MARKETING
Leveraging The Power Of Nudge Theory In Marketing
By Geoffrey Sirumba
At any given point in our lives , we are influenced via advertisements or product promotions through subtle strategies that sometimes go unnoticed by our conscious brain . Of course , there are benefits to our daily lives , but others , not so much . Nevertheless , thanks to nudging , we find ourselves unknowingly taking actions from the marketing messages that we receive from various sources .
You may be now wondering what this wonderful concept , nudge , is all about . Well , they are stimuli from the outside world that influence us to decide . Nudges make it possible for us to get out of the predictable line and make an unconventional decision . Nudging uses insights about our mental processes to change our behavior through coaxing and positive assertion . Rather than forcing us to do things , nudging tweaks the environments in which we make choices .
One of the most frequently cited examples of a nudge is the etching of the image of a housefly into the men ' s urinals , which is intended to " improve the aim ." In 2017 , Richard Thaler , one of the founding ‘ fathers ’ of the Nudge theory , received the Nobel prize in economics , and this boosted the active application of the Nudge theory in the corporate world and policy including in marketing .
There are several day-to-day instances where we apply the Nudge Theory to influence desired behaviors . The success of initial applications has since made Nudge Theory one of the most popular academic breakthroughs in recent times . Below are a few localized ideas on how nudge theory can be used in different sectors in Kenya .
Nudging for Health
We are well into the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and at this point , we have either been affected or infected . Nudge theory can be successfully applied in Covid-19 vaccination to help mitigate vaccine hesitancy and build public trust in the distribution of vaccination jabs . The
The premise of the nudge theory is to minimize resistance and confrontation , which commonly arise from more forceful and autocratic methods of changing behavior . It is quite clear a lot should be done on messaging for nudges to work . information asymmetry about the virus has greatly reduced due to the concerted efforts of the agencies involved . However , we have a big elephant in the room , vaccine hesitancy . Stakeholders in the health sector are grappling with resistance to and apathy towards the vaccination drive .
The government has rolled out a plan to encourage individuals to take up the important jab so that our lives can return to normalcy . More needs to be done to create awareness and address the information gaps and myths affecting the uptake of the vaccine . One of the biggest challenges could be convincing individuals to be inoculated . Vaccine skepticism has the potential to undermine efforts to control the disease .
Our government ’ s approach so far has been the publicized vaccination of the president and his executive in public . Although this is arguably a sound strategy in convincing the public on the safety of the vaccine , others might see it as a publicity stunt . The current approach appears to be elitist and if not addressed , it will continue to propagate the latent resistance .
There are several straightforward nudges that health systems should incorporate into vaccine-rollout plans . Out of the many options available , the top of the list should be making vaccination messaging the default point of action . It should provide peer-comparison feedback : showing vaccination as the norm can activate social tendencies to join others .
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