5 Ways to Create Shopper Desire

How to create #desire in #shoppers. 5 easy techniques.

Last week I wrote about an experience with Robinsons Mini concentrated squash which was confusing, then delightful. I knew that if there were more flavours I would buy them all. And indeed, that is what happened when I was in Waitrose & Partners at the weekend. In Waitrose, the Mini product was displayed next to the big bottles of squash (helping shoppers understand what the product is for). I was thrilled that there were more flavours than I’d seen on my first encounter with Mini in WHSmith last week. What’s more I trusted Waitrose to stock all the flavours: I believe that they wouldn’t let me down. So that’s why I now have FOUR bottles of Robinsons Mini on my desk. I’m telling you this story because there are 5 factors in play that are known to stimulate desire in shoppers. Here they are.

1. Saturated #colours. All strong colours are good. Primary colours, like the red on the lower right communicate ‘this is easy to like, for everyone, including kids’. Tertiary colours like the red-purple on the upper left communicate ‘this is sophisticated! it’s for you, a grown-up’.

2. Miniature #format. People are easily enchanted by #miniature things. Especially the case in countries where people have smaller homes and space is limited. This is why #Japan is so brilliant at designing tiny desk accessories, tech and homewares.

3. A #collectible set. This is so important. For whatever reason, the compulsion to collect things and assemble complete sets of things is very powerful. Showing people one version of something is OK. But if you can show them a set of things which are similar yet different, especially in vivid colours, people are going to want them all. I’ll be mildly disappointed in Waitrose if I find out that there are more flavours that they chose not to stock.

4. Photogenic items! Little, colourful and cute, these packs are super friendly to anyone with a #socialmedia account. In contrast, I’ve never photographed a full size bottle of squash and I wonder how many people have.

5. Lots of items for not much money. These four Minis cost me £9.40 – conveniently less than £10 (#behavioraleconomics). To be clear, I would never spend £10 on full-size bottles of squash, but here I’m not paying for just the squash. I’m paying for the colour, the cuteness, the satisfaction of the collectible set and the extreme functionality of tiny bottles that fit on my desk.

All the points on this list, and many more, appear in “DESIRE”, Chapter 3 of “Using #Semiotics in #Retail: Leverage consumer insight to engage shoppers and boost sales”. This book won an award! Best book on Sales & #Marketing, Business Book Awards 2023. It is available worldwide from Amazon, publisher Kogan Page & all good bookstores.

#shoppermarketing #packaging #consumerinsights #mrx #research