Bandwagon Effect

“Thompsons have butterfingers!” A kid screamed into the camera.

After that pronouncement, he turned and ran toward the lighted house behind him. Framed in the house doorway, a lady was patiently holding a bowl of Butterfingers. As the kid rushed toward the lady, he was joined by lots of other kids in costumes swarming from every direction. The message was clear: trick-or-treaters prefer Butterfingers.

I was riveted by this commercial. I wanted to share with you the lessons that it offers in communicating with your customers.

First, openings are critical. You only have a few seconds to get your audience’s attention. With the Internet, people’s brief attention span has grown even more brief. Beginning the commercial with a close up of a kid screaming into the camera with a short, to-the-point message gets attention. It got mine.

Second, talk to your audience. Show or use the voice of a situation or person with whom your target market will readily identify. Those who are concerned about kids trick-or-treaters will quickly find this commercial interesting because the topic is on their minds. Another idea would have been to present the commercial from Mrs. Thompson’s point of view and show the Butterfingers disappearing rapidly from her dish as she greets trick-or-treaters. Either way, the audience for this commercial gets the message because they feel addressed. The “Mrs. Thompsons” are the audience. When they identify with the commercial, they receive the commercial’s message.

Third, create a bandwagon effect. Everyone wants one so you should, too. In this commercial, all the kids wanted Butterfingers. If that’s what they want, why buy any other candy? That thought establishes itself in the minds of the “Mrs. Thompsons,” those serving the candy, and also in the minds of the kids who see the commercial. While I would not suggest that a thirty-second commercial can change kids’ tastes to like Butterfingers if they do not, it can stimulate those who do like Butterfingers to want some.

The first two lessons are relatively easy to achieve. Keep them in mind whenever you are communicating with your customers. Remember to grab attention with your opening and to talk to your audience.

The third lesson can be more challenging. You may have to think longer to figure out how to achieve a bandwagon effect for your product, service, or information. As you think, realize that the bandwagon effect that you show or state does not necessarily have to be true for every person who has ever used your product or service. It only needs to be correct for whatever group you are referencing. The kid in the commercial did not say “Everyone loves Butterfingers.” No, he said “Thompsons have Butterfingers.” His statement implied that everyone wanted Butterfingers, but he did not say it directly. After making the statement, he had lots of kids follow him to Thompsons' house. However, we don’t know that every kid in the neighborhood followed.

How do you create a bandwagon effect? Similar to Thompson, reference a well-known customer who uses this product, service, or information from your business. Do this with the customer’s permission, of course. Use a number or percentage. 8 out of 10 or 90% of our customers use this product, service, or information. State a desire that you know your customers want and that your product, service, or information offers. Instead of stating a product such as Butterfingers, say the “What’s in it for me” for the customer from using the product. “Mouth-watering candy at Thompsons” is intriguing to all, whether they like Butterfingers or not.

The bandwagon effect seeds the thought in your customers’ minds that they ought to have this product, service, or information, too.

How can you use the bandwagon effect in your communications with customers?