From supermarket layout design to the Black Friday craze, we repeatedly witness consumer psychology play a massive role in shaping purchasing decisions, influencing perceptions of value, and driving impulse buys. But, it is often tricky to put your finger on what exactly motivates those customers to happily part with their hard-earned cash. How come certain campaigns and product stands attract more attention than others?
In this post, we’ll dive into psychological marketing strategies and tactics that will enable you to produce a stronger response by including specific triggers in your messaging. To top that off, our psychological marketing examples will demonstrate how a brand can become a puppet master, skillfully pushing its customers toward facing their fears and discovering their true desires.
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What’s the connection between psychology and marketing?
Psychology and marketing are tightly intertwined because understanding human behavior is the key to building campaigns that stir consumers’ emotions and influence their decision-making processes.
Even when people are convinced they’ve arrived at a certain decision logically, their emotions may still have played a role. The new so-called Dynamic Decision-Making Model suggests that emotional and rational reactions occur not as two separate and distinct processes, as previously thought, but rather on a continuum.
What does this mean for marketers? Most importantly, that ignoring the psychological aspect of consumption and relying solely on facts and figures to persuade doesn’t work. Empathetic messaging is required to create a holistic appeal. Tapping into the feelings of trust, excitement, or belonging that your product can evoke — all of that can help you reach your audience on a visceral level.
No matter what your niche and price segment are, you likely have dealt with the following challenges:
- customers have doubts regarding your product because no one in their circle has had experience with it;
- too many options overwhelm customers, making them reluctant to choose;
- customers are afraid of making the wrong choice or lack the confidence to try something new;
- fear of wasting money or dissatisfaction stops new potential customers from giving your brand a chance;
- customers hesitate when they believe there’s no rush to act;
- customers struggle to assess the full value of your product without context.
It’s important to not only recognize but also to actively address these issues head-on. That’s what marketing psychology is for — it enables you to look behind the curtain, grasping the full customers’ reality.
12 hot psychological strategies and tactics in marketing
Having mastered these leverages, you can influence how people perceive, feel about, and interact with your brand. In this section, we’ve prepared not only actionable tips but also some psychological marketing examples for you to see how it’s done.
Peer pressure
This one is a classic, and it remains one of the top marketing psychology strategies that you can use to benefit your brand. Put simply, peer pressure leverages the human desire to fit in and align with the choices or behaviors of one’s social group. It works because people often look to their peers for guidance, especially when uncertain about a decision.
In marketing, this principle is harnessed through tactics like showcasing customer reviews, testimonials, and other forms of social proof. For a customer, they create the favorable perception that so many like-minded people are already onto the trend, so it must be worth considering.
Visible likes, shares, and endorsements are powerful triggers that can make potential buyers feel the sudden pressure to conform. But, to execute peer pressure efficiently, you need to make sure the testimonials and user-generated content you’re featuring accurately represent your buyer persona.
Framing
This concept is all about showing your product or brand’s best side. This does not mean that you should mislead your customers, but rather use language and content that builds on your strengths. In other words, you need to find the right angle where the advantages of the product far overshadow any potential drawbacks.
In this psychological marketing example, you see how something as mundane and “unappealing” as a garbage disposal system can be presented as an impactful solution to the global waste problem, making the individual consumer realize the significance of their input over time.
By emphasizing how convenient and time-saving this solution is, the brand eliminates any potential objections. The images, too, help deliver the message, demonstrating that even getting rid of food scraps can be a satisfying and aesthetically pleasing process.
Emotional appeal
Stirring, expressive campaigns leave a lasting impression and break through the barrier of banner blindness. By tapping into feelings like joy, nostalgia, fear, or excitement, you can connect with your audience on a deeper, more memorable level.
Customers who feel emotionally invested in a brand are more likely to stick with it. In addition, content that feels relatable and elicits strong emotions, whether it is awe, laughter, or inspiration, is more likely to go viral on social media.
This email is a perfect example of how exciting descriptions can transform an everyday product into a must-have item. The vivid buildup makes these soap bars sound so irresistible because it appeals to the feeling we’ve all experienced — the secret inclination to keep something nice just for ourselves.
Scarcity
Products or services framed as scarce feel more exclusive and desirable. Limited availability suggests that the product is one of a kind and selling out quickly because of its unique properties. Take limited-edition sneakers as an example — they often create buzz and are seen as collectibles, making people queue for hours on end.
Scarcity reduces overthinking, pushing consumers toward quicker, decisive actions. What used to be a casual interest quickly turns into an active pursuit. Moreover, the higher perceived value of the product increases the level of customer satisfaction. The harder-to-reach products tend to bring more joy, which may also lead to positive word-of-mouth.
Loss aversion
Loss aversion is a fascinating psychological phenomenon showing that people fear losing something more than they desire gaining something of equal value. It is closely connected to FOMO, but loss aversion as part of your psychological marketing strategy can also be used retrospectively, when the loss has just occurred and there’s still some time left to reverse it.
This email utilizes this very trick, listing the lost benefits and immediately making the user question if not regret their decision. Loss aversion can also be used to motivate the customer to rethink their subscription cancellation if that means losing all of their progress, milestones, bookmarks, and saved collections. In turn, to reverse loss aversion, you can offer guarantees or free trials that minimize perceived risk.
Narrowing down options
When individuals feel overwhelmed by too many choices, they enter so-called decision paralysis, leading to difficulty in making a decision — or avoiding one altogether. Suddenly, the fun turns into stress, and they might even give up and walk away without choosing anything. You as a marketer can prevent this by curating and simplifying options, making it easier for consumers to choose.
As can be seen from this consumer psychology example, clear guidance makes it almost impossible to make a bad choice or get confused. If it’s not feasible to reduce the number of options, alternatively, you can provide your audience with an intuitive product recommendation quiz that does the mental work for them.
Fear of missing out
The fear of missing out, or FOMO, combines the effects of scarcity and peer pressure, creating that nagging feeling that something exciting is happening somewhere and that you aren’t part of it yet. FOMO is powerful because it taps into human emotions like urgency, social belonging, and desire for exclusivity.
To achieve that, introduce some time constraints or quantity limits and highlight what other customers are so crazy about, giving the target user a glimpse of what they’re missing out on. Seeing others enjoy something triggers the desire to join in to avoid feeling left out.
Reciprocity
The principle “you give me something, then I’ll give you something” is as old as humanity itself. In marketing psychology, reciprocity refers to providing value to your prospects in order to motivate them to provide value in return by buying your product or service.
A simple way to start is to use a lead magnet in your subscription form. This is a simple reward given to site visitors for subscribing to emails from your brand. You can include a free eBook, cheatsheet, discount, extended trial, and more. This will boost your subscription rates and start your new relationship.
Another option for using reciprocity is to include some value in your email campaigns. Particularly in the first emails that you send a new user, like in your onboarding series or welcome email.
The decoy effect
The decoy effect occurs when an additional, less attractive option is introduced to nudge the customer toward the other choices. This is often the case with pricing plans — more expensive plans usually bring the most bang for the buck for the average user, so a cheaper plan is often introduced, with fewer attractive features and whose main purpose is to make the user consider the original plan.
This psychology marketing tactic exploits our tendency to compare options relative to each other, rather than evaluating each choice independently. A less appealing option does a good job of making the high-margin product look like the best deal and justifying its price tag.
Psychology of colors in marketing
Color psychology in marketing is all about how different colors evoke emotions, influence perceptions, and drive behavior. Colors can be more powerful than words and even images — they subconsciously shape consumer decisions and instantly create certain moods and settings.
For instance, red and orange are known to evoke energy, excitement, and passion while blue conveys trust and security. Green is used to symbolize purity, and sustainability. Soft pastels are well suited for tender, sublime products and services such as natural cosmetics, baby products, beauty services, etc. In turn, bold, sleek colors work well for gadgets, fashion, and software and are more likely to attract an edgy, tech-savvy audience.
Deeper, earthy colors, like in this example of implementing psychology of colors in marketing, are associated with homemade, organic, and eco-friendly products, as they mimic the pigments occurring in plants naturally. These particular hues also perfectly capture the cozy fall mood, reinforcing the main message.
Flipping the script
Sometimes, the best psychological tactic in marketing is not to use any tactics. Starting your message with a personal anecdote and skipping the typical sales pitch entirely may be the refreshing change your recipients didn’t know they needed.
Flipping the script allows you to humanize your brand and positively stand out from the crowd of aggressive salesy campaigns. By refusing to play by the rules, you may also score additional points from consumers who look for relatable, down-to-earth brands.
The mere-exposure effect
The mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon where people develop a preference for things simply because they already know them. So, when you promote products that your customers are already familiar with, the mere-exposure effect reinforces positive feelings and reminds them of their associations with the product.
Presenting your bestsellers as timeless classics allows you to pull some nostalgic strings, making your audience reminisce about the time they first tried the said product and what it was like. By doing so, you invite your audience to relive those feel-good moments tied to your brand.
The dos and don’ts of using psychological marketing tricks
Psychological marketing tricks can be extremely powerful, there’s no denying that, but there’s a difference between gentle nudging and intentional manipulation. Here’s a guide on how to navigate that:
The dos of using psychological tactics in marketing:
- Do know your audience. Not every trick works for every demographic. If you attempt to manipulate a group of skeptical thinkers by trying to appeal to their emotions, you risk achieving the opposite.
- Do stay relatable. Some psychological tactics in marketing may distort the way your brand feels and sounds. It’s important to focus on brand integrity and creating a consistent brand experience.
- Do deliver value. When using psychological triggers like reciprocity by providing free resources, offer meaningful, relevant content that genuinely benefits your audience.
- Do ensure the scarcity is real. Fake, perpetual urgency can damage trust. Use urgency sparingly and ensure it aligns with reality.
- Do personalize. Use dynamic content to tailor recommendations or offers. This will make your messaging more impactful and genuine.
- Do keep improving. Use A/B testing to refine your psychological marketing strategies based on what resonates with your target audience.
The don’ts of using psychological tactics in marketing:
- Don’t manipulate. Avoid tactics that intentionally mislead, such as false scarcity, non-existing discounts, or bait-and-switch offers. Dishonesty erodes customer trust and leads to negative word of mouth.
- Don’t use toxic tactics. Stay away from fear-mongering, guilt-tripping, or other abusive tactics that prey on vulnerabilities. Instead, focus on positive reinforcement and empowering customers to achieve their dream lifestyle.
- Don’t spam. Bombarding customers with too many emails or posts can lead to unsubscribes or unfollows. Your recipients will eventually become desensitized after being exposed to countless salesy campaigns.
- Don’t ignore cultural context. Be mindful of cultural differences and avoid references that may offend or alienate segments of your audience. When promoting to a new geographic audience, research the specifics of color psychology in their culture.
- Don’t make it too sterile. Keep some level of fun and wholeheartedness in your communication to let your audience develop a genuine interest in your brand personality.
When designing a psychological marketing campaign, it’s crucial to keep in mind that substance matters more than gimmicks. The psychological triggers you use should seamlessly blend into the body of your message and feel natural.
Examples of brands using consumer psychology in marketing
Now, let’s focus on the bigger picture and see how consumer psychology is used in cross-platform marketing campaigns by popular brands.
LEGO helping children deal with fear by relying on a familiar product
The LEGO Foundation’s initiative to donate LEGO MRI kits to hospitals globally is both a philanthropic act and a clever psychology-based marketing move. These kits, made of LEGO bricks, are designed to help children overcome their fear of MRI machines by making the experience more approachable and playful.
The models allow kids to get more comfortable with the equipment and process — suddenly, the scary MRI machine doesn’t look intimidating at all, and one can even “break it down” into pieces to see what’s inside.
From a marketing psychology standpoint, this initiative enhances LEGO’s brand image, showing its compassionate side. We see LEGO as a brand that cares deeply about its customers and their well-being, supporting communities and promoting education.
This creates an emotional connection with parents, educators, and healthcare professionals, making them more likely to opt for the brand in the future. Additionally, this effort highlights LEGO’s corporate social responsibility, which is something the new generation of conscious consumers expects from a big toy brand.
Dove going against the grain and calling out toxic TikTok trends
Dove’s recent campaign, challenging TikTok’s “Bold Glamour” filter, is a perfect example of a cosmetics brand flipping the narrative. In it, the brand openly calls out harmful beauty standards and promotes authentic self-representation, both on social media and beyond.
The campaign encourages people to turn away from digitally enhanced beauty ideals perpetuated by AI-driven filters, which, according to Dove, can damage one’s self-esteem and reinforce unrealistic standards. With its #TurnYourBack initiative, Dove inspires users to reject such filters, aligning the message with its long-standing “Real Beauty” narrative.
This campaign uses two consumer psychology triggers — the desire for self-acceptance and empowerment. By championing authenticity in the age of “fake beauty,” Dove offers a refreshing perspective to its audience, rarely seen in the skincare world. It not only resonates with women frustrated by unattainable beauty norms but also builds trust by promoting healthy body positivity.
Volkswagen framing its key selling point as a funny nuisance
This Volkswagen campaign was launched over 10 years ago but hasn’t lost a bit of its humor and relevance since, proving that the core principles of consumer psychology remain the same. In it, we see a family man rushing home in his new Volkswagen Golf GTD, trying to get a hot pizza onto the dinner table as fast as possible. The only problem is, the vehicle is too powerful, and the high speed turns the pizza inside the box into a mess.
This is a genius psychological marketing trick as it frames the car’s main selling point as a disadvantage, sending the message: “Be careful, this vehicle might be too powerful for you.” Which is exactly the kind of tease that will make consumers want to try it for themselves.
With this clip, the brand also demonstrates a deep understanding of the everyday routine and pain points of its customers, positively standing out from the cliche car promotion videos with flashy shots, unrealistic stunts, and models.
Merge psychology and marketing in your campaigns
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The integrated AI assistant can help you hit the right notes with your copy and adjust it for a specific demographic. In the process of creating campaigns, you can rely on our extensive help center and 24/7 support with real human agents on the other end. Create your account now and take that first step!
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