The nag factor (the tendency of kids to relentlessly beg their parents for purchases”) is back and better than ever:

A recent Horizon Media study found that 77 percent of millennial parents agree that “my child/children are more influential in determining purchases than I was to my parents.” Gen Alpha is emerging as the Chief Procurement Officer for the modern household.

The digital first media landscape has transformed the options here. It’s no longer G.I. Joe commercials during cartoons.

via Observer

This slide from Dan Frommer’s mid-year consumer trends report is a perfect example of pay attention to what people do, not what they say.

This is why focus groups or asking people “would you buy this? what would you pay?” rarely lead to great decisions.

The design joke is that clients always ask to make the logo bigger.

But maybe they should be asking to make the text bigger. At least when it comes to numbers, where it boosts memorability.

Caveat:

The effect is strongest when the brand is unfamiliar; for well-known or premium brands, prior brand equity outweighs visual design cues.

Purchases keep the lights on, but what happens after the purchase is what wins hearts and minds.

Many customers buy again out of habit, convenience, subscription inertia, or a lack of viable alternatives. That doesn’t mean they love you. It means you haven’t lost them yet. And the most dangerous thing in retention isn’t churn, it’s false loyalty.

Real loyalty is when a customer defends you, recommends you, and chooses you even when cheaper, faster options appear. It’s not just what they do, it’s what they feel when they think about your brand.

via Buyology

Trust has always been tricky in digital marketing. Building it in a post-AI world only more so.

All the video tips talk about hooking attention ASAFP. But when should you pitch your product?

On that front, short form is becoming long form:

“We’re seeing a trend where some ads are starting to introduce the product much later—like after 40 or even 50 seconds—focusing instead on education upfront. This wasn’t something we saw a year ago,” Chaimovski notes.

via Motion (Education Advantage card)