pigs on the wing
A common assumption in advertising, based on not much more than that it is simply the most common and available explanation, is that we have to change attitudes before we affect behaviour.
How many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb?
Only one but the lightbulb has to WANT to change. kinda thing.
In reality, however, doing something first makes us feel different after.
It's attitudes that result from actions which lead to explanations which then form beliefs.
The common example being that if one wants to get motivated to get fit then the way to do that is drag yourself to the gym under duress. The doing begets the motivation.
Getting started with action is the hard part, the motivation comes after.
In fact the consistency principle in marketing psychology springs directly from this.
People want to be consistent with what they have previously said or done.
So asking for very small, easy commitments first means that those who participate will be more likely to be receptive to a bigger ask, later.
Knowing this is why we, at Boat HQ, always have a soft spot for action-oriented marketing.
Compassion in World Farming connected an interactive billboard in London to a free-range farm in Buckinghamshire.
Passers-by were invited (at 1GBP a pop) to virtually throw 'apples' at the billboard and trigger a catapult on the farm to throw real apples them to the hungry free-range pigs at the farm.
The 1GBP price point was the nice touch. Not only was there an action/commitment but those effects were reinforced by the addition of the (albeit very small) cash commitment.
Compassion in world farming from shwan hamidi on Vimeo.
