Need vs. Want: The Marketing Psychology That's Transforming Brands in 2025

Ever wonder why some products fly off shelves while others collect dust? This week, I'm diving into the fascinating psychology that separates successful brands from the rest.

I've packed this newsletter with powerful insights that could transform your marketing approach:

• The crucial difference between customers wanting your product versus needing it (and how Laurier Mandin's concept of "need triggers" can revolutionize your product marketing)
• Why micro-influencers might be your secret weapon for authentic UGC that converts (plus how our team at Brighter Click can source the perfect creators for your brand)
• The counterintuitive strategy that helped BoxBollen grow to $30 million by embracing seasonal sales instead of fighting them

Whether you're a DTC founder navigating rising ad costs, a marketing director looking for fresh approaches, or an agency partner seeking better results for clients, these insights might be exactly what you need to break through in today's challenging market.

Let's dig in.

Turn Your Audience's "Want" into a "Need"

Ever wonder how certain products instantly become irresistible, prompting the thought, "I need that"? In this week's? Marketing Mindset Podcast episode, I sat down with Laurier Mandin, product marketing guru and author of I Need That, to decode the psychology behind transforming everyday wants into compelling needs.

He shared powerful insights on why the word “need” is far more influential than we realize—it’s become six times more common in everyday language since 1880. We dug into why consumers subconsciously shift from seeing products as mere desires to absolute necessities—and how marketers can tap into this transformation ethically and effectively.

Here's what you'll discover:

• The Psychology Behind "Need": Learn why customers internalize a product as essential and how your messaging can guide them to this realization.
• The MAYA Theory in Action: Uncover why overly radical innovations often fail, and how the "Most Advanced Yet Acceptable" strategy helps groundbreaking ideas succeed without resistance.
• Customer Interviews Done Right: Get insights into crafting customer interviews that truly uncover hidden needs without bias, setting your products up for genuine market success.

Ready to move your products from optional to essential?

HEAR THE FULL DISCUSSION

Why Micro & Nano Influencers Are Taking Over Marketing

I stumbled across a fascinating article about content creation trends that highlights two distinct but complementary strategies we're leveraging for clients at Brighter Click: user-generated content (UGC) and micro-influencer partnerships.

While these approaches are different, they share a common thread – authenticity drives conversions:

• UGC creators are everyday people who create content that looks and feels genuine, even when professionally briefed. They aren't promoting to their own audience; they're creating assets for brands to use in ads and marketing.
• Micro and nano influencers (10K-100K and under 10K followers respectively) promote to their small but highly engaged audiences, acting as trusted recommenders within specific communities.

What makes both so effective? Three key factors:

• Authenticity: Polished, studio-quality content often underperforms against real people showing real experiences with products. UGC creators capture this authentic feel in content that brands can control and scale.
• Relatability: Consumers trust people who look and live like them 4x more than celebrities or perfect-looking models, making both UGC and micro-influencer content more persuasive.
• Cost-effectiveness: Professional-looking UGC typically costs 30-50% less than traditional content production while delivering better results in most ad campaigns.

Here at Brighter Click, our UGC sourcing and influencer marketing service handles the entire process for you. We identify the perfect creators who match your target demographic, develop strategic briefs that align with your goals, and manage the content creation process from start to finish.

Let us connect you with creators who can authentically showcase your products and drive

real results.

CONNECT WITH US TO LEARN MORE

Podcast Replay: Riding the Q4 Wave with BoxBollen

In this earlier episode of the Marketing Mindset podcast, I sat down with brothers Jacob and Victor, the founders of BoxBollen – a family-oriented game that grew from a small Swedish startup to a $30 million global phenomenon in just five years (all bootstrapped!).

What makes their story fascinating is how they've mastered the art of seasonal marketing. While most brands try to spread revenue across quarters, BoxBollen leans hard into their Q4 strength:

During the holidays, their return on ad spend jumps from 1:1 to an impressive 3:1 or 4:1, so they focus resources where they get maximum impact.

Their approach to celebrity partnerships is equally strategic. They've worked with Tom Brady, Khloe Kardashian, and Conor McGregor – creating content that drives their Q4 explosion. But here's the key insight: the celebrities' social posts alone never recover the investment. It's using that footage in paid ads that delivers the ROI.

What can we learn from their journey?

• Think differently about seasonality – sometimes doubling down on your strongest period is better than trying to flatten your revenue curve
• When working with influencers, plan for multiple content uses beyond just their social posts
• Build a community around your product – BoxBollen's app has 200,000+ users creating over 400,000 video clips

As Jacob shared about their mindset: If you never stop when facing setbacks but continue pushing forward, you can ultimately win. In business, unlike sports, there's no referee or time limit – you can keep going until you succeed.

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE