Over the summer, I received a piece of mail that provided an
especially interesting example of effective marketing. When I opened the letter, inside was a
card that said it was from a New York State Senator named Michael H.
Ranzenhofer. Its contents proved
to be a congratulatory message addressed to me for making the dean’s list at
Canisius College. The senator
signed the note in pen, and wrote a personal message as well.
Marketing
within the sphere of politics is often overlooked, as traditional marketing typically
deals with specific companies, products, brands and services. Politicians are faced with the daunting
task of marketing themselves to their constituents in order to maintain
popularity and remain in the public’s good faith. It is my belief for several
reasons that this is an exceptionally brilliant and effective marketing
strategy for the purposes of this politician getting reelected and looked upon
favorably in the public eye.
The
first reason that I view this strategy in such a positive manner is because of
the marketing principle of reciprocity, which according to author Robert
Cialdini, is one of the six main elements of effective persuasion and
marketing. The basic premise of
reciprocity is that when something is given to an individual, he or she feels
an obligation to return such a favor in one way or another. Companies often take advantage of this
principle for financial gains with promotions such “free samples”. In free samples, grocery stores and
restaurants offer their customers a small amount of food, free of charge. The reciprocity principle suggests that
because the customers accepted a gift from the store, they then feel an
obligation to make a purchase. It
is clear that many businesses across the country agree, as according to
KnowWPC, an estimated $1 billion per year is spent by companies on sampling
programs.
Whether
he knew it or not, Michael H. Ranzenhofer was utilizing the reciprocation
principle when he sent me his message.
Because this letter was unrequested, surprising and most importantly
free, I know feel as if I owe a debt to this State Senator. Since it is not likely that I will ever
meet this man in person, and a “thank you” letter may seem quite redundant, the
most logical means of repaying this debt is to vote for him when it comes time
for his reelection. This debt may
have in fact been strengthened because it was clear that Ranzenhofer signed the
card himself. In a study conducted
by Randy Garner, surveys were sent out to people (a) with a handwritten sticky
note requesting the completion of the survey and (b) with only the survey and a
typed cover letter. The response
rate for the survey with the handwritten note received a 75% completion rate,
as opposed to the other group, which only yielded a 36% completion rate. This study shows just how much people
value handwritten messages. It is
conceivable that the Senator will gain many votes in the next election because
of reciprocation.
Another
reason that this card may prove to be an extremely effective marketing tool is
because of a function it is likely to serve. According to the Canisius College newspaper, The Griffin,
around half of the college is comprised of commuter students, who do not live on
campus. It is reasonable to
believe that other local colleges have similar statistics, and that a good
portion of these students live with their parents. Many parents are constantly looking for ways to brag about
their kids, and what better way to brag than to hang a letter from a State
Senator on the refrigerator, congratulating them on making the dean’s
list? Should this letter be hung
up in the house, it would constantly be in view, and Mr. Ranzenhofer’s name
would be in the minds of the family almost every day. The principle of conditioning suggests that the positive
feelings associating with making the dean’s list will be transferred to the
Senator because the two things are so often seen together. In this case, not only does this
message affect the students to whom they are addressed to, but the entire
family, thus gaining more potential votes. Also, the target market of college students on the dean’s
list are most likely more intelligent individuals, more likely to be aware of
and involved in politics. In a
study conducted by Ian Deary of Scotland, it was concluded that smarter people
vote more often. Politicians
should then yield a more effective result by targeting only them, as opposed to
all college students.
Influence and Yes! By Robert
Cialdini
No comments:
Post a Comment