The Buzz about Buzzfeed

After reading a chapter about the fallacy of supply and demand in Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, I realized that one of the most common times that I fall victim to his theory is when I'm taking a Buzzfeed quiz  commonly shared on Facebook. Ariely emphasizes that we only think that we know what we want and what our preferences are. He stresses that we often go into situations where we think we know exactly what we are looking for and often come out with something entirely different.

In his example, he took all of his wants for a new car (gas mileage, safety rating, ect.) and plugged it into a website that told him which car would suit him best. He was dissatisfied to learn that the website suggested that a Ford Taurus was the best car for him and consequently went back and changed many of his inputs to get a different car suggestion until the website proposed a sports car.

While reading it, I couldn't help but think about myself taking a redundant quiz on Buzzfeed to tell me super important and accurate information like:

"What Grade Are You Getting In Life?"
 "Which Miranda Lambert Song Are You?" 
"What Wine Should You Actually Be Drinking?"
"What Actress Would Play You In The Movie Version Of Your Life?"
Sidenote: I gave all of the quizzes links so you too can fall victim to the ridiculously entertaining pastime.


After reviewing some of my results, just like Ariely, I protested that for sure Meryl Streep was not supposed to play me in the movie version of my life and that a California Merlot is far from my favorite wine so the quiz had to be wrong. I even went back and changed some of my answers until I got Jennifer Lawrence or Emma Stone and a Malbec. Of course, a 5-10 question quiz can't really accurately tell me what grade I'm getting in life, but I can't help but take my grade very seriously--even if I have to lie and say that my house is spotless.


The questions to these quizzes are generally along the lines of picking a favorite meal, how often you work out, a band you enjoy, your favorite outfit, or as seen "How you take your coffee." Even though when I'm going through the quiz I know that dinner tonight is more likely to be Taco Bell than a filet mignon, I go back and chose the filet mignon because hey, I'm trying to get a Malbec as my result!


Buzzfeed quizzes are very similar to Ariely's example of the car suggestion website. Despite knowing what the correct answers should be or what we actually want, we're distracted by the end result and alter "how I take my coffee" to "organic" to see if that spits out a different end result. The difference is we still display this behavior when there is no real value behind the outcome of which Miranda Lambert song I am. I suppose this takes us even further away from the economics standpoint of always maximizing utility. And I too am Predictably Irrational.

Consumer Behavior Trends This Year

I recently read the article, "Six Trends That Will Shape Consumer Behavior This Year" published by Forbes. After suffering from writers block and feeling a little uninspired, I stumbled across this article that I think is truly spot on and is also very consistent with what we have learned thus far in our Consumer Behavior class.

The article recognizes six different trends that consumer behavior is gravitating towards in 2014. As we saw in the Frontline video, "The Persuaders," consumers are constantly exposed to an ever-increasing and growingly ineffective amounts of advertisements. From scrolling our newsfeed on Facebook to driving down the interstate, we cannot escape the war marketers are fighting for our attention. We are being attacked at all angles and no longer will we (consumers) be impressed by simple offerings that only appeal to one of our senses. This year, consumers' expectations are higher than ever.

The six trends that Forbes recognized are as follows:

1) Multiplicity

This refers to our needs as consumers to be actively involved. We need to participate in as many aspects of our purchases as possible. We are not satisfied with just being updated about what is going on. For example, weekly emails that update us on the latest trends and have our names in the subject are great.. but we need to know that we are somehow contributing. We need to feel a sense of self in our purchase and that we are a part of the brand itself. As a result, consumers are not content with a product such as a high end sweater that simply looks appealing, smells great, and is super soft. We need to be able to identify with the sweater and it needs to identify with us. This is also consistent with "The Extended Self" theory. 

2) Hyper-Efficiency

We live in a super busy world and we're demanding more and more highly efficient and useful products to get us through our day. We need brands to recognize and understand our needs as consumers. With so many innovative new products out there, it takes a convenient, highly efficient, and easy-to-use product to really get consumers excited about a product. For example, the Fit Bit has received positive feedback for its user friendliness. We like the idea that we can tell our phone what we have ate that day and it will do all the rest of the work. You can simply go to the app and see how many calories you have burned that day, how many more you need to burn to reach a self-set goal, and how well you have slept. All of the information is gathered from wearing a band around your wrist and the consumer isn't burdened with counting calories. Convenience is key.

3) The New Industrial Revolution

Consumers like the fact that they understand how things are produced, how coding works, and are eager to participate in creating their own personal products. Take this blog for example. Writing a blog and knowing how to write content, insert links, images, and videos, and be able to reach endless amounts of readers is exhilarating. We want to be able to create exactly what we want or need and to have the tools readily available to give us that power.

4) Escape

"In a world of austerity and grown up responsibility, we are seeing the increasing desire to let go, to let loose and indulge in childlike freedom or sheer hedonistic joy."*  Consumers are overwhelmed with an extremely busy schedule and can-do lifestyle. Consequently, many consumers seek refuge in products or brands that make them feel like a kid again or bring them to their quiet or happy place. Consumers crave a place where they can act or view silliness in a no-pressure, worry-free zone. Perhaps this behavior can explain why products that we have used our entire lives bring us such ease and comfort.

5) Mindfulness

In today's market our brands and purchases define our values. Consumers must think about and self-reflect on what the brand or product represents and if those core-values match their own before a purchase is made. Think of diets like the gluten-free movement. Consumers tend to associate words like "gluten-free," "organic," and "Paleo" with a specific type of consumer. Something as simple as what kind of milk (almond, soy, coconut or cow's milk) we purchase can make a consumer really think about and harness his/her ethics and sense of self. 

6) Super-personalized

Consumers are unimpressed with receiving a promotional email addressed to them personally and calling them by first name. It is not enough. In a world with an abundance of information sharing, we expect nearly all businesses to behave like Amazon.com. Consumers are starting to demand that stores know what products they have purchased in the past, which products they have returned, were displeased with, in love with, or bought as a gift for someone else. On that note, CRM systems are becoming a necessity in the service industry. If I rent a car from a place that I have rented from a few times before, I expect that they can call me by first name, know which city I live in, what car I like to drive, who I work for, and perhaps even more personal information. 

*http://www.forbes.com/sites/onmarketing/2014/02/04/six-trends-that-will-shape-consumer-behavior-this-year/