We have stepped into an era where the emphasis on personalisation is paramount. From customised wine selections to clothing tailored to your size and style, businesses now offer unique experiences designed just for you. This culture of customisation has found an unexpected ally: our smartphones. A compelling study from the University of Florida has revealed that these compact devices encourage us towards products and services that align with our distinctive personalities. Interestingly, this only applies when using our own phones, not when borrowing a device from a stranger.
The influence of smartphones on consumer preferences
As we are increasingly engrossed in our phones, this study has found a significant correlation between smartphone usage and a preference for tailored, unique or rare items. Our smartphones are intensely personal devices, and their usage apparently triggers a high degree of self-expression. Consequently, this impacts our consumer choices, drawing us towards options that we perceive to embody our individuality.
Aner Sela, a professor at the Warrington College of Business, University of Florida, and one of the authors of the study, explains, “When you use your phone, your authentic self is being expressed to a greater extent. That affects the options you seek and the attitudes you express.” This phenomenon seems to be less pronounced when purchasing items on larger computers or when using someone else’s phone.
The ripple effects on businesses and marketing strategies
These insights, published in the journal Marketing Science, could profoundly shape the strategies businesses employ in the realm of online marketing, including Shopify SEO services. Companies might choose to adapt their offerings depending on the device a consumer is using, given the distinct self-expression mindset activated by smartphones. This could even alter behaviours such as responses to political polls on mobile devices.
Professor Sela, along with his former doctoral student Camilla Song, now an assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong, were intrigued by the notion that smartphones might encourage introspection and unique self-identity expression. This psychological state, termed ‘private self-focus’, has a broad impact on behaviours. “People with high levels of private self-focus tend to be more independent in the attitudes that they express. They conform less,” Sela stated.
The Empirical Findings: Reflecting the Inner Self through Smartphones
Sela and Song embarked on five experimental studies involving undergraduate students and online respondents to examine if smartphones could indeed provoke a sufficient level of private self-focus to alter behaviour. Their findings were intriguing. Individuals using smartphones displayed a marked preference for unique items over popular ones, and products advertised as tailored to their personality over generic options. However, these effects were nullified when the same individuals used a borrowed phone, even if it was the same brand.
In yet-to-be-published related research, Sela and Song also found that consumers are more brand loyal and less likely to return items purchased on their phones. The heightened self-focus appears to amplify expression of deeply ingrained beliefs, including political viewpoints.
Implications of the Smartphone-Driven Push for Self-expression
In the modern world, where smartphones are practically extensions of our personas, these findings are of paramount significance. This subconscious drive for self-expression, facilitated by our personal devices, has the potential to affect almost all aspects of our behaviour, whether it’s deciding which sushi to order or navigating the realm of online dating. As the University of Florida study reveals, smartphones are not just communication devices; they are powerful catalysts for expressing our individuality.
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Journal reference
Park, S., Shin, W., & Xie, J. (2021). The fateful first consumer review. Marketing Science, 40(3), 481-507. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2020.1264
