The reality of expectations is unavoidable as countless studies will repeatedly reveal that previous knowledge will affect a persons’ expectations. Since it is inevitable that people will hold previous knowledge, a marketer must account for this bias. Dan Ariely provides intriguing examples of behavioral studies that display the effects of knowledge on decision making, choice, and preference.
Ultimately, Ariely compiles a series of cases that confirm the power of knowledge, making expectations unavoidable. It is nearly impossible to create a situation where you are able to accurately survey someone who is essentially a “blank slate.” There are many labels for the knowledge that we receive, just as there are many conditions under which a product can be presented that will effect expectations. Expectations are shaped through messages from peers, media, family, and really anything that person has seen, felt, heard, or experienced in their lifetime.
It is important to consider the implications of knowledge presentation to a customer because that knowledge will “reshape the customer’s sensory perceptions to align with this knowledge.” What a customer knows about a product directly affects that customer’s attitude towards the product due to the expectations they have formed. The knowledge presented can be in the form of written or spoken data, yet the timing of the disclosure can make all the difference. For example, the difference between the preferences of people who found out about the vinegar in their beer beforehand were much different from the preferences of the people who found out about the vinegar after they had tasted the beer.
Another key point that Ariely includes is the power of presentation on expectations. The manner in which a product is presented pinpoints our sensory experiences. There are human systems that create and determine experiences with a product. The presentation can affect all five senses and create emotions that cultivate the expectation placed on that product or brand. As we explore the ability of knowledge to relate a person to their ideal self, culture, or other people, we encounter the reality of stereotypes that have been instilled in peoples’ minds and affirmed over and over throughout their lifetime.
The ideas discussed in Ariely’s article cause me to think about my perceptions of Starbuck’s as the power of the presentation in the actual store arises from the characteristics of the brand image I have been trained to believe. For example, the stereotype Starbuck’s patron is a real, sophisticated coffee drinker who appreciates more than just coffee, but a aroma-filled and friendly coffee shop experience. The price of the beverage that I associate with quality is a presentation characteristic that makes me believe what I am drinking tastes better than any other less expensive coffee drink.
The main experiment that Ariely constructs tests a person’s expectations based on knowledge as it centers on a person’s choice between a regular beer and a special vinegar-treated beer. He found that without foreknowledge of the vinegary brew, most participants chose the vinegary brew, yet if they were given the choice after knowing that there was vinegar in it, they chose the other option. The moral of the test was that people were more affected by their expectations about the beer than their experience. When we believe beforehand that something will be good, it will generally be good, and when we think it will be bad, it will be bad.
Ariely’s tests also identified the neural activity that affects those expectations. This is the reason that Coke has an advantage over Pepsi despite the fact that the brain reaction to the drinks is very similar. The emotional connection or the preconceived expectations about a product are so strong that they affect the brain’s perception. The strategic experience modules which include sensory, emotional, intellectual/cognitive, physical/behavioral, and relational aspects all contribute to expectations and their affects are influential even before any new knowledge is presented to the consumer.
Since marketing is essentially about “providing information that will heighten someone’s anticipated and real pleasure,” expectations play a powerful role in changing our enjoyment. I have seen the presentation of knowledge example played out in my own life when people give me their opinions on restaurants. When someone tells me of a wonderful, delicious restaurant, I automatically taste the food with the idea that it is amazing. I believe that part of it is experiential, but it is largely the result of knowledge presented to me before trying it.
I believe that this article and the ideas explored show how influential the mind can be on expectations and the scope of things for marketers to consider. For instance, does Pepsi ever have a chance to beat out Coke because of the deeply ingrained image of the brand in peoples’ minds? It does not seem likely, yet this fact leads marketers to the important role of positioning a product for long-term brand imaging success as well as presenting the customer a winning product before they even try it.
