With growing interest in AI-based service agents, an increasing number of studies are comparing how users perceive interactions with AI versus human agents. Yaqi Chen, Haizhong Wang, Sally Rao Hill and Binglian Li examined user assessment of adverts created by a generative AI agent vs a human one. The details for this paper are: Chen, … Continue reading Chocolates vs phones: When is AI more persuasive than humans?
Tag: Consumer behaviour
Handwritten Notes: A Simple Way to Increase Sales
Back in the summer of 2021, I bought some sunglasses online. They arrived in a box with a handwritten note. I even mentioned it in the review that I wrote at the time: I don’t know whether the company did that out of instinct or following careful testing, but it looks like I wasn’t the … Continue reading Handwritten Notes: A Simple Way to Increase Sales
The trend for yearly recaps
At this time of the year, digital services “gift” to their users personalised statistics about the previous 12 or so months of engagement with their services. From Spotify's Wrapped to Duolingo’s Year in Review, Fitbit’s Year in Review to Goodreads’ Your Year in Books, these yearly recaps offer users a reflective view of their experiences … Continue reading The trend for yearly recaps
Science backed guide to gift-giving
The world seems to be disintegrating around us. And, for some, this festive season is marked by worrying personal news, or the loss of loved ones. Frankly, in the middle of all of this, it may feel frivolous to be talking about gifts. But for those of us who feel that they have to exchange … Continue reading Science backed guide to gift-giving
New research grant: The role of consumers in driving UK manufacturing’s digital transformation
I am delighted to share the news that I am part of group that has just secured funding from ESRC’s InterAct initiative. The project is entitled “The role of consumers in driving UK manufacturing’s digital transformation” and aims to identify the factors that lead consumers to adopt new Everything as a Service (XaaS) models of consumption of … Continue reading New research grant: The role of consumers in driving UK manufacturing’s digital transformation
The consumers’ role in the current UK supply problems
The UK is currently experiencing various supply chain problems, resulting in fuel shortages, bare supermarket shelves, reduced options in restaurants, and warnings of disruption for Christmas retail, amid many other problems. The Institute for Government, a think tank focused on improving efficiency in government and public service, produced a really helpful explainer of the reasons behind the current supply chain … Continue reading The consumers’ role in the current UK supply problems
Seeing the smart speaker as a servant vs a master vs a partner – Why it matters
I just came across a very interesting study published in the Journal of Marketing Management, which examined how smart speaker users viewed their devices, and how that related to their experiences of using the device. The study was conducted by Fiona Schweitzer, Russell Belk, Werner Jordan and Melanie Ortner, and its title is “Servant, friend or master? … Continue reading Seeing the smart speaker as a servant vs a master vs a partner – Why it matters
Consumer perceptions of surveillance activity of Alexa vs. Google Home vs. Siri
Voice assistants (aka smart speakers) are becoming increasingly popular. For instance, by the end of 2017, one in six US adults owned a smart speaker (e.g., Alexa or Google Home), a number that is expected to grow by 50% during 2018. This represents an adoption rate much faster than that for smartphones or the Internet. … Continue reading Consumer perceptions of surveillance activity of Alexa vs. Google Home vs. Siri
When consumers feel powerless about a situation, their attitude changes
I came across Dr Kristin Laurin’s work on rationalisation when she participated in episode 125 of the You Are Not So Smart podcast. She found that people’s core beliefs change when they feel powerless about the situation that they find themselves in. This occurs via a process of rationalisation – i.e., we try to … Continue reading When consumers feel powerless about a situation, their attitude changes
Using wearables is all about control. And so is not using them.
The short video below presents two extreme cases of attitudes towards using wearables. On the one hand, we have Thomas who monitors multiple aspects of his daily life, from food intake to movement, and even built a wearable to track his sneezes. On the other hand, we have Emma, who firmly rejects using wearables even … Continue reading Using wearables is all about control. And so is not using them.
Ana Canhoto 