Consumer Psychology, Anticipation in Marketing, B2C Marketing
We’re no strangers to anticipation. We’ve talked about its origin story, the basics of this psychology principle, and we’ve taken you along for the ride. Next, let's talk about its benefits.
We reached out to Shagoon Maurya, expert psychologist and founder of ursafespace, to get her take on what perks you can gain from creating anticipation within your marketing strategies. Here’s what she said:
Top benefits of leveraging anticipation within marketing
Establish an emotional connection that fuels motivation
If you’ve never considered the effects of consumer emotions on your marketing campaigns, it’s time to think again.
Emotions have a tremendous impact on consumer behavior and whether a customer chooses to purchase a product or engage with a marketing campaign. Leveraging anticipation can create emotions that increase the likelihood of a consumer growing interested in your brand.
"When it comes to anticipation, it’s something where if I’m the consumer and I’m excited [because] you’re giving me something [scarce] or there’s ten thousand people who’ve already bought it, my emotions are benefiting the marketing strategy..." said Maurya. "... people are more drawn towards it, due to not only emotion, but the belief that if ten thousand people already bought it then it’ll probably be a good item for me to get so I can experience the benefits."
Anticipation is a great tool to help you impact your bottom line, and it’s even better when paired with other forms of marketing psychology. The emotions that come from experiencing anticipation can also spark other reactions that drive consumer behavior.
“This boosts the consumer's motivation thanks to their sense of urgency [around your brand]. Anticipation helps people say ‘I’ve got to get this — if I don’t I won’t be as cool as these people who have it,” said Maurya. “It’s more like influencer marketing. Whatever we’re seeing on social media or from all of these equities bombarding us online, it’s making us a feel like we need to buy it and when I go to that website and I see testimonials and reviews, everything is attracting me and convincing me to buy a product. The adrenaline rush and the dopamine in me is telling me to buy it ASAP so that I can be associated with a particular group or celebrity.”
The urgency that comes from the anticipation of a product that might be limited in supply or a highly coveted brand-related service can motivate consumers to focus more of their attention on your brand and what you have to offer.
Promote customer acquisition
Anticipation doesn’t just get current customers interested in your product — it can influence potential customers to look your way, as well.
Maurya says anticipation inspires customers to share the news of your brand and its products with friends and family, helping to generate new patrons for your business. She also suggests adding incentives like coupons and vouchers in exchange for customer referrals to increase the chances that your current customer base will spread the word about your product and help to cultivate anticipation around it.
If used correctly, anticipation can help you create an interest in your product that resonates with multiple people and lasts for a substantial period. When one customer feels urgency toward a product or campaign and they share that emotion with another like-minded consumer, that sense of urgency is transferred over. Word-of-mouth is especially relevant here; according to Maurya, when a customer shares exciting information, it creates a chain of anticipation that goes on and on, working to benefit brands and marketers.
The benefits that come with creating anticipation around your marketing campaigns can span a wide range of categories. Emotional connectivity and customer acquisition are just the start. How will you benefit from using anticipation within your marketing?
