The story of a marketing mom’s secret weapon- ‘confirmation bias’!

I admit it! I have cross leveraged my learnings from my work life & my personal one… here’s how this particular one panned out-

Mr K: (He’s still 10.. for those who have been following my adventures with him)- “Mamma Video games make you smarter!” (he had found a claim that supported what he wanted to believe, & now he was on a mission to prove it right)

Me: And, which wise man told you that! (raising an eyebrow.. yeah I can do that!)

?Mr K: (He eagerly pulled up a clip of a gamer explaining how certain strategy games improve decision-making.) “See?” he declared triumphantly. “Video games are actually good for me.”

Im the mother for a reason! Instead of telling him things he didn’t want to hear about screen time etc, I decided to try redirecting his confirmation bias for good!

Me: “You are right K! Guess what? Even astronauts & engineers—love video games. But you know what else they do… they play logic puzzles & use creative thinking & coding including AI, to create wonderful things including the very games you play!”

Mr K: “Wait… I can use coding & AI to design my own games?”

Me: “Yep… & guess what… if you end up creating a game, you will get extra time to play it!”(that was an impulsive offer…but fingers crossed.. haven’t regretted it yet!)

Now, Mr K uses his screen time to explore rather than just consume! His confirmation bias—once focused only on justifying endless gaming—had shifted. Now, he was looking for proof that he could use the same screen to create games he’d love to play! Not sure, how long this will last… but hey… I’m trying! :)

Confirmation bias is our tendency to seek, interpret, & remember information in a way that reaffirms our existing beliefs. Buyers, too, fall into these patterns. Someone who believes that brand A offers the best value might only pay attention to positive reviews & brush off anything that contradicts this perception. This extends to likes/ preferences too… but then, how do you introduce something different to customers to try?? Spotify does this beautifully… gives you what you want to listen to, but also introduces nudges to try out something totally new, thereby increasing the listening scope.

Lets look at a business example-

A heritage food brand that prided itself on ‘farm-to-table’ authenticity & had their core buyers firmly believe that fresh, local produce was always healthier. AI was used to analyse their journey-

1. Identifying the Bias- It was identified that consumers engaged much more with posts about organic farming than, say, articles about general nutrition.
2. Refining the Message- Then, personalization engines were deployed to highlight stories of local farmers, behind-the-scenes videos of produce sourcing, & user-generated content praising farm fresh ingredients.
3. Result- The more, confirmation was re-enforced on consumer’s pre-existing belief that 'local = better’, the more loyal the consumers got! Engagement skyrocketed, & the brand managed to bring new fans on board by targeting lookalikes who shared similar priorities in organic living.

Ethical considerations that every marketer worth his salt should abide by- The understanding of behavioural science arms marketers with powers that can be leveraged for both good & bad! And, now with AI getting more sophisticated, it will get even better at detecting and leveraging confirmation bias. Soon, we might see hyper-personalized, context-aware experiences that adapt in real-time to micro-expressions—nudging consumers with the perfect “I knew it!” moment. Hence, here are a few tips that marketers should look at when applying ‘Confirmation Bias’-

·????? Monitor for Echo Chambers- Periodically review the variety of content being served. To avoid narrowing user perspective too far.

·????? Incorporate Ethical Guardrails- Ensure your AI models have checks for misinformation or extreme viewpoints. Incorporate human review when dealing with sensitive topics.

·????? Encourage Exploration- One approach is to gently challenge or broaden existing biases by showcasing credible alternatives. This not only maintains consumer trust but also fosters an authentic brand image.

Confirmation bias is an undeniable force in human behaviour. Thanks to AI, we have the means to understand it & use it more precisely than ever. But let’s not forget our responsibility as marketers to inform, inspire, &—when it’s helpful—expand the horizons of those we serve. When wielded thoughtfully, AI’s ability to read and respond to confirmation bias can enrich the buying experience, build stronger brand relationships, & keep our profession both innovative and principled.

I could go on… but have to monitor my screen time too! So, until next time… take care … keep learning.. keep sharing :)