FUNDAMENTALS OF MARKETING PSYCHOLOGY: TECHNIQUES FOR INFLUENCING THE CONSUMER

ABSTRACT

The article examines the basics of marketing psychology and highlights the main psychological techniques of influencing the consumer that can be used by companies to promote their products and services.

Keywords: emotional marketing; psychological influence; psychological techniques; digital marketing; consumer; product; models of behaviour.

Nowadays, in the age of digitalisation, traditional marketing is no longer effective enough, which is why emotional marketing is gaining in popularity. It creates a strong first impression, helps people to be guided by their heart when making a purchase decision and encourages them to act.

The basic human emotions that appear in marketing are joy, pride, altruism, greed, envy, shame, and fear. The choice of emotion to be acted upon depends on the goal a company sets for itself when developing a marketing strategy.

In digital marketing there are four fundamental techniques of psychological influence on the consumer:

1. Social proof

2. The principle of contrast

3. Authority figures

4. Deficit.

The technique of ‘social proof’ implies that a person’s actions are based on generally accepted models of behaviour. For example, you can use real reviews of people to promote a product or service on the Internet.

The principle of contrast is that people often tend to compare certain items with each other. Companies can therefore offer consumers the opportunity to compare the characteristics of different products, for example, an old model of smartphone with a new one.

Authoritative personalities also play an important role in emotional marketing, as people trust their choices, regardless of the availability of supporting facts. It is therefore important for companies to involve celebrities in their advertising campaigns to promote their products.

Another useful technique is to create artificial scarcity of products. This is because consumers panic at the thought that they may not have time to make a purchase and hence decide more quickly.

Argumentation is essential to persuade consumers. There are several methods of argumentation in marketing psychology: the technique of relieving tension, the technique of ‘lead’, the technique of stimulating imagination. The first technique is to use pleasant words in speech, which illustrate benevolence, politeness, which contributes to a more favourable climate in the buying process. The essence of the second is to attract the consumer's attention by diverting from the topic of purchase to some interesting stories and personal experiences.  Speaking of the latter method, before starting the conversation, it is necessary to raise a few topics that will be brought up later in the conversation with the consumer.

It is also worth noting that there are several psychological techniques in science that allow you to significantly increase sales. Among them are the following:

1. The theory of reciprocity

2. The ‘foot in the door’ effect

3. The distortion of the perception of the choice made

4. The Consistency Principle

5. The Novelty Effect

6. Negativity of loss

7. The Zygarnik effect

Consequently, emotional marketing plays an important role in promoting products and services. Companies need to adopt techniques to psychologically influence consumers to remain competitive in the era of technology and constant change.

References:

1. Хуссейн И.Д. Цифровые маркетинговые коммуникации: учебник для вузов. Издательство Юрайт, 2025. — 68 с.