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Titled "Sticky Priors: The Perseverance of Identity Effects on
Judgement," the paper included four studies that examined the effects
of identity on judgement. The studies looked at judgments of
a variety of issues and products, such as pollution, legalizing marijuana,
and electronic books, that were linked to different identities
held by participants, such as environmentalist, businessperson,
or parent. Bolton and Reed then tried to influence participants'
judgments using techniques that varied from evenhanded reasoning
(listing pros and cons) to adopting the perspective of another
identity (say, parent vs. teenager), with little success. Social influence—good
old peer pressure—was somewhat effective in countering
identity based judgement, "But not entirely," Bolton says.
"Throughout, we really find that identity is really powerful in its
effects on judgement."
"It really doesn't help to go to the person and say to them,
'Hey come on, look at the evidence. 'If being a smoker is part of
your identity, you can present all the analytic evidence in the world
about cancer and heart disease, and it's going to be very difficult
to sway your attitude toward smoking because it's so much a part
of how you define yourself. Your identity serves as a filter of sorts,
and you discount information or social influence that's inconsistent
with that identity," she says. "It's hard to walk a mile in the other
guy's shoes."
Smart marketers have relied on identity messages for years,
luring consumers with products and brands that symbolize their
own personality traits—or traits they aspire to. Ralph Lauren, for
instance, has built an empire peddling everything from paint to
perfume to the well-heeled set. Previous research has similarly demonstrated
that consumers are often attracted to products and brands
that are linked to their identity. But Bolton and Reed's work is the
first to show how powerful identity is. "We believe we are the first
to take an identity based judgement, subject it to attack with a variety
of techniques, and demonstrate what a force it is," Bolton says.
The message for marketers, Bolton says, is that identity is a
powerful way to build brand loyalty. "It resists counter attack from
competitors. Arguments that say 'My brand is better because of
these attributes' are probably not enough to overcome a strong
identity based attitude for a competitor. It's a good basis for brand
loyalty that resists change."
For social marketers focused on bettering consumer welfare, the
studies provide evidence that finger wagging messages, such as anti-smoking advertising that barrages consumers with warnings about
health risks, can be wholly ineffective. "Young people, teenagers,
are just not going to respond to those kinds of messages," Bolton
says. "They don't think they are at risk, but it's also not tying into
why they smoke to begin with." A better approach, Bolton suggests,
would focus on offering an attractive counter identity, such as encouraging
healthy habits by linking them to athleticism.
What does the study offer managers? "Your identity can really
effect how you face problems as a manager," Bolton says. "If you're
a marketer, you think you need more advertising. If you're a finance
person, you think you need more investment. It got me to thinking
about the challenge of reconciling those different points of view
within the firm. It also made me think that just being a business-person
is actually a really strong identity for a lot of people. It's hard
for them, say, to understand why the environmentalists or certain
customer segments are so upset with them. A strong identity makes
it harder to consider alternative points of view, which is really what
you need to do as a manager—otherwise you're just going to bring
your own biases into your perceptions of your customers and the
marketplace."
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