Buy•ology Part 3 of 5: Somatic Markers
February 11, 2009 by dr. lam
When we see a bottle of Jif peanut butter, why do we choose it over the generic brand? Is it truly better? Is there something more reliable about it than another brand. Well, with the recent salmonella outbreak, perhaps there is some veracity to all of this. However, we choose a brand of peanut butter not because of any logic (no matter how much we would like to believe in our logical selves) but due to an emotion, an unconscious thought process that makes us instantaneously pick up the bottle and put it in the shopping cart. Or for those out there who are loyal to Peter Pan, the same instantaneous response occurs. This type of shortcut that influences our buying decisions is termed a somatic marker.
A somatic marker originates in many cases from our childhood filled with memories and with an instinctual system of reward and punishment. If we smelled a wonderful roast as a child and opened the oven and reached in to touch the piping hot Le Creuset pot and instantly recoil in pain, do we not have that experience linger with us for quite some time? These visceral subnotes that underscore how we behave today have a lingering legacy. Why do we think German cars are better? Why do we think a camera from Japan must be better than one purchased from another country? These somatic markers lead to a certain irrational way that we create shortcut stereotypes that influence our buying decisions. Interestingly, as a baby, my mother used to slather a whopping dollop of facial cream on me all the time. I still am not comfortable with facials, especially when a lot of heavy cream is used. I shutter when I think of thick facial cream. Fortunately, I have mitigated my irrational feeling and can use moisturizer every day!
These somatic markers that influence our buying decisions are more powerful than we as thoughful consumers would own up to. In England, the tissue brand Andrex outsells Kleenex brand by almost 2 to 1. The rationale for why this might be the case stems from the use of a small labrador puppy that slides down snowy hills on long trails of toilet paper in the commercials. The puppy has been casually associated with new families and toilet training and there might be something indelibly linked at a conceptual and emotional level that Kleenex does not offer the UK buyer. For all of these emotive connections, we as consumers should be more explicitly thoughtful in our buying decisions to overcome these subversive tendencies.
Comments
5 Responses to “Buy•ology Part 3 of 5: Somatic Markers”
Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
Feeling like a rabid consumer, reading this. The products you noted (with connotations)– found myself thinking out loud, “Well it IS better, they ARE better,” lol. LeCreuset-(I recommend ‘Dune’ color-it’s what I collect) will override and correct any lack of culinary skill. I speak from experience.
VERY INTERESTING blog.
thanks nord!
Great post!
I am typically attracted to the name brands, but usually try to overlook the colorful packaging and determine rather a generic product is the same thing or close, if it is, I buy it instead. Thanks for bringing this up. Next time I shop, I’ll keep an eye out for enticing, advertising campaigns.
Oops, the above post was from me.
i still like shiny packages!