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Summary: Struggling to connect with your audience? This blog explores why sticking to ineffective strategies won’t get results and instead, why behavioural marketing like loyalty programs and experiential marketing can help drive resonance. Learn how to adjust your approach and create a lasting impact.

Picture this: a marketing team huddles around a workstation, frustrated their audience STILL doesn’t understand them – despite repeated messages delivered with the same content, in the same way, via the same channel. The way they’ve always done it.

This is certainly not an isolated scenario and is a head scratcher that many marketing teams ponder, however it does bring to mind the quote, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

If it’s not working, change it

Behaviour affects attitude

Leading social psychologist Hugh Mackay, in The Way We Are, speaks to the myth that “to change people’s behaviour, you must first change their minds”.

According to Mackay, this belief overlooks a crucial, lesser-known truth of human behaviour: our patterns of behaviour are shaped by our social and physical environment which then alter our attitude – a reversal of the attitude-impacts-behaviour myth. In terms of messaging, rather than more emails, more socials, or more persuasive language, Mackay says we’re more likely to be influenced by tangible incentives – registration discounts, additional perks, and exclusive access – before appeals to the mind can take effect.

A perfect example of this is free trial periods for memberships and subscriptions. Instead of relying on persuasive messaging to promote sign-ups, organisations promote a behaviour (use of the service) which then influences attitude (valuing the service), leading to a higher sign-up rate once the trial period ends. We also see this in loyalty programs, gamification, and experiential marketing.

In the ever-evolving field of marketing and communications, persistence with ineffective methods and channels is futile. If your message isn’t resonating, change your approach. Instead of focusing solely on persuasive language, consider strategies that change behaviour first. Free trials, loyalty programs, gamification, and experiential marketing are powerful tools that influence behaviour and, subsequently, attitudes. As Mackay highlights, our environments shape our actions, which then shape our beliefs. By altering behaviour, you can achieve deeper, more meaningful connections with your audience. Piece of cake!

Need help reaching your audience in a meaningful way? Reach out to us at Zadro today!