The good people at Bloomberg write: Martin Lindstrom leads a double life: As chairman of consulting firm Buyology, Inc., he helps large companies market brands better. As an author, he calls himself a consumer advocate, arguing that companies go “too far [pulling] money out of the pockets of consumers at a time when they can’t really afford it.”
In an interview with Bloomberg.com’s Ben Steverman, Lindstrom explains some of retailers’ canniest techniques, including why stores suddenly smell like cinnamon during the holidays and what online retailers and casinos have in common. Edited excerpts of the interview follow.
Q: How are retailers trying to get shoppers to spend more this holiday season?
A: The most obvious thing is the whole play on nostalgia. Our brains are built in such a way that as we’re taken back in time, we see the past as being much more positive than the present. We are willing to pay more to get that sense of belonging. That warm, fuzzy feeling is activated not just by sound but by sight and smell. That’s why more stores are spraying in pine, cinnamon and particularly vanilla. A study we conducted shows that when people smell cinnamon, they’re immediately taken back to Christmas. They also feel an obligation to be a better parent during Christmas. Therefore they’ll buy more.
Retailers are also adopting techniques to make you feel younger. They play music from when you were young -- say from the 1980s. The size of the clothes is larger, with pants typically one or two numbers too large. So you feel you can actually fit the clothes you wore when you were young. They’re also changing the colors in the mirrors and in the spotlights for a warmer color, so you look slightly more suntanned than you normally would.
Combine that with compliments from staff and people feel that sense of satisfaction and self-confidence. You actually want to buy that feeling….
There's more at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-23/holiday-survival-secret-tricks-of-retailers.html
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