The document presents three key insights from consumer psychology for driving innovation: the importance of focusing on solving consumer problems ('problem primacy'), appealing to the unconscious 'system 1' problem-solving mind, and branding innovations to help consumers display desirable personality traits. By addressing hidden or unrecognized problems, innovations can better resonate with consumers' emotional and psychological needs. Overall, understanding these psychological factors can enhance the effectiveness of innovation strategies.

1. Psych Eye
for the
Innovation
Guy
3 Must-Have Innovation
Insights from Consumer
Psychology
1
Dr Paul Marsden
Consumer Psychologist
@marsattacks

2. 3 psychological insights for consumer innovation
2
WHAT TO INNOVATE
HOW TO APPEAL TO THE CONSUMER MIND
HOW TO BRAND INNOVATIONS

3. Say hello to your incredible shrinking brain!
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3
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4. Our minds evolved uniquely and exclusively to solve
problems - solving problems is what minds are for
4
PROBLEM RECOGNITION
INFORMATION SEARCH
ALTERNATIVE EVALUATION
CHOICE
POST-EVALUATION
East, R., Wright, M., & Vanhuele, M. (2013). Consumer behaviour: applications in marketing. Sage.

5. Without problems to solve we’d probably adopt the same
strategy as sea-squirts, and eat our own brains
5
Dennett, D. C. (1993). Consciousness explained. Penguin UK. Chicago

6. Psychologists like problems - understanding people’s
problems and helping solve them keeps us in business
6

7. Problems also keep innovators in business - without
7
problems to solve consumer minds are closed for business

8. So rather than focus on what people want, desire or say
they need, focus innovation on peoples’ problems
8

9. But not all problems are obvious, they may be private or
unrecognised and it’s here psychology can help
9

10. Using an interpretive lens, psychology reveals problems
driving behaviour that are private or even unconscious
10

11. 11
PSYCH PROBLEMS
‘THE BIG 3’
ACHIEVEMENT - NO SENSE OF
ACCOMPLISHMENT
POWER - NOT FEELING IN
CONTROL
AFFILIATION - NO FEELING OF
BELONGING
Sokolowski, Kurt, et al. "Assessing achievement, affiliation, and power motives all at once: The Multi-Motive Grid (MMG)." Journal of Personality Assessment 74.1 (2000): 126-145. APA
For example, motivational psychology interprets behaviour
through the lens of three ‘implicit’ core problems (‘APA’)

12. 7 CORE PROBLEMS
Whilst evolutionary psychology interprets behaviour
through the lens of fundamental ‘adaptive’ problems
12
1. SELF-PROTECTION
2. DISEASE AVOIDANCE
3. AFFILIATION
4. STATUS
5. MATE ACQUISITION
6. MATE RETENTION
7. KIN CARE
Griskevicius, V., & Kenrick, D. T. (2013). Fundamental motives for why we buy: How evolutionary needs influence consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 23(3), 372-386.

13. We’re driven to solve ‘adaptive’ problems because we’re
hardwired emotionally to reward such behaviour
13

14. 14
Wang, Yajin, and Vladas Griskevicius. "Conspicuous Consumption, Relationships, and Rivals: Women’s Luxury Products as Signals to Other Women." JCR 40.5 (2014): 834-854.
For instance, the appeal of luxury brands for women may
lie in helping solve adaptive ‘mate-retention’ problems

15. 15
AESTHETICS
COMFORT
SAFETY
UTILITY
WHY IS THIS A
PROBLEM?
WHY IS THIS A
PROBLEM?
WHY IS THIS A
PROBLEM?
PROBLEM PYRAMID PROBLEM
So whilst every innovation project should begin with a
‘problem audit’ of product and activity-related problems…

16. …the use of a ‘psychological lens’ can help you prioritise
problems and identify unsolved hidden problems
16
1. SELF-PROTECTION
2. DISEASE AVOIDANCE
3. AFFILIATION
4. STATUS
5. MATE ACQUISITION
6. MATE RETENTION
7. KIN CARE

17. So the first insight from psychology for innovation is
‘problem-primacy’ - problems matter most
17

18. The second psychological insight is that innovations can
appeal to our unconscious mind
18

19. Problems are so important that psychologists now believe
we have all evolved two problem-solving minds
19
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Macmillan.

20. There’s an associative, fast and mostly unconscious
problem-solving mind (‘System 1’)
20
‘SYSTEM 1’
FAST
AUTOMATIC
UNCONSCIOUS

21. And a conscious, slow, deliberate and reasoned problem-solving
mind (‘System 2’)
21
‘SYSTEM 1’
FAST
AUTOMATIC
UNCONSCIOUS
‘SYSTEM 2’
SLOW
DELIBERATE
REASONED

22. Most problem-solving goes on below the threshold of
awareness, using ‘System 1’
22
Li, W., Moallem, I., Paller, K. A., & Gottfried, J. A. (2007). Subliminal smells can guide social preferences. Psychological science, 18(12), 1044-1049.

23. Although we do like to post-rationalise - justifying the
‘System 1’ auto-pilot with ‘System 2’ excuses
23

24. 24
‘SYSTEM 2’
‘SYSTEM 1’
So the innovation opportunity is to appeal to the ‘System 1’
problem-solving mind, not the System 2 excuse machine

25. 25
Verwijmeren, Thijs, et al. "The workings and limits of subliminal advertising: The role of habits." Journal of Consumer Psychology 21.2 (2011): 206-213.
System 1 appeals are powerful because they ‘feel’ right
and responses are experienced as ‘intrinsically’ motivated

26. Fortunately, we’re beginning to understand how System 1
problem-solving works and how to appeal to it
26

27. So here are five ways your innovation can appeal to the
System 1 problem-solving mind
27

28. First, your innovation should ‘feel’ effortless - give instant
and easy gratification (present bias)
28

29. 29
Second, your innovation should ‘feel’ good by evoking
positive associations (emotions, memories) (affect heuristic)

30. 30
Third, your innovation has to feel ‘right’ because it’s
consistent with what people already do (confirmation bias)

31. Fourth, your innovation should ‘feel’ familiar by building
on category norms (availability heuristic)
31

32. Fifth, your innovation should ‘feel’ empowering - giving
people control over their lives (optimism bias)
32

33. So that’s the second psychological insight for innovation -
appeal to the ‘System 1’ problem-solving mind
33
‘SYSTEM 1’
FAST
AUTOMATIC
UNCONSCIOUS
‘SYSTEM 2’
SLOW
DELIBERATE
REASONED

34. Finally, let’s turn to the third psychological insight for
innovation - how to brand your innovation
34

35. Traditionally, the psychological role of branding in
innovation is to reduce the perception of risk
35

36. But in advanced consumer markets, the risk-reduction role
of branding innovations often diminishes
36

37. Instead, the utility of a brand is not what it says about the
product but what it says about the user
37
Miller, G. (2009). Spent: Sex, evolution, and consumer behavior. Penguin. Chicago

38. People use brands for ‘impression management’ - to help
manage what other people think about us
38

39. Like a peacock tail that displays good genetic traits, we
use brands to visually display our own positive traits…
39

40. …not only to other people - allies, rivals, mates - but also
to ourselves (our ‘looking glass ’)
40

41. So how can innovations be branded to best harness their
display value in impression management?
41

42. Whilst we’re all different, psychology reveals that we all
share six core personality traits ‘iOCEAN’
42
Intelligence

43. iOCEAN is your unique ‘trait tattoo’ made up of general
intelligence & the ‘Big Five’personality dimensions
43
iOCEAN TRAIT TATTOO
i128-O80-C41-E63-A73-N01

44. BRAND
PERSONALITY
Through a psychological lens, the branding opportunity in
innovation is to help people display a desired trait
44
OPENNESS CONSCIENTIOUSNESS EXTRAVERSION AGREEABLENESS NEUROTICISM
Inventive/curious vs.
consistent/cautious
(Mini vs. Buick?)
Careful/dependable
vs. easy-going/
careless (Honda vs.
Jeep?)
Outgoing/energetic
vs. quiet/calm (BMW
vs. Lexus?)
Friendly/cooperative
vs. formal/driven
(Acura vs.
Mercedes?)
Sensitive/nervous vs.
secure/confident
(Volvo vs. Porsche?)

45. 45
By helping people display a core personality trait, you’ll be
branding your innovation with deep psychological appeal

46. So that’s it, three top insights from a consumer
psychologist for driving your next innovation success
46
1. PROBLEM PRIMACY
2. SYSTEM 1 APPEAL
3. TRAIT TATTOOS

47. For more practical marketing psychology
digitalintelligencetoday.com
47
Dr Paul Marsden
Consumer Psychologist
@marsattacks