Episode 28 The Big Game: Costly Signaling
and the Public's Trust
In this episode, we discuss the influence behind Super Bowl ads and how
concepts like costly signaling and cultural imprinting help consumers
align with brands.
Episode Highlights
Costly Signaling
Costly signaling proposes that humands may send honest signals about desirable personal characteristics and access to resources through costly displays or behaviors that would be hard to fake.
The Power of Public Statements
A major way to boost trust is through public statements. Thought experiments suggest that the same claim makes a different impact depending on whether it’s made publicly or privately.
Cultural Imprinting
Cultural imprinting is the mechanism whereby an ad, rather than trying to change our minds individually, instead changes the landscape of cultural meanings - which in turn changes how we are perceived by others when we use a product. Whether you drink Corona or Heineken or Budweiser "says" something about you. But you aren't in control of that message; it just sits there, out in the world, having been imprinted on the broader culture by an ad campaign.
Resources & Useful Links
Want to dig deeper on the idea of social proof and the intention of actions gap? Here are some
additional resources that show how to make your brand more popular with consumers and the
importance of combining motivation with triggers to convert intention into action.
Keep Listening
Ep27 - Behavioral Economics with Mark Earls
How behavioral science is leveraged to influence public policies and economics.
Ep26 - Crossroads of Consumer Psychology and Marketing
How a person's impression of someone can influence their feelings towards them and the how impactful the illusion of labor can be.
