Consumers who think about the possibility that their purchase decisions will be wrong are more likely to choose better-known brands. Indeed, after thinking about the possibility of regret, consumers were more likely to select the better-known brand. Kodak film has capitalized on this finding with an advertising campaign that asks consumers to consider how they would feel if they bought cheap film and their pictures didn't turn out. The manner in which consumers compare alternatives can determine which option they choose. For example, consumers who were asked how much more or less they liked fruit salad compared with frozen yogurt were much more likely to choose the fruit salad than consumers who were asked how much more or less they liked frozen yogurt compared with fruit salad.
Consumers tend to select variety when buying multiple products for consumption at a later time.
In each of three weeks, Simonson asked a group of respondents to select one of six familiar snacks for immediate consumption. Both groups were told that they could pick the same snack as many times as they wished. Those in the first group tended to select the same snack all three times, whereas most in the second group selected three different snacks. Modifying a product with a feature or premium that is of little or no value to the consumer, even without raising the price, may actually decrease sales. While marketing professionals can use these findings to influence consumer decision making, consumers, too, can benefit by understanding their own behavior.