Serve the consumer chocolate and they will spend more

If you are on a budget – avoid eating chocolate! Researchers at Florida university of Miami asked a group of people to eat a chocolate truffle and withheld chocolate from another group. Then they gave both groups a shopping list of expensive items. Those who had eaten chocolate were more likely to covet pricey items than those who were chocolate-free.

“The explanation is simple”, says assistant professor Juliano Laran, who co-authored the study. “Indulging in one domain (such as food) of your life encourages a general goal to have pleasure – which leads to further indulgence in other areas.”

For brand strategists this is useful information... If you serve people a treat, they will turn into customers! Add to this the rule of reciprocation, the idea that people feel they need to return a favor given. This is karma for brands, brilliantly presented in Robert B. Cialdinis book "Influence" or Dale Carnegie´s "How to win friends and influence people".

Note to shop owners - I prefer Lindt chili chocolate... :)