Harnessing Consumer Instinct: Beyond Functionality and Price

In the digital age, societal phenomena travel at the speed of light. Take the recent ‘Barbenheimer’ trend that exploded after two Hollywood blockbusters, ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’, were released. Celebrities championed the simultaneous viewing of these films, underscoring our deeply emotional and immersive relationship with cinema.

But this engagement isn’t restricted to films alone. Brand consultant David Acker, in his ‘Brand Theory’, illustrated a fascinating experiment: participants, subconsciously exposed to Apple and IBM logos, were asked to devise innovative ways to use building blocks. Those exposed to the Apple logo consistently outperformed in creativity compared to their IBM counterparts. It’s akin to leaving a mafia movie and momentarily feeling a part of that cinematic world. The takeaway? Consumer behavior extends beyond mere functionality and price.

Take for example the intriguing campaign by JA Miyazaki Economic Federation on the Yamanote Line. Their poster, highlighting world heritage sites like Mount Fuji, Ayers Rock, pyramids, and the Grand Canyon, evokes a majestic aura. But there’s a twist. Upon closer inspection, these images are miniature meat models of these iconic sites, all crafted from Miyazaki beef. This blending of heritage, luxury beef, and everyday train commutes is a stellar example of “Food Art” and showcases the allure of merging the ordinary with the extraordinary.

Such endeavors aim to stimulate our instinctive consumer impulses by making products experientially relatable. Classic examples include the minty freshness in toothpaste, which, while unrelated to cleaning properties, offers a refreshed feeling post-brushing. Similarly, Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals added a ‘blue’ hue to its toilet bowl cleaner. Although the color has no cleaning capacity, it enhances the perceived freshness. Japan, since 1957, introduced a distinct odor to its naturally odorless gas to alert users of potential leaks, leveraging human instinct for safety.

However, not all instinct-driven products guarantee success. In 2010, Suntory launched a non-alcoholic beer, ‘All-Free All-Time’. Debates arose about its appropriateness for office consumption, leading to the 2018 release of a colorless version. The result? Lackluster sales, indicating a miss in aligning product design with consumer instinct. Conversely, Asahi Breweries, with their low-alcohol beer ‘Beery’, emphasized its authentic beer taste with bold black and gold packaging, resonating better with the market.

The contrasting fortunes of these Japanese beverage giants spotlight the unpredictability of consumer hearts. But one thing’s certain: a holistic marketing approach, intertwining art, entertainment, and instinctual human behaviors, will always stand a better chance at success.

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