ARE WE MAKING OUR CONSUMERS 'CHO-BESE' ?

Ignoring the person lurking inside the ‘customer’, and ‘over stuffing’ them with undiscerning, unending information & limitless products, has resulted in marketers precipitating a different kind of epidemic, that of Choice Obesity, with the resulting ‘over-choice’thrusting people into a state of paralysis, decision fatigue, inaction, unhappiness & unfulfilling actions. 

In 2000, psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper published a remarkable study. On one day, shoppers at an upscale food market saw a display table with 24 varieties of gourmet jam. Those who sampled the spreads received a coupon for $1 off any jam. On another day, shoppers saw a similar table, except that only six varieties of the jam were on display. The large display attracted more interest than the small one. But when the time came to purchase, people who saw the large display were one-tenth as likely to buy as people who saw the small display.

In the world of FMCG, P&G. Olay, SK II.  Recognizing that navigating & choosing from the world of serums, day creams, night creams, pore reduction, line reductions, etc. was a nightmare in itself, simplified choices by bundling a regimen together, seeing growth in business, with greater uptakes
 
In retail, IKEA does a brillaint job of helping consumers navigate their almost impossible prroduct range by organizing them into rooms, & themed spaces that makes browzing manageable and the dwell time enggaing., online and in store.  And people end up leaving IKEA with more than what they had intended to purchase 

As a country, aspart of efforts to offer citizens a more convenient, less confusing experience when transacting with a variety of Govt. digital services, Singapore Govt,has organized a one stop solution that delivers ALL integrated services and information through ONE single platform that provides personalised support, bundling relevant info.& services across agencies according to citizens' needs.

Combat Choice Overload, with some of these key strategies, amongst others. 
1. CATEGORIZE : Numerous studies have proven that people can handle more categories than they can discrete choices. Help shoppers discern the differences in products by creating categories and filters that narrow the pool of possible purchases.
2. CONDITION : Using the example of an automaker selling customized cars, Sheena Iyengar describes how a selection process beginning with the fewest choices (4 gear shifts) yielded better shopper engagement and lower fatigue rates than the process starting with many choices (56 color options). We can handle complex decisions, if we are ‘primed’ well. Start small, before you upsize, upsell , cross sell
3. CREATE A STRONG BRAND IDENTITY : While consumers would always need information at  the POS, having a strong brand identity will ensure that there is a clear differentiation from competition and a positive bias to help them navigate the last mile.

Understand the psychology of decision making to combat Cho-besity, and respond with human-centric  strategies that enable better & happier choice making. Commercial rewards, will not only ensue but will also sustain.