Contrast effect refers to the phenomenon where the perception of an object or event is influenced by the context in which it is presented. It is the way in which the brain perceives the relative difference between two things.
1. Creating a contrast in product design
By designing a product that contrasts with competitors in terms of size, shape, color, or other design elements, creators can make their product stand out.
Example: A small, colorful, portable speaker in a market full of large, black, stationary speakers.
2. Creating a contrast in advertising
By creating an ad that contrasts with the surrounding ads in terms of layout, color, or message, creators can make their ad stand out and grab attention.
Example: A black-and-white ad in a sea of color ads.
3. Creating a contrast in pricing
Using contrast effect in pricing can make a product or service appear more attractive by contrasting it with a higher priced option.
Example: A retail store offering a sale on a designer handbag, contrasting it with the regular price which is higher.
4. Creating a contrast in product packaging
By using contrasting colors, shapes or materials in the packaging of a product, creators can make their product stand out on store shelves.
Example: A sleek, black packaging for a product in a market of brightly colored packaging.
5. Creating a contrast in product demonstration
By demonstrating a product in a way that contrasts with competitors, creators can make their product stand out and grab attention.
Example: A brand that demos its product in an interactive virtual reality experience while competitors stick to traditional product demonstration methods
6. Creating a contrast in language used in marketing
By using a language that contrasts with competitors in terms of tone, style, or vocabulary, creators can make their brand stand out and be more memorable and connect with the target audience on a deeper level.
Example: A brand that uses a humorous and casual language in its marketing campaigns while competitors use a formal and technical language.
7. Creating a contrast in email marketing
By creating email campaigns that contrast with competitors in terms of layout, content, or subject, can help creators to increase the open and click-through rates, making the brand more visible and memorable to the target audience. It also helps to increase customer engagement and loyalty.
Example: A brand that uses interactive elements such as quizzes, polls or gamification in its email campaigns while competitors stick to traditional text-based emails.
8. Creating a contrast in experiential marketing
By creating a unique and immersive experience that aligns with the brand’s values and appeals to a specific target audience, it can help to differentiate the brand from competitors, create a memorable and emotional connection with the target audience and increase brand recall.
Example: A SaaS company that creates a pop-up store outside a school campus, offering free workshops and demos on how to use its software (targeting parents and students of higher grades both) while competitors stick to traditional IT firms.
Some other cognitive biases that are similar to the contrast effect,
The framing effect – this bias occurs when people’s decisions or judgments are affected by the way information is presented to them (e.g. in a positive or negative frame)
The halo effect – this bias occurs when people’s overall impression of a person or thing influences their judgment of that person or thing’s specific traits
The bandwagon effect – this bias occurs when people’s decisions or judgments are influenced by the actions or decisions of others.
Citations
“The contrast principle in persuasion” by Andrew J. Rancer, published in the Journal of Marketing Communications in 2005. URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13527260500179991
“The Role of Contrast in Advertising: How to Make Your Brand Stand Out” by Kim L. Rushing, published in the Journal of Advertising Research in 2015. URL: https://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/articles/the-role-of-contrast-in-advertising-how-to-make-your-brand-stand-out
“Anchoring Effects in Marketing: A Review of the Literature and Directions for Future Research” by Eric J. Arnould, published in the Journal of Marketing in 2001. URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1251764
“The Halo Effect and the Eight Different Ways that it Can Impact on Business” by Mark Murphy, published in Forbes in 2012. URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marksmurphy/2012/05/15/the-halo-effect-and-the-8-different-ways-that-it-can-impact-business/?sh=4b4a4a2c4e6a
“The Power of Framing: Creating the Language of Leadership” by Terri L. Sjodin, published in the Harvard Business Review in 2004. URL: https://hbr.org/2004/07/the-power-of-framing-creating-the-language-of-leadership
