02: Why Does H&M Have a Shopping "Bag" Instead of a "Cart"? (Say hello to Cognitive Priming)

Imagine walking into a H&M store. You grab a shopping bag at the entrance and browse the aisles, picking out clothes and accessories that catch your eye.

When you're ready, you head to the checkout, where the familiar process of purchasing and walking out with your new items in your shopping bag completes the shopping experience.

H&M has masterfully translated this familiar in-store experience into their online shopping platform. Instead of a generic "cart," you’ll find a "shopping bag" icon waiting for you to fill it with your selections. This isn’t just a clever design choice—it's an example of cognitive priming in action.?

What is Cognitive Priming?

Cognitive priming is a psychological concept where exposure to specific stimuli influences how people respond to subsequent stimuli. In marketing, this can be a powerful tool for shaping consumer behaviour. By using particular cues, businesses can guide customers' thoughts and actions naturally and seamlessly.

By using a "shopping bag," H&M primes customers to feel the same comfort and satisfaction they would in a physical store, subtly influencing their online behaviour and increasing the likelihood of completing a purchase.?

But this is only one example of cognitive priming that H&M is using. Is it the only reason their online store experience works? Unlikely.?

A powerful and persuasive user experience will incorporate multiple elements. Let’s look at some of the other priming techniques businesses can use and stack to improve the customer experience (and generate more sales).?

Disclaimer: Always remember to apply these techniques ethically. The goal is to create positive customer experiences, not to manipulate them. Ethical marketing builds long-term trust—which is invaluable in today’s trust economy.

8 Ways Businesses Can Use Cognitive Priming Online

Let’s dive into how cognitive priming can be applied in online marketing, using H&M’s "shopping bag" as a starting point.

1. Visual Priming:?

H&M's choice to use a "shopping bag" instead of a "cart" is a prime example of visual priming. The familiar image of a shopping bag creates a comfortable and relatable shopping experience, leading to increased sales.

This visual cue acts as a transparency signal, showing customers that the brand considers their comfort and familiarity in shopping.

2. Positive Association Through Music:?

Playing specific types of music can prime customers to associate positive emotions with products.

Businesses can strategically use music in their online content to prime customers for specific emotions, much like how event producers and speakers select tracks to influence a crowd's mood.?

For instance, just as a restaurant might play French music to encourage diners to choose French wine, a brand could use calming piano music in a wellness video to evoke feelings of trust and relaxation.

On the flip side, upbeat tracks can generate excitement.

Pop quiz: what feeling do you get from the music chosen by James Kolb for Jia Jiang ’s speaker demo reel video?

By choosing music that aligns with the desired emotional response, brands can create a more engaging and resonant customer experience.

3. Colour Psychology:?

Colours evoke emotions and can prime specific responses. For example, calming blues can relax customers, while vibrant reds can incite excitement.

Brands that consistently use intentional colours in their marketing materials reinforce their brand identity and emotional connection with consumers over time.

It goes beyond just colour selection, too.

Visual design expert Sarah Hart ? recently shared in a LinkedIn post that in one study using brain scans, researchers found that ?????????????????? ???????? ?????????? ???????????????????????? ?????????? ???? ???????????? ????????????????????. In other words, how your branding looks affects how people buy. Imagine that!

4. Social Proof and Authority:?

Displaying endorsements from authoritative figures or customer testimonials can make users feel more secure in purchasing decisions.

Trust signals like customer testimonials and third-party endorsements play a critical role here, as they provide social proof that reassures potential buyers of your credibility.

5. Direct Attribute Priming:?

Asking customers specific questions about product features can prime them to prioritise those attributes.

This is why asking prospective customers to complete relevant surveys or quizzes before presenting them with a tailored offer based on their input works so well.

Jay Clouse (Creator Science) does this exceptionally well with his free Professional Creator Crash Course signup funnel. After you provide your name and email for the free course, you're presented with a quick and easy RightMessage survey:

After completing the survey, you're presented with a relevant offer.

(and yes, I did purchase the masterclass, in case you're wondering)

By the way, I wrote about Jay's clever Black Friday campaign here.

6. Highlighting Unique Experiences:?

Platforms like Airbnb prime users by showcasing unique experiences or popular destinations at the start of the booking process.

Customer testimonials?or?case studies?highlighting previous users' memorable experiences can further enhance priming,?building trust through shared stories.

7. Encouraging Positive Emotions:

Language and imagery that evoke feelings of happiness can prime customers to view products more favourably. For example, incorporating images of smiling people using a product can create positive associations.

By the way, studies suggest that real, high-quality photos are more effective at engaging audiences, increasing perceived ownership, influencing mood, and driving purchase decisions online.

In a recent pitch to a prospective client, Our Kinds used actual photos of our team in the field, chatting with collaborators in a particular slide. The client commented that they loved that particular slide as it showed our community engagement with stakeholders.

8. Prime with Positive CTAs:?

Using action-oriented phrases like "Claim Your Discount" primes customers to expect a reward, increasing their likelihood of clicking.

This is a form of transparency where you're clear about the benefits the customer will receive, further building trust.

By implementing these cognitive priming techniques in your marketing, you can subtly influence consumer behaviour, increase engagement, and increase conversion rates in your online marketing efforts.?

Trust signals are the subtle cues that tell potential customers, "You can rely on us." They’re the building blocks of credibility. Read my previous article to learn more about trust signals and how they can enhance your marketing strategy.

Can you think of an example of cognitive priming that you've used or experienced recently?

This edition was drafted with the help of ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity AI. Image generated by LinkedIn AI.