35% increases to 44.5% with the claim of normality A 2008 study by Noah J. Goldstein, Robert B. Cialdini and Vladas Griskeviciu found that the rate of bath towel recycling increases significantly when patrons are told that other patrons reuse bath towels, even when the alternative is an environmental message. The study found that: An environmental message […]

35% increases to 44.5% with the claim of normality A 2008 study by Noah J. Goldstein, Robert B. Cialdini and Vladas Griskeviciu found that the rate of bath towel recycling increases significantly when patrons are told that other patrons reuse bath towels, even when the alternative is an environmental message. The study found that: An environmental message alone led to a 35% reuse rate A message that 75% of people reuse bath towels led to a 44.5% reuse rate This highlights the power of social norms and the extent to which knowing what others have done can impact the behaviour consumers. It suggests that following the lead of others is more important to many people than doing the ‘right thing’.Very often, consumers judge the quality or value of a product by its sales to date. This is why many advertisers claim to be the best-selling brand in a category. This is one…