Triggers and Treats: How Mars, KitKat, and Cheerios Used Psychology to Boost Sales - Contagious Part II

Today, we're diving into a delicious mix of Cheerios, Mars Bars, KitKats, and the song that took the internet by storm - "Friday". These seemingly unrelated topics all have one thing in common: effective triggers. We'll explore how these triggers helped propel these brands and ideas to the top of our minds, and what we can learn from their success. So grab a bowl of Cheerios, a Mars Bar, a KitKat, and get ready to sing "Friday, Friday" with us as we dive into the wonderful world of marketing triggers!

Estimated read time: 4.5 minutes

Cheerios

If you're like most people, you probably assume that Walt Disney World gets more word-of-mouth than a box of Honey Nut Cheerios. I mean, who wouldn't want to talk about their exhilarating adventures on Space Mountain or their magical encounters with Mickey Mouse?

But here's the thing: you're wrong. People actually talk about Cheerios more than Disney World. Crazy, right?

It all comes down to triggers - those subtle cues that prompt us to think about certain things. While Disney World may be more exciting, most of us only visit once every few years. On the other hand, many of us have a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast every day. So it's no surprise that Cheerios is more likely to come up in conversation.

And here's the kicker: it's not just about being interesting. As we learned in the previous chapter, social currency is essential for generating word-of-mouth. But triggers can be just as important, if not more so. After all, even the most fascinating product or idea won't get talked about if it's not top-of-mind.

So the next time you're trying to get people buzzing about your brand, don't forget about triggers. Find ways to make your product or idea a part of people's daily lives. Because when it comes to word-of-mouth, sometimes even a simple bowl of cereal can beat the happiest place on earth.

Mars Candy Bar

In 1997, Mars, the candy company, noticed something peculiar. Sales of their Mars bar had increased, but they hadn't changed their marketing strategy in any way. So what caused the spike? NASA's Pathfinder mission, that's what. The mission was all over the news, as it was designed to collect samples from Mars, the planet. People were talking about Mars, the planet, and that was enough of a trigger to remind them of Mars, the candy bar, and buy more of it. It's amazing how accessibility can lead to action.

Music triggers shopping behaviour

And that's not all. Researchers in music, Adrian North, David Hargreaves, and Jennifer McKendrick, discovered how triggers can impact supermarket buying behavior. They replaced the usual Muzak with French and German music on different days and found that customers purchased French wine on the days when French music was played and German wine when German music was played. The accessibility of ideas related to these countries was enough to affect behavior.

Friday

Rebecca Black's song "Friday" might just be the worst song ever. But somehow, the tune about the joys of the weekend managed to go viral and was viewed more than 300 million times on YouTube. So what made this cringe-worthy song such a success?

Well, take a look at the daily searches for "Rebecca Black" on YouTube in March 2011, soon after the song's release. Notice the spike once every week? Look closer and you'll see that the spike happens on the same day every week. There was one on March 18, seven days later on March 25, and seven days later, on April 1. The particular day of the week? You guessed it. Friday -just like the name of Rebecca Black's song.

So while the song was equally bad every day of the week, each Friday it received a strong trigger that contributed to its success. The crazy thing is that this trend still exists today.

But why did people share and talk about such a terrible song? Turns out, triggers boost word-of-mouth. Most of our conversations are small talk, and we talk about whatever is top of mind to fill conversational space. So if something is accessible and relevant to the situation at hand, it's a good place to start.

So the next time you're trying to get people talking about your product or idea, consider what triggers you can use to make it top of mind. Who knows, you might just have the next viral sensation on your hands.

KitKat and Coffee

Kit Kat's iconic jingle, "give me a break, give me a break, break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar!" is known by almost everyone over twenty-five. But by 2007, the brand had lost its spark. Sales were down, and Hershey, which produces a variety of products, was struggling to keep Kit Kat top of mind. Colleen Chorak was brought in to revive the brand, but with limited financial support from upper management, she had to get creative.

After researching when people consumed Kit Kats, she discovered that many ate the candy bar when they needed a break and often paired it with a hot beverage, such as coffee. So she came up with a new campaign: "Kit Kat and coffee." The radio spots featured the candy bar sitting next to a cup of coffee, and the ads repeatedly paired the two together. The campaign was a hit, lifting sales by 8 percent in just a year and growing the brand from $300 million to $500 million.

The success of the "Kit Kat and coffee" campaign can be attributed to several factors, including alliteration and the idea of taking a break. But what really made the campaign successful was its trigger: coffee. Many people drink coffee multiple times a day, making it a frequent stimulus in the environment. By linking Kit Kat to coffee, Colleen created a trigger that reminded people of the brand every time they reached for their cup of joe.

TRIGGERS: FINDING THE RIGHT STIMULUS FOR YOUR IDEA OR PRODUCT

Triggers can be a powerful tool for making your product or idea stick, but not all stimuli are created equal. The frequency and strength of the link between the trigger and the desired behavior both play important roles in triggering success.

For example, Hershey's Kit Kat successfully linked its chocolate bars with coffee, a stimulus that occurs frequently throughout the day. As a result, sales soared when the "Kit Kat and coffee" campaign was launched. Conversely, Michelob's original campaign linking the beer with holidays failed because the stimulus was infrequent.

But even with a frequent stimulus, the strength of the link is important. If a trigger is associated with too many things, it weakens the association. This is why a fresher, more original link can be more effective than an overused one.

Context is also crucial. Different environments contain different stimuli, and triggers that work in one location may not work as well in another. For example, a hundred-dollar cheesesteak might be more effective in Philadelphia than in Chicago, where cheesesteaks are less common.

Timing is another important factor. Reusable grocery bags are a great idea, but if you remember to bring them only when you're already at the store, it's too late. To be effective, triggers must occur at the right time and place. For example, a reminder to bring the bags when leaving the house could be more effective than a reminder in the store parking lot.

So when considering how to make your product or idea stick, think about the frequency, strength, and context of the trigger, as well as its timing. With the right trigger, you can increase the chances that your idea or product will catch on and stick with people.