifth and final way Yarrow mentions as an influence of technology on our brain. We are more connected in today's society than ever before. Nowadays you can easily join a group of dog or wine lovers. Think of relationships we first get to know online before we meet them in person (Tinder!). And still keeping in touch with that one colleague we haven't actually seen in years. We have more friends than ever, but feel incredibly unheard of, unseen, untethered and, moreover, alone. The quality of the connections is one to question. And that's exactly where observant marketers come around the corner.
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A major change in behavior through technology is that there is less interaction with real, natural people. People prefer their smartphones and computers over real contact. You see this at parties, on dates, family occasions and sex. Yes, sex, you read that right. Even between the sheets, as many as 20 of the smartphone users read an app when it comes in at the moment. Although we use technology to maintain our relationship, this has shifted from face-to-face contact to the virtual world. A special development. But deep relationships and connectedness are essential to our mental health. Our body reacts differently when communication is done through technology. We don't get the same satisfying rest and flow from it.
But how can we implement this development in the connection between people through technology in marketing? It is precisely this untethered feeling among consumers that the opportunities lie for marketing. Consumers want brands and retailers that exude authenticity. They want to feel like they're part of a community. When you as a marketer know how to create this with a brand, you inspire your customer. The consumer wants to feel connected to the product. Take notes.
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