Choice Without Preference

Sun, 07 Jan 2018 18:47:00 -0800

As marketers, we hold certain truths to be self-evident. We believe that lower prices lead to higher sales, satisfaction leads to loyalty, and choice is driven by preference. In fact, there are many cases when every single one of these “truths” can be decisively refuted. They persist as axioms because they are generally true in ordinary circumstances.

Yet, the third of these simple truths—the belief that preference drives choice—is perhaps the most blindly accepted. In my experience working with brands, I have sat through presentation after presentation where this belief was re-asserted without so much as a fidget from the most discerning of participants. Indeed, I myself have written many a slide that demonstrates the importance of driving preference in order to drive performance for the brand. Unfortunately, this assertion neglects a powerful quality of human life: self-control.

Choice on The Findings Report

Choice Without Preference