This is the eighth installment in a series unpacking the four drivers of shopper and consumer behavior and the five barriers that hinder decision-making. Based on knowledge from both neuroscience and psychology, these foundational why’s provide the tangible framework with which to reliably assess what’s really driving your business, what’s hindering your results, and what you can do to dramatically influence behavior out in the real world.
Here, we address the barrier that sits at the center of discussions around consumption occasions, brand choice, and media planning: social factors. And while the word “social” is ubiquitous in marketing, it’s far from clearly understood.
Most marketers consider with great interest the role of social interactions in driving consumer behavior. Social occasions. Social influence. Social media. But how can they properly diagnose its influence on consumer behavior if they misunderstand the foundational insight around all things “social”? And by that I mean the basic, subconscious consideration of whether or not a person naturally leans towards interacting socially.
In other words, marketers fail to consider if (deep in their cognitive processes) consumers actually WANT to be socially engaged. And this is what leads to the social barrier that hinders behavior in people’s real, everyday lives.
A social barrier can often stop purchases much more forcefully than price considerations.
Consumers are compelled to both fit in with social norms and expectations and stand out as unique individuals. Some brands, such as Apple or even Sprite, manage to foster personal uniqueness, even within the context of mass popularity. But others struggle, and this dynamic can be harder to assess when it comes to consumable products and packaged goods.
In reality, shoppers peruse store aisles flooded with subtle-yet-deeply-felt doubts, including social considerations. What will my family think of this purchase? Will we bond around this or will it divide us? Does this decision even include their opinions? Do I even care? Below the surface of every purchase run undercurrents of social anxiety. We balance desire for group inclusion with our inner drive for unique self-expression.
Consumer brands contend daily with shopping decisions profoundly shaped by this central human tension. And the marketers who crack the code of alleviating social pressures will be the ones to capture shopper attention and wallet share amidst competing products. Because while price sets an absolute ceiling for what consumers will pay, social acceptance erects powerful psychological barriers relative to functional product performance alone.
Social dynamic #1: Normative – Decisions hindered by the pressure to conform to social norms
This will be a polarizing example, but let’s consider In-N-Out Burger. If you’ve ever been to California, or met anyone who’s ever been there, you’ve felt the proselytizing effect of conversations regarding the virtues of this famed burger chain.
Years ago on a trip to Cali, I observed this quick service restaurant (QSR) rite of passage during my first visit to In-N-Out. Given all the hype, I prepared myself for the burger of a lifetime. My take? It was fine. A good burger, but nothing to write home about. However, as the team I was meeting in Cali heard about my maiden voyage, they excitedly asked about my “life-changing” experience. And I definitely felt the pressure to hype the brand regardless of my opinions. (Same experience with Shake Shack, I’m sorry to report.)
Now, I basically avoid any mention of either chain. I’m a grown-up that regularly expresses my perspectives on the Internet for a living and yet, I feel a twinge in my stomach each time the topic of how much I love In-N-Out Burger (or don’t) comes up. I feel a social “cost” in the form of pressure to conform to the norm.
And while this certainly impacts my QSR-related conversations, it demonstrates a force at play in shoppers’ minds during every decision they make. The pressure to conform to social norms can drive them to avoid your brand altogether.
Social dynamic #2: Punitive – Decisions hindered by the fear of judgment from others
The social barrier can cut the other way, too, in the form of avoiding judgment from others. Unlike In-N-Out, I DO have a strong penchant for America’s burger, McDonald’s.
THERE! That. That bit of judgment you just levied against me. That almost imperceptible raising of the eyebrows–or at least my perception of it. That’s the Punitive social barrier, and it can be potent in deterring consumer decisions should they perceive it. I also really like shopping at Walmart. There! There it was again.
Similarly, as a shopper walks down any given aisle, they’re pondering deep, subconscious questions such as:
- What will my family think of this?
- What if my friend saw this on my counter?
- What do other people like me agree is the best brand?
The interesting thing about this type of social barrier is that it’s as much about the individual’s perception as it is about the perceptions of those around them. In other words, it’s based on what they THINK others think. Either way, if your category or brand triggers this barrier, the paths forward (everything from promotions to claims) become invaluable in assuaging the Punitive social barrier.
Social dynamic #3: Imposition – Decisions hindered by having to interact with others
Sometimes the social barrier is simply having to take others’ opinions into account. The alcohol beverage industry falls prey to this regularly. Marketers assume that in a social situation (e.g., a bunch of people at a bar), everyone is compelled by social factors to make certain decisions.
However, psychology tells us that what’s going on around the person is much less important than what’s going on in their own minds. Even in the most social of settings (the crowded bar), decision-making is often based much more on introspective factors. And the imposition of others’ mere presence, or even having to interact with the bartender to get what one wants, hinders the experience.
This happens in the food and beverage space all the time: Marketers and advertising creatives presume that a group of people together, enjoying a bag of chips, for example, creates an idealization in a person’s mind. And, in some scenarios, it does. But in contexts where a consumer is feeling “imposition-like” social factors, this creates the wrong image–injecting tension rather than triggering desire.
And all the research I’ve done and experiences I’ve had support this. They demonstrate these social barriers in action. For example, even amidst all the hysteria within the snacks category around inflationary pricing, products like tortilla chips and pretzels are actually hindered more by one of the aforementioned three social factors than they are by price.
Brands that not only understand but heed these social factors in decision-making are proven to drive stronger results out in the real world. And big-time business results are gold when it comes to post-worthy social media 😉
Cover image: Anoo