What's your Instant Gratification?

i Andrew Watts Holly Murrell Cai Jin

If Summer bodies are made in the Winter, why is it so hard to turn down that extra slice of cake, or say no to those pigs in blankets going spare? We know that indulging in these treats goes against that beach body we strive to achieve, and yet we still do it, why?

This is a result of Temporal Discounting. Or in other words, our tendency to prioritise immediate rewards over long-term benefits.

Temporal Discounting is one of the many mental shortcuts (or heuristics) our unconscious mind uses to make decisions. It’s also something that brands can leverage to boost engagement, loyalty, and ultimately, sales.

This is only one of the many heuristics that affects and influences how we make decisions. In fact, there are over 120 heuristics out there, making it difficult to know how and when to use each one.

At KHWS, we work in partnership with Durham University Business School to make behavioural science accessible to brands by mapping these key unconscious biases into 9 distinct Sales Triggers. By identifying attributes or values of your brand that convey immediate benefits you can leverage the power of one of our 9 Sales Triggers which we call the Instant Gratification Sales Trigger.

What is Instant Gratification?

Our Instant Gratification Sales Trigger builds on Temporal Discounting, with the addition of Loss Aversion, another cognitive bias that results in heightened sensitivity to loss, which is why the pain of missing out on something is far more intense that the pleasure we get from gaining something.

For context, think about that item you have had in your basket for months, the item that you have been mulling over, the item that you have been embroiled in a ‘will they, won’t they’ style dance with for an embarrassingly long period of time. Think about receiving an ‘out of stock’ email for this item. The heightened disappointment you feel in this moment is a result of Loss Aversion.

When the biases of Loss Aversion and Temporal Discounting are combined, we get Instant Gratification. Our powerful Sales Trigger that communicates the immediate appeal of your brand. Instant Gratification appeals to consumer’s risk adverse nature, by highlighting short-term benefits over long-term benefits, subsequently motivating consumers to give into impulse. In turn, this leads to an increase in spending, engagement, loyalty and builds long-term affinity for your brand.

So how can brands use Instant Gratification?

Whilst categories synonymous with convenience, such as snacking and fast food may be the most obvious examples, there are many other ways to leverage and benefit from invoking Instant Gratification.

Let us show you some examples......

Gamification – Temu

By incorporating gaming techniques such as collecting loyalty points, badges or instant win contests into the shopping experience, brands can tap into consumer’s desires for immediate rewards whilst providing an enjoyable experience and cultivating a sense of achievement amongst shoppers. This builds a long-term relationship between the customer and the brand, driving retention and creating advocates who continue to support and promote the brand.

Enter Temu. Few brands have been deemed ‘as addictive as sugar’, but thanks to their use of gamification, Temu is one of them. Using roulette wheels and instant win discounts, Temu have turned a regular shopping experience into a virtual casino, complete with the feeling of risk and subsequent impulsive behaviour it elicits. By engaging and building relationships with consumers, Temu quickly gained traction on TikTok, with shoppers showing off their hauls and the savings they had made.  

To further bolster the success of their gamification strategy, Temu drive customers to their app to cash in on their winnings. Once within the app, Temu send frequent reminders to shoppers, reminding them of items they have previously viewed or may like, further increasing the possibilities for conversion and nurturing the relationships they have built with their audience through gamification. Additionally, whilst wins may appear extensive at first glance (e.g., £200 off) they are often spread across multiple orders, ensuring continued engagement with the brand to collect maximum winnings.

Time sensitive offers - Boots

How better to appeal to our loss aversive nature than by adding some pressure? By adding an element of time sensitivity to offers, deals or shipping deadlines, brands can stoke the fear of missing out and compel consumers to act fast, meaning they’re more likely to complete a purchase they may have otherwise delayed or reconsidered.

The countdown to next day shipping is a permanent fixture on the Boots ecommerce site, as the timer runs down pressure mounts, increasing the likelihood of impulsive purchase. During periods of promotion, such as Advantage Card offers or Seasonal Sales, Boots amp up the pressure, highlighting the looming deadline to increase conversions.

Convenience – Amazon

A more subtle use of Instant Gratification is streamlining user experience, making processes as convenient for the user as possible. By reducing barriers to action and making it easier for shoppers to engage with your brand, brands can invoke Temporal Discounting. Only in this instance, the short-term benefits are not as tangible as money saved. Rather, the benefit takes form in amount of time and effort saved by simple, convenient processes.   

Amazon are a great example of this. Across their platforms, Amazon work to make processes as easy for consumers as possible, embedding this belief across their services.

On their ecommerce site, the introduction of "one-click" purchasing and automation of repeat orders through their "Subscribe and Save" option, Amazon significantly reduce friction during the purchasing process. Not to mention, the speedy delivery service of Amazon Prime, which offers free next day delivery. This not only makes shopping easier for customers but also reduces cart abandonment, ultimately boosting conversion rates.

In their entertainment sector, Amazon introduced Whispersync for Voice to allow seamless switching between Kindle books and Audible audiobooks. If consumers own the same book on Kindle and Audible, both services track progress through the book, allowing users to pick up where they left off, regardless of the device or platform they are using. Readers can remain immersed in their books, even when driving, without the extra admin of trying to find their last chapter. This feature both encourages loyalty to Amazon services and increases purchase by inviting readers to buy books in two formats, when they may otherwise have only bought one.  

Sensory Descriptions – Marks and Spencer

This isn’t just any article, it is an article dripping with juicy insights, seasoned with sharp, tangy wit and a dusting of crisp modesty…

Sound familiar?

20 years on, this style of description is instantly recognised by British readers, though usually associated with Marks & Spencer food adverts. When launching their ‘Not Just Food’ ad series in 2004, M&S used slow motion, close-up montages coupled with sensory descriptions of their famous food range to whet the appetite of viewers everywhere.

The combination of sensory descriptions and imagery made viewers feel as though they could almost taste the food they were seeing, building anticipation for the product. Furthermore, as Marks and Spencer’s food range is largely comprised of pre-prepared and easy meal options, viewers are able to connect the brand with quality and convenience.

The result?

These ads incited cravings for the food shown across the UK, resulting in a 3500% boost in sales of M&S melt in the middle chocolate pudding alone. In addition, the series forged and strengthened shoppers’ emotional connection to the brand, and reinforcing M&S’ status as a premium grocer.

McDonald’s

We couldn’t write an article on Instant Gratification and leave out the brand that lives and breathes every iteration of this Sales Trigger, McDonald’s.

Whether it is leading the pack in gamification with their annual Monopoly campaign, offering free gifts with Happy Meals, using sensory language and imagery in advertising, collecting points using their app, or the sheer speed and accessibility of their ordering processes – McDonald’s have it covered.

But how exactly do they hit the nail on the head every single time?

Because McDonald’s have a fundamental understanding of their consumers. They demonstrate time and time again that they understand them inside and out, knowing their motivations, behaviours and tastes. They then communicate this understanding back to their customers, making them feel seen and heard. Therefore, forming deeper connections to their audience and setting them apart.

Leverage your brand's Instant Gratification

Similar to McDonald’s, we at KHWS know that understanding your customer is fundamental to your brands’ success. That’s why we use our Sales Trigger insight tool to identify the unconscious nudges that drive purchase behaviour of your brand, getting under the skin of the consumer and understanding what motivates them.

We turn your brand’s key Sales Triggers into creative marketing that resonates with your consumers – which means more sales and higher engagement.

Outside of the examples given in this article, there are many other ways that brands can leverage Instant Gratification to influence consumer behaviour, and 8 other Sales Triggers to harness.

In an increasingly overcrowded environment, it is not enough to simply be seen, you must be heard loud and clear. Heard in a way that speaks directly to the consumer, striking a chord with them and ensuring that your brand is front of mind, encouraging purchase and loyalty.

If you’d like to know more about how we have helped brands stand out by leveraging their Sales Triggers in creative marketing activity, get in touch:

Andrew Watts - andreww@khws.co.uk