Evaluating
Priming Effect
Our brains utilize schemas as shortcuts to make sense of the world, helping us categorize information efficiently. These schemas can be triggered by sensory inputs such as smell, sight, and sound. While these triggers can accelerate decision-making, they can also lead to poor decisions due to the reliance on pre-existing mental frameworks rather than thorough analysis.
For Example
Supermarkets place fresh flowers near the entrance to prime customers with sensations of freshness, increasing their willingness to spend more throughout their shopping journey. Similarly, luxury hotels use subtle ambient music and scents to prime guests to perceive higher value, leading to greater satisfaction.
Similar Biases
Similar biases: Anchoring Effect, Mere Exposure Effect, Halo Effect. Opposing biases: Reactance Theory, Negativity Bias, Skepticism Bias
We tend to remember tasks and goals that are not completed.
The Priming Effect occurs when exposure to certain stimuli—such as words, images, sounds, or experiences—unconsciously influences subsequent behaviors, judgments, or decisions. Customers often aren't aware they're being influenced, yet these subtle cues shape their emotions, perceptions, and expectations significantly. In Customer Experience (CX), priming helps brands intentionally prepare customers for positive experiences, guide their choices, or even shape their emotional states. For instance, a website using warm, welcoming visuals primes customers to perceive the brand as trustworthy and friendly. However, negative priming can unintentionally occur—like complex language or cluttered spaces priming customers for frustration. Effective CX deliberately leverages positive priming to enhance customer satisfaction and engagement.
The Impact of Priming on Student Behavior
n an experiment, John Bargh tested the effects of priming by asking a group of students to unscramble words and then wait for him to check their work. Some students were given aggressive words to unscramble, while others received words associated with patience. The results showed that the students who unscrambled aggressive words became more frustrated while waiting for the researcher to check their answers compared to those who unscrambled words related to patience. Bargh attributed these differences in behavior to the effects of priming.
The Influence of Store Environment on Wine Sales
A wine store conducted an experiment to test the effect of the store environment on wine sales by playing French and German music on alternate days. The results indicated that on days when French music was played, sales of French wine significantly increased, with a ratio of 5:1 compared to other wines. Conversely, on days when German music was played, customers purchased more German wine, with a ratio of 2:1. This study illustrates how environmental cues, such as music, can influence consumer purchasing behavior and preferences
The Warmth Effect: How Physical Sensations Influence Social Perceptions
In an experiment, participants were asked to hold a cup of coffee for the researcher before starting the experiment. One group held a warm cup of coffee, while the other group held a cold cup of coffee for about 15 to 25 seconds. Subsequently, all participants were given a card with information about the same individual. The results indicated that participants who held the warm cup of coffee rated the individual as happier and more social. In contrast, those who held the cold cup rated the individual more negatively. Researchers attributed these differences in perception to the effects of priming, demonstrating how physical sensations can influence social judgments.
Activate Relevant Associations
Customers initially sense needs through subtle environmental or social cues. Priming them with scenarios or images highlighting relatable problems helps them effortlessly recognize personal needs, making brand solutions more appealing. For instance, a home improvement store primes customers by displaying images of comfortable, beautifully renovated homes, gently awakening the desire for improvement without feeling forced.
Establish Positive First Impressions
First encounters with brands strongly prime ongoing perceptions. Using welcoming visuals, clear messaging, or comforting sounds primes customers toward trust and openness. For example, banks often prime trust by showcasing friendly faces and reliable messages like “Here when you need us,” setting a positive emotional foundation.
Strengthen Desired Associations
When comparing options, subtle visual and linguistic cues prime customers toward preferred attributes like reliability or luxury. Luxury car brands, for example, prime customers with elegant, sophisticated visuals and language, subtly reinforcing perceptions of premium quality and exclusivity during the consideration stage.
Foster Comfortable Engagement
During exploration, priming through intuitive, clear navigation cues and reassuring visual design creates positive emotional states, encouraging deeper interaction. Apple stores prime customers with minimalist displays and intuitive interfaces, subconsciously fostering comfort and ease during product exploration.
Reinforce Trust Through Consistency
Consistent and aligned messaging primes customers to trust brand promises during research. For instance, insurance companies prime reliability by consistently showcasing customer testimonials emphasizing dependable service, subtly influencing positive evaluation during decision-making.
Prime for Confidence in Decision
At selection, strategically placed positive reviews, ratings, or reassuring language primes customers to feel confident and comfortable with their final choice. Online booking platforms prime certainty by highlighting “trusted choice” badges or customer satisfaction scores at checkout.
Smooth the Transaction Process
During purchase, priming customers with clear instructions, secure visual symbols, or comforting words (“Your secure checkout awaits”) alleviates anxiety and primes them for confidence. Retailers like Amazon prime comfort with reassuring phrases like “Review your secure order,” reducing hesitation at critical moments.
Reinforce Positive Perceptions
After purchase, prime future engagement and satisfaction by framing communications with appreciative language and reaffirming messages like “You made a great choice!” reinforcing customer satisfaction and reducing cognitive dissonance. Subscription services (e.g., Netflix) prime satisfaction through post-purchase messages reminding customers of the great content awaiting them, boosting loyalty and repeat usage.
Customer Experience Challenges
Typical challenges in CX where the bias can be used
- Control: Customers dislike feeling manipulated by overt priming attempts. CX teams must use subtle cues carefully, preserving customer autonomy.
- Motivation: Priming is ineffective if not consistently reinforced over time. CX teams must ensure repeated subtle exposures to sustain positive influence.
- Risk: Customers may sense overly obvious priming as deceptive. CX must ensure cues feel authentic and natural.
- Selection: Excessive or inconsistent priming can overwhelm or confuse customers. CX teams should consistently prime clear brand attributes.
- Information: Unclear or conflicting priming signals may reduce customer trust. CX teams must carefully coordinate messaging for coherence and clarity.
Customer Experience Pillars
Renascence CX pillars where it can be applied most efficiently
- Integrity: Authentic and consistent priming reinforces trust; manipulative priming damages brand integrity.
- Expectations: Carefully priming realistic expectations ensures customer satisfaction; misaligned priming leads to dissatisfaction.
- Resolution: Positive priming before service recovery helps maintain trust and customer satisfaction even after negative experiences.
- Effort: Intuitive priming reduces cognitive effort, streamlining customer interactions and increasing satisfaction.
- Emotions: Thoughtful priming shapes positive emotional experiences, deeply connecting customers emotionally to brands.
Customer Experience Interfaces
Interfaces & touchpoints where it can be applied most efficiently
- Digital: Use consistent, positive visual and language cues to prime users for trust, comfort, and smooth interactions.
- Voice: Agents using friendly, empathetic language prime customers toward cooperative and patient interactions.
- Promo: Promotions with warm imagery or wording prime customers toward perceiving greater value and positive outcomes.
- Product: Packaging that visually primes premium quality increases perceived value and satisfaction.
- Shelf: Thoughtful arrangements and visually appealing displays prime customers to perceive greater product desirability and quality.
Renascence Tip
Priming can profoundly shape customer interactions and satisfaction levels. When thoughtfully deployed, priming positively sets customer expectations, emotional states, and decisions. Brands must strategically integrate subtle, consistent cues across all customer interfaces, priming perceptions of quality, trust, and value. However, negative or inconsistent priming can inadvertently damage customer experiences. Always ensure cues reinforce your intended brand image, subtly guiding customers toward positive associations and deeper engagement.
