34. How to influence consumers in 8 seconds?
Estimated Reading Time: 1 minute
Welcome to Aha Moments - The 1-minute newsletter with data and behavioral science insights for busy marketers like you.
Why are mukbang videos so popular?
Have you felt your mouth water while watching one?
If yes, you have experienced what a behavioral scientist might call an anticipatory hedonia, aka wanting.
It is the pleasure we get from the anticipation of an experience rather than the experience itself.
We get anticipatory pleasure by imagining the taste, texture, and satisfaction of the food we see in these videos.
A mukbang video can make you crave but also can satisfy your cravings. Try it out!
The average attention span of a consumer today is just 8.25 seconds. Short-form videos that emphasize visual and auditory elements (e.g., sizzling sounds, close-up shots) can heighten the viewer’s anticipatory pleasure by releasing dopamine in the shortest time. This instant sensory and emotional impact can lead to impulse decisions because feelings often override logic.
Therefore, to influence your consumers in less than 9 seconds, appeal to their senses through vivid mental images that can trigger anticipatory hedonia.
After all, humans process visuals 60,000 times faster than text!