A recent study from Ayelet Fishbach, Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the Booth School of Business, and co-author Xianchi Dai of Chinese University of Hong Kong. Titled “How Non-Consumption Shapes Desire”, has found if a person is aware of a substitute for something, the longer they have gone without, the weaker their desire for the non-consumed good becomes.
Conversely, when no substitute comes to mind, the longer non-consumption period suggests to a person that their need has been neglected, and their desire becomes stronger. Therefore, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” is the fitting sentiment in this situation.
“We demonstrate these effects on desire in five studies that assess various aspects of desire: feelings of missing, liking, and consumption intentions,” Fishbach says.
“Our findings indicate that desire is constructed: it results from a judgment people make based on the length of their non-consumption and the availability of substitutes for the original good,” she adds.
These findings have the potential to conventional marketing wisdom onto its head—popular marketing practice suggests that desire always increase over the length of a non-consumption period. If consumers consider substitutes for the non-consumed goods, such a strategy may backfire and negatively impact sales.
“Presenting this question is intended to increase consumers’ craving for goods. Based on our findings, the question would be effective only when no substitutes come to the consumer’s mind and as long as the non-consumption appears outside of personal control,” Fishbach says.