“He that has once done you a Kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you have obliged.”
-Ben Franklin in his Autobiography
Locomotive is now based out of Philadelphia, so what more appropriate topic than the Ben Franklin effect in our home city of the founding father? Otherwise known as the cognitive dissonance theory, the Ben Franklin effect is a phenomenon when asking someone to do you a favor can make them like you more. The idea is that because that person does you a favor they are more likely to be convinced that the person is likable. Here’s how the process works inside our brains:
1. You ask someone for a favor
2. They agree
3. Their brain looks for an explanation for why they did you said favor
4. Their brain struggles to reconcile
5. It rewires to explain the favor because they view you positively
6. Now that person views you in a positive light instead of a negative one
So, how would this theory work in advertising and marketing for brands? Small favors, such as customer feedback can be one of the best ways to use the Ben Franklin effect. Don’t forget to thank them for their time! Another way would be to make a game or challenge out of something, such as completing a small task or answering an easy question. This can increase the loyalty of your customers. They will also be inclined to do your brand more, larger favors down the road.
