Free talk will reveal tricks used to make us spend
Cambridge Festival event to feature insights from Professor of Consumer Psychology
An expert in consumer psychology will lift the lid on the tricks used by retailers to make us spend more, during a free event at the Cambridge Festival on 26 March.
The talk Purchase decisions: Do we really make them or are we being manipulated? will be delivered by Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, Professor of Consumer Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).
Professor Jansson-Boyd will use real-world examples to demonstrate the different techniques businesses deploy to attempt to influence consumers’ purchase decisions, and how successful they can be.
The talk will cover how consumers choose products based on their design, and give examples of what retail environments, both on the high street and online, do to capture our attention and avoid us noticing competitors’ brands and products.
Professor Jansson-Boyd has carried out a range of consumer research including the role of touch in purchasing decisions and how aesthetics affect consumer perception, as well as sustainable consumption.
“People don’t usually realise how much they are influenced by what a product looks like.
“Even with something as mundane as a washing-up liquid bottle, consumers are much more likely to buy the one that looks more attractive. Therefore, manufacturers make use of design concepts that are known to trigger a perception of attractiveness to ensure you buy their product.
“The environment in which we shop also plays a key role in steering us towards what we buy – everything from the layout of the store to the scents and sounds.
“Hopefully people will come away from the talk with a better idea of the techniques used to subconsciously make us purchase products and services, and afterwards will be more aware of why we make the decisions we do.
Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, Professor of Consumer Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)Professor Jansson-Boyd has written, co-authored, and edited several books about consumer psychology and neuroscience and has worked with many large businesses to further their understanding of consumer behaviour.
This event on Wednesday, 26 March at ARU’s Cambridge campus begins at 5pm. Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance via https://www.aru.ac.uk/events/cambridge-festival/purchase-decisions-do-we-really-make-them-or-are-we-being-manipulated