Joann Peck, marketing

Summary

The speaker explores the significance of haptics, or touch, in marketing, particularly for online and catalog shopping where physical touch is limited. They discuss how certain product attributes like texture, hardness, weight, and temperature drive the desire to touch before purchasing. The talk also covers individual differences in the need for touch and situational factors that can motivate it. Finally, it addresses compensation mechanisms like written descriptions or return policies that can make up for the lack of physical touch in online shopping.

Takeaways

• 📚 Haptics, derived from the Greek word meaning 'able to lay hold of,' is the study of touch and its role in human interaction.
• 🛍️ The importance of haptics in marketing is highlighted by the rise of online and catalog shopping, where the inability to touch products can affect purchasing decisions.
• 🧳 Haptics can be used to evaluate four key attributes of a product: texture, hardness, weight, and temperature.
• 👋 Cognitive psychologists have identified stereotypical hand movements associated with assessing these attributes, such as rubbing for texture and hefting for weight.
• 👀 The haptic perceptual system is unique in that it allows for the observation of input through hand movements, providing insight into how people gather tactile information.
• 👕 Product categories that vary significantly in texture, hardness, weight, or temperature are more likely to motivate consumers to touch them.
• 👥 Individual differences in the 'need for touch' and preference for tactile information can influence a person's likelihood to touch products in a store.
• 🏪 Situational factors, such as point-of-purchase signs encouraging touch, can increase impulse buying, especially among those with a high need for touch.
• 💻 Online shopping presents a challenge for touch, but compensation mechanisms like detailed descriptions, visuals, low prices, and return policies can mitigate this.
• 🔍 The necessity of touch in purchasing decisions varies and depends on the product, the individual consumer, and the situational context.

Q & A

What does the term 'haptics' refer to?

Haptics comes from the Greek word 'haptikos', meaning 'able to lay hold of'. It relates to the sense of touch, specifically touching with the hands.

Why is the sense of touch important in marketing?

The sense of touch is important in marketing because it helps understand consumer behavior, especially in the context of online or catalog shopping where the ability to touch products before purchase is limited.

What are the four attributes that touch is particularly good at conveying?

Touch is particularly good at conveying texture, hardness, weight, and temperature of an object.

How do people's hand movements relate to the attributes they are trying to ascertain through touch?

Different stereotypical hand movements are associated with each attribute: lateral motion for texture, pressing for hardness, unsupported holding for weight, and static contact for temperature.

What is the term for the individual difference in the motivation to touch objects?

The individual difference in the motivation to touch objects is termed 'need for touch'.

How can situational factors influence the motivation to touch products?

Situational factors such as the presence of a point of purchase sign encouraging touch can significantly increase impulse, unplanned purchasing, especially among high need for touch individuals.

What are some compensation mechanisms that can make up for the inability to touch a product?

Compensation mechanisms include written descriptions, visuals, low prices, and return policies that can make up for the inability to touch a product.

How does the product category's variation in haptic attributes affect the motivation to touch?

If a product category varies diagnostically in haptic attributes like texture, hardness, weight, or temperature, consumers are more motivated to touch it compared to categories that do not vary in these attributes.

What is the role of cognitive psychology in studying touch?

Cognitive psychology studies touch by observing people's hand movements to understand how they gather information about object properties through touch.

Can you provide an example of how a product's attributes might influence a consumer's decision to purchase online?

A consumer might be more inclined to purchase a soft blanket online if there is a detailed written description or visual representation that compensates for the inability to physically touch the product.

What does the speaker suggest about the importance of touch in the context of online shopping?

The speaker suggests that touch can be important in online shopping, but its significance varies depending on the product, the individual consumer, and the situation.