Too Much Choice – Is It Really Possible?

Had a conversation at work the other day about choice as it pertains to radio ads --- whether or not it’s a good thing to give a listener multiple choices of action. I’ll expand on what that means later.

However what that conversation did was to remind me about a video I watched online from a TED conference --- all about choice.  A talk by Barry Schwartz, that I initially found surprising, with some information that seems counter-intuitive.  Here’s a link to that video from PsyBlog -- http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/09/barry-schwartz-on-why-too-much-choice.php .

To boil down the main points of this discussion – it is argued that choice can actually be a negative and in fact having too much choice causes a kind of paralysis, rather than action and satisfaction.  Sounds odd, because in our world we are used to having so much choice.  And we are constantly told that choice is good. 

But walk into any grocery store and you’ll encounter shelf after shelf of products. Look at the cereal aisle.  How many cereals do you have to choose from?  20, 30, maybe more?  That’s wonderful, right?  Actually, no.  See there’s this funny/curious thing about people – we don’t like to make the wrong choice. 

In fact, we’ll go out of our way to justify the choices we do make.  So, given too many choices, and no good reason why one is better than another – we end up in a state of paralysis.  Frozen and unable to decide.  No matter what we choose, we fear we’ll make the wrong choice.  Sometimes it’s just easier not to make any choice at all!  Maybe this is why people who don’t have as many choices in their daily lives are actually happier than those who have the freedom of vast choice.

So what does this mean to your marketing?  First of all it re-enforces the thought that you should keep your message to one clear thought in any radio ad.  Don’t confuse people with choices – and cause them to freeze into a state of inaction.

But most importantly – you need to give them one, clear method of doing business with you.  If you want them to come to your store – give them a location.  (Best said in a style with landmarks – 333 Right Ave, next to the supercenter for example). 

If you have a website, that would supply the listener with your address and phone --- just send them to the website.  And lastly, if you have no other choice, use your phone number. (My least favourite option since it takes so long and is so easily forgotten)  But never use all 3 in one ad!  You will cause the listener to stop focusing on your message and force them to consider which choice they should make, address, website or phone number.  Suddenly they’ve gone from any consideration of why they should do business with you – to a state of frozen paralysis.  In truth they will now have heard nothing you said, and will be more focused on how to contact you.  I can’t tell you the number of times we get calls or emails that say I heard an ad about something I may be interested in – but I did not catch the phone number and website – not only because they go by so fast – but I would suggest that because there were 2 or more choices of “call to action”!

So once again, we’re back to the “KISS” rule.  Just keep it simple.  I know it sounds wrong – but sometimes  too much choice can be a negative.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lori_greig/5331407243/">Lori Greig</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>