NEWS & INSIGHT
THE SUBTLE ART OF PERSUASION REVEALED IN INTRIGUING RESPONSES TO VEGAN CHALLENGE
SCHOOL : Amsterdam Business School, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Amsterdam COUNTRY : Netherlands
People are more likely to be moved to change their behaviour if they see someone display a change of behaviour that appears out of character for them, according to new research involving Amsterdam Business School. The results stem from a study of how people reacted to watching a video about a 30-day challenge promoting vegan food. Half of the study’s participants saw a vegetarian taking part in the challenge, while the other half observed a person who normally eats meat. At the end, participants were all offered a voucher for either a vegan hamburger or a meat-based cheeseburger. People who had watched the 30-day challenge featuring the meat‑eating person were more likely to choose the vegan burger than those who saw the video with the vegetarian contestant. The researchers believe that people are more likely to sit up and take note when someone does something unexpected because this decision causes them to look more closely at their own choices and beliefs. “I notice it in myself,” admitted study co-author and assistant professor of marketing
at Amsterdam Business School Carina Thürridl. “If I see someone make a decision that I didn’t expect, that choice triggers something in me. “With the results of this study, we can delve more deeply into what is needed to persuade people,” she continued. “The majority of current marketing strategies focus on individuals who have been role models for quite some time and ignore the minority who unexpectedly make a sustainable decision or might do so in the near future. But it’s exactly this minority who make a big impression on others.” The potential applications of the study’s findings are said to be widespread, with its authors citing the opportunity to impact public health campaigns, such as those trying to persuade the public to quit smoking or wear a helmet when cycling. EB
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Ambition | JUNE 2024 | 13
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