By: Shea Posey, Senior Account Executive and Jake McKenzie, Chief Executive Officer
From YouTube doing away with Creator Studio Classic to Meta changing Facebook’s Business Suite, and every IOS update in between, one thing is certain – most people do not like change. Even if it makes the product better or enhances the customer experience, we’re still usually averse to change. We’re natural-born creatures of habit who often prefer “the devil we know” over uncertainty.
However, combine our natural aversion for change with the hyper-stressed world we’re living in now and all those seemingly mild annoyances can easily turn into frustrating, or even anger-inducing, situations.
Take, for instance, the recent roll-out of the new cooler screen doors at some Walgreens stores. In normal times, consumers may have embraced the futuristic iPad-looking screens along with the more modernized shopping experience. But the overall response in today’s reality is indicative of a larger macro-trend: consumer stress.
Consumers have already had to deal with two years of pandemic stress. Add to that the steady stream of bad news—supply chain issues, out-of-control inflation, rising gas prices, a war in Europe—in a period of increased decision making, and the brain’s reaction to change is sheer frustration. Oftentimes that frustration leads to customers lashing out whenever they are confronted with change.
Unfortunately for Walgreens, their frustrated customers took to social media. One Twitter user wrote, “Walgreens is replacing the basic glass transparent cooler doors with screens that of course serve you ads. I am tired.”
“I am tired.” If that phrase doesn’t perfectly express the frustrations of today’s super-stressed consumer, I’m not sure what does.
Change is inevitable. We grow older. We learn new things. We adapt to technology constantly reinventing itself. However, change must take place at the right time. When Walgreens began testing the cooler screen concept, 90% of consumers reported having a positive experience…back in 2018. Consumers have changed a lot since then, so brands must adapt too.
Watch our latest webinar to learn more about how stress has changed the way consumers process information and what psychological principles you can apply in your brand’s marketing to help guide them through times of uncertainty. And if you would like to discuss how we can help you turn psychological insights into great creative advertising, give us a call at 833-579-1905 or email us at [email protected].
