There are two sources of social influence that can shape consumer purchases: Overall popularity of the product, as evidenced by indicators such as best-selling lists or online ratings, which aggregate the choices or opinions of previous buyers in the system. Popularity of the product within the buyer’s social circle. This can be evidenced by people … Continue reading Popular choice vs friends’ recommendations – which is most influential?
Category: Marketing in everyday life
On social engineering in social media platforms (or, how we are not in control)
Historian Melvin Kranzberg once wrote that: “Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral”. That is, technology (digital techology, for instance) does more than allowing users to do something; the design of that techonological product actually encourages some behaviours, while discouraging (or, at least, downplaying) others. For instance, the addition of cameras to … Continue reading On social engineering in social media platforms (or, how we are not in control)
Snapchat Snap Map: why?
This time last week, Snapchat launched a new feature, Snap Map, which allows users to share their location, as well as track other users’ location and behaviour in real time. This is how Snapchat announced this new feature: This addition is really confusing me because Snapchat’s unique selling proposition (USP), so far, has been … Continue reading Snapchat Snap Map: why?
Three things you need to know, if you are using Twitter to study consumer emotions
With 313m monthly active users around the world, of which 82% access Twitter via their mobile handsets, Twitter is likely to be a great source of insight into what customers are doing, paying attention to, or talking about. As Pratik Thakar, Coca-Cola’s head of creative content for Asia-Pacific, said, it is like a big focus … Continue reading Three things you need to know, if you are using Twitter to study consumer emotions
Instagram: one product, two needs
Kevin Systrom, Instagram’s CEO, provided an interesting example of why we need to understand and focus on consumer needs, instead of being dazzled by product features. Talking about the launch of Instagram Stories, in an interview with Kara Swisher for the Recode Decode podcast, he said: We found that the biggest problem people had with … Continue reading Instagram: one product, two needs
Video: Digitalisation of SMEs
When I was at Oxford Brookes University, I worked on a project about the digitalisation of small and medium businesses (SMEs). We looked at how these businesses were using digital technologies, and which factors supported the successful adoption and depletion of these technologies. This was a project developed with Drs. Sarah Quinton, Rebecca Pera, … Continue reading Video: Digitalisation of SMEs
Grandpa has gone digital
When we talk about digital technology – how it is used, what it is used for, how it is likely to grow… – we tend to focus, explicitly or implicitly, on young(ish) users. Millennials, for instance. I confess I do that, too. But, according to work done by Professor Merlin Stone and his team … Continue reading Grandpa has gone digital
Something for your weekend #6: bug business (podcast)
If you have 30 minutes free this weekend, listen to the 'Bug Business' episode of the Start-Up podcast (season 5, episode 6). If has some valuable marketing lessons about introducing a new product / idea. In this case, the new idea is is trying to convince people to eat insects, but the lessons are valuable … Continue reading Something for your weekend #6: bug business (podcast)
The teen with no phone number
Last weekend, the teen had a friend over who has a smartphone. Well, what teen does not have one, these days, right? The reason I am mentioning this is that said friend’s smartphone did not have a sim. Initially, I thought that they meant that the sim was malfunctioning. But, no. What they meant was … Continue reading The teen with no phone number
The murky link between customer satisfaction and loyalty
Intuitively, it is easy to accept the claim that customer satisfaction leads to repeat purchases. After all, if you have a choice, why would you abandon a brand that has surpassed your expectations1; and why would you keep buying from a brand that has disappointed you? Happy customers buy again. Unhappy customers, move on. … Continue reading The murky link between customer satisfaction and loyalty
Ana Canhoto 