In the world of consumer psychology, variety-seeking behavior is the tendency of people to look for new and diverse products, services, or experiences. It plays a significant role in how customers decide to buy products and services, but this behavior tends to shift depending on the time of day.
Have you ever wondered why McDonald’s rotates its menus or why Amazon has Lightning Deals that offer huge discounts at certain hours of the day? They don’t do all that for no particular reason. These are strategies influenced by the psychology of seeking variety.
In this article, we’ll cover the importance of variety-seeking behavior and the psychological concept behind it. We’ll also discuss tips you can try to use this principle to improve your marketing and sales efforts.
Posted in Research, Archive
published on Tuesday, 20 May 2025
You're in a cozy café at lunch time. You suddenly surprise yourself by paying notice to the sounds of chirping birds and flowing water. You feel more grounded, calm, connected. You skip the plastic straw (although you know it does a better job) and opt for the vegan muffin. That serene atmosphere? It's not just setting the mood. It's quietly guiding your choices. A shift in your brain’s decision-making process has just taken place.
Posted in Research, Archive
published on Wednesday, 23 April 2025
You’re sitting in a movie theater, popcorn in hand, as the lights dim. The first trailer plays, and you lean over to your friend, whispering, “That looks terrible.” The next one flashes across the screen, and you nod, “I’d watch that.” But does what you say out loud match what your brain is thinking?
A recent study suggests your brain may be a better predictor of movie success than you are. The study by Boksem et al. (2024) explored whether Electroencephalography (EEG), a tool that measures brain wave activity, can be a predictor of market-level success, particularly in advertising. Researchers used EEG to measure brain activity while people watched trailers, finding that gamma waves—linked to comprehension and cognitive engagement—were the strongest predictor of box office performance. This means the movies that activate certain brain signals, regardless of what viewers claim to like, are the ones more likely to succeed.
Posted in Research, Archive
published on Monday, 10 March 2025
Subtle details at the point-of-purchase can have a powerful sway on what we buy. Ever since Thaler and Sunstein coined the concept of nudging in their 2008 book Nudge, its underlying psychological principles have been quickly embraced by those seeking to influence consumer behavior.
Posted in Research, Archive
published on Tuesday, 31 December 2024
Have you ever been drawn to a product the moment you saw it? Perhaps it was the elegant curve of a chair, the seamless design of a phone, or a beautifully packaged luxury purse. That “instant attraction” isn’t a coincidence—it’s backed by science.
This phenomenon is explained by neuromarketing principles, which reveal that visual design doesn’t just appeal to our eyes—it activates the brain’s pleasure and reward centers, creating an emotional connection. Products that are visually appealing feel good to look at, making them more memorable and desirable. For marketers and designers, this insight is transformative: emotional engagement with a product significantly increases its likelihood of being purchased.
A recent study uncovered exactly how the brain responds to beauty in product design—and the results provide clear strategies for creating products that resonate on a deeper, emotional level.
Posted in Research, Archive
published on Tuesday, 17 December 2024
