Conformity: The Popular Thing To Do (Chapter 4)

When making choices people are influenced by two things:

      1. What they think

      2. What they think other people think

 People make choice decisions based on two types of information:

 1. Objective Evidence

 2. What they think other people think

 The less sure we are about what is the correct decision when making choices the more we are inclined to base our decisions on what others are doing in the same situation.

Some examples of this comformity can be found in the commercials we see on TV everyday.

 Bandwagon Effect:

The advertisng bandwagon

 The bandwagon effect is when people go with what they think the majority of other people perceive—the popular view.  When everything appears the same in advertising the bandwagon effect may be the feather that tips the balances to force a decision.

Read more about bandwagon effect

Perceived Popularity

 Popularity is a magnet. People notice products that are popular. Advertising makes the brand appear popular. 

There are many ways advertisements try and associate their brands is through target attributes such as:

 Reliability

Environment-Consciousness

Value for money

Good Taste

Ease of Use

Sometimes Popularity

An example of the media bandwagon

 False Fame Effect: When people perceive a product to be popular based on the amount of advertising it receives.  Simply the product is advertised therefore it is popular.

 Advertising Side Effects

 Side effects of advertising are increased popularity and salience of the brand being advertising.

 Agenda Setting: The amount of media weight that an issue gets in newspapers, on TV, on websites and so forth indicates to people the degree of importance that the issue should have in their thinking.

Familiarity: This makes the brand stand out and increased exposure of a brand makes it familiar to the consumer.

Popularity

Popularity can be a good thing and a bad thing. Popularity is definitely a positive rein-forcer but the brand can suffer a blow if it becomes over popular.  

Popularity can cause the consumer to be tempted to try the latest and greatest no thing that everyone is talking about.

Over popularity

Fast up and fast down is how it is referred to. If products are pushed too quickly it can cause them to become very unpopular really fast.

 When too many people use a brand, it risks becoming perceived as common unless its image is carefully managed.   

 Read more about conformity in advertising