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Marketing Academy.

Is reassurance or manipulation better to sell more?

In the world of digital marketing, the challenge remains to increase conversions while maintaining a positive brand image. A recent study has highlighted the importance of reassuring nudge advice compared to "pushing" advice. about potential customers and clients.

Context Traditionally, many e-commerce sites and digital marketing campaigns use pressure strategies, such as shortage indications ("only 3 left in stock") or limited-time offers ("only 3 left in stock"). buy now or the price will increase". These tactics, known as "pressure nudges", have proven effective in the short term but lead to long-term negative consequences, such as high product return rates.

Results of the Research A research conducted in May 2023 compared the effects of reassuring nudges with pressing ones. The study, which involved approximately 6,000 customers of a large Asian e-commerce retailer, revealed that:

  1. Total Sales: The reassuring nudges generated a similar number of sales to the pressing ones, once product returns were taken into account.

  2. Effects of Different Nudges: While time pressure nudges significantly increased sales, they also caused an exponential increase in returns. On the contrary, reassuring nudges (e.g. "Excellent choice!") reduced returns by 69.3% compared to pressing nudges.

  3. Consumer Behavior: Pressing nudges increase impulsiveness and susceptibility to FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), often leading to purchase regret and consequent returns. Instead, reassuring nudges increase purchase confidence by answering the questions consumers ask themselves during the decision-making process.

Practical Applications For entrepreneurs and digital marketing professionals, these results suggest greater effectiveness in the use of reassuring nudges. These include:

  1. Reassurances based on customers' past purchases.

  2. Clear explanations of product measurements.

  3. Reminder during checkout on product and color choice.

Limitations and Considerations The research examined exclusive and limited edition products in the fashion industry, known for high return rates. Effects may vary in other industries. Furthermore, the combined use of reassuring and pressing nudges has not been tested.

Market Observations Large retailers such as Amazon and Asos are gradually adopting reassuring nudges, sometimes combining them with pressing ones. In contrast, others like AliExpress and Temu focus more on pressing nudges.

Conclusion The adoption of reassuring nudges in digital marketing represents a paradigm shift that effectively balances the need to increase sales with building a long-term relationship of trust and satisfaction with customers . Entrepreneurs must carefully consider these strategies to maximize their results while maintaining a positive brand image.

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