When we decided to create the second season of Market With Me Quikly, we knew that doing so would mean unpacking a new set of concerns facing today’s marketers. Throughout the season, we’ve discussed the market and inflation, narcissistic consumers, the consumer psychology of conversions, and the key to satisfied consumers. For the fifth episode and mid-season finale of Market with me Quikly, we wanted to focus on the driving force for season two: cutting through the noise.
Dr. Matt Johnson, Professor of Consumer Psychology and Marketing at Hult International Business School and author of “Branding that Means Business”, sat down with us to discuss how consumer psychology lends itself to the world of branding. Johnson took us through the fundamentals of human nature and how brands can position themselves for the future.
As an introduction to our conversation, I asked Johnson to explain the driving force behind his book.
“A lot of the focus the last few years in consumer psychology, in marketing, has really been, “How do we grapple with an uncertain future?”,” Johnson said. “We wanted to sort of take on that challenge, but take a different perspective. Instead of asking what’s going to happen, ask what’s not going to change. Especially for brands that are operating B2C and are dealing directly with consumers, the most relevant fundamentals that aren’t going to change are the fundamentals of human nature.”
To Johnson, “humans are going to be humans.” And while the fundamental nature of humans has not changed, that insight can only take marketers so far. This is where he says consumer psychology offers another perspective that will help human-centered brands establish meaningful relationships with consumers.
“[Consumer psychology] is the study of why humans do what they do within the context of consumer environments. Why we feel attached to certain brands [and] not others, in times of economic upheaval why we prioritize some consumer choices over others,” said Johnson. “We’re not really just looking at behavior..but the sort of underlying psychological predicates that give rise to that behavior.”
During our conversation, Johnson explained how brands today are either loved by consumers or cast aside, the connection between brand loyalty and human nature, and why brands should focus on things that will stay the same when engaging with consumers.
To hear more about how brands can cut through the noise using consumer psychology, listen to this week’s episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
