What if the music playing in a store could influence what people buy?
In this famous consumer psychology example, a grocery store played French music on one day and German music on another. French wine sales increased when French music was playing, while German wine and beer sales increased when German music was playing.
The products, prices, and shelves had not changed. What changed was the context customers were exposed to.
In this short, Wharton professor and Contagious author Jonah Berger explains that the music may not have changed what shoppers liked. Instead, it may have made certain products more mentally accessible by bringing the relevant country and category to mind.
That is a powerful marketing lesson: sometimes the battle is not about changing what customers want. It is about making sure your product comes to mind at the right moment.
What’s the “background music” for your product? Drop it in the comments. 👇
🎯 Key Takeaways
• Context can influence which products come to mind
• Marketing is not always about changing preferences
• Environmental cues can make certain associations more mentally accessible
• Brands benefit when they become easier to recall at the moment of purchase
• The right associations can influence how consumers notice and evaluate products
📌 Source: The Science of VIRALITY: I Gave a Wharton Professor $1,000 To Make Boring Products Go Viral!
Channel: @ThinkSchool
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