Marketing and the Bandwagon Effect

How many times has it happened to you that you saw a cute dress on Amazon and were planning to purchase it? Before making the purchase, look at the reviews: how it fits people, how the dress material fits, whether it is worth the money, and so on! If people conform to your views, i.e., the dress is amazing, has great material, and looks cute when worn, you should purchase it.

Most of us know that many sellers on all e-commerce platforms get paid to get reviews done or they get their reviews optimised for higher listings. Despite being aware of this, you ordered the dress. Do you know why? Because you were exposed to the bandwagon effect: the phenomenon by which one aligns his/her preferences, beliefs, and behaviour with those of a group. It is also commonly called "herd mentality.”?

Going digital is the only way to grow—at least that is the mantra for 21st-century brands and startups. The more visibility you have, the more you go and the bandwagon effect is your best friend in this process. Research has shown that people will always conform to the views of a larger section of society in order to stay likeable—a major reason why people want to buy clothes that are worn by celebrities.?

Even before we dive deeper into the intricacies of the effect in marketing, let us first understand the factors which lead to the effect.

Factors contributing to the Bandwagon Effect

1. We are prone to using Heuristics: Heuristics are mental shortcuts that help us to quicken our decision-making. So, to us, an influencer using a product that works for them and using that as a basis to purchase one for us is more accessible than thinking more about the ingredients and whether or not they will suit us properly.

2. We do not want to miss out on anything: If one’s favourite influencer and one’s best friend were using the same product or service and it was all over one’s social media, one would definitely get a FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out, as KJo always says. Due to this, one will fall prey to the bandwagon effect and end up choosing things they are not looking at right now!

3. Our brain is conditioned to conform: In an experiment done by Asch, he gave two sets of lines to the participants, out of which some were confederates and others were asked to give wrong answers. The participants were supposed to tell which one of the three comparison lines matched the standard line. The confederates gave wrong answers on purpose, which is why the answer of the real participant was also influenced towards the end. The experiment clearly shows that despite knowing the right answer, one conforms to the majority as one wants to feel associated with others.?

4. Groupthink: The more people start to follow a particular trend, the more likely that other people will follow in their footsteps as well. Due to this, the bandwagon effect becomes more and more relevant.?

Bandwagon Marketing: When Bandwagon Effect and Marketing come together

Brands these days are using the bandwagon effect to their fullest potential to help their brands grow. On social media platforms, if you have a majority of followers in favour of your brand, then you will automatically rank higher in SEO and SERP rankings. When both the bandwagon effect and marketing strategies come together, then it is collectively referred to as bandwagon marketing.?

There are many ways in which bandwagon marketing can be used as the prime tool to achieve maximum traction, which helps one’s brand grow to the fullest potential possible.

1. Putting your product/service out into the open: Influencer marketing is nothing but a sub-part of the bandwagon effect. When many influencers show the trials of your products or services, it is only then that one thinks of trying them out and ultimately tries them out, giving you a customer.

2. Show that you are popular: Advertise yourself as the best in your own field. This helps to instil a feeling of trust in the minds of consumers, giving them the confidence to try something new on the market.

3. Testimonials and reviews: To increase brand visibility, SEO optimization and paid testimonials and reviews are done. The more credible and tested you appear, the more likely you are to grow.

4. Talk in numbers: Tell your consumers how many purchases of your products have been made in a short span of time. This helps the consumers to understand that you are a reliable source and are not following around with people's money.

5. Real-time customer activity is your new best friend.: You would have seen websites showing that this product was purchased by a so and so person. Real-time numbers enhance trustability and credibility, compelling the consumer to buy what they came in for or maybe even more than that.

Digital marketing cannot do without the bandwagon effect. It exists in almost any form, and the marketers out there are using it to its potential. If they can, then why not you?