The Power of Suggestion

The power of suggestion can actually convince a fish to buy shoes — or so I realized when the following happened. I was subscribing to an online entertainment service, and during checkout they offered an extra screen for less than 2% of the total charge. Who would let go of an offer that gives an extra screen for almost free? So I bought it. Later that day I realized I didn't need two screens — but I'd bought it anyway, just because of the offer. It got me thinking: is the power of suggestion really that effective?

The power of suggestion is the act of implanting a thought or idea to drive an expected outcome. Psychology defines it like this: "if someone or something suggests to you a specific outcome, your expectations of that outcome play a major role in its occurrence." Seen from a marketer's perspective, the power of suggestion is an indirect pitch — introducing an unconscious thought in the customer that leads to a purchase.

These suggestions can come from the smallest gestures yet have a huge impact. Take the famous diaper-and-beer case study: based on data mining, Walmart once decided to stock beer beside the diapers — and to their surprise, sales of both rose by 35%. That tiny gesture of rearranging stock pitched the suggestion of buying beer to young, diaper-buying male customers. As that result shows, when these suggestions are optimized, they can become a command to the buyer.