Sustainability has become a buzzword in the world and particularly in business. People recognize the importance of preserving nature, reducing pollution, and lessening climate change. In fact, it’s so pervasive that there’s even a term to describe companies that claim to be more sustainable than they are, namely greenwashing—the making of inaccurate or false statements about the sustainability of your product or company. This dishonest practice, unsurprisingly, leads to negative opinions from consumers and others. But suppose a company really is transparent about the data of its impact on the environment, and that data reveals that they have genuinely ameliorated their negative impact. We might be inclined to think that those facts would garner brand loyalty and affection from its customer base. However, research led by Minu Kumar, Professor of Marketing at San Francisco State University, suggests that altruistic value is not actually a predictor of brand loyalty. For this research, they used data from over 700 participants, and they focused on their opinions about the features of 30 small vehicles. Though this study focused on cars, the findings conform to what people have believed about aesthetically minded companies like Apple.
While people may honestly care about issues like sustainability, generally, they are not motivated to action by data or information alone. If a company tries to use sustainability as a way to increase its audience and revenue, this research suggests that may not be a good strategy. People are motivated more by an emotional connection with a company or product. Kumar explains, “In product design, if you focus more on the aesthetics of the product, the connections that you create with the consumer at the brand level will result in more loyalty and a more sustainable relationship.” Many purchases are not relational, for instance, customers often purchase products, and it’s merely transactional. Someone may want a new nail polish, and they happen to come across your brand with a particular appealing color at a good price. So, they buy it. But that transactional—and purely functional—motivation is not usually long lasting. As soon as another brand has a better color, flashier packaging, or lower prices, then that customer may buy from them. So, Kumar emphasizes, “The more you invest in aesthetics, the stronger the relationship outcome.” Focusing on sustainability helps illustrate that people need more than just an issue to develop a loyalty to a company or product. So, how does aesthetics help develop and strengthen customer loyalty?
Our emotions motivate us more powerfully to action than information or data, which is why the aesthetics of how we present information is crucial. People need to connect with your product, brand, or company, in order to become loyal. For example, think about things you remember, things that made a lasting impression. Many of these memories stay with us because they formed an emotional connection—positive or negative. A specific example is thinking about someone from the distant past who insulted you that you have no contact with anymore. This is the kind of person who you wouldn’t have any reason to remember, except that they hit an emotional nerve. In the consumer context, people will always buy things as a one-off, but positive aesthetic features and experiences increase the possibility of them becoming long-term customers.
Related to the above is the fact that people associate the quality of a product with their perception of its aesthetics. Aesthetics not only taps into our emotional core, but it also sparks our notion of value. The rationale of this belief could be demonstrated if we compared a toy from a dollar store and a similar toy from a higher-end toy store. We should be able to recognize which toy came from which store. The lines get blurry, however, when we try to compare products from similar stores or brands; differences of quality may not always be so easily discernible. What differentiates your product from an evenly matched competitor? Better aesthetics can elevate the perception of your product’s quality, even when its function and quality is about the same.
Implied above, when we compare two products with similar functionality and price, what separates them is the perception of consumers. But aesthetics also help consumers spot products that are familiar. When your company has a coherent aesthetic, then customers will recognize it. And people gravitate toward what is familiar. Your aesthetics should stand out from the competition, but it should also create a perception of consistency among your customers. Aesthetics that seem to work for one company could be mimicked by another, hoping to reap some of the revenue by association. Your brand, quality, and products become associated with a particular look and feel.
A final aspect of aesthetics that needs to be mentioned is storytelling. People may associate storytelling with marketing, which is certainly true. However, we don’t often directly talk about the aesthetics of the story. Researchers like Steve Taylor, a professor at The Business School at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, understand that stories need to convey some information about your brand or product, but they assert that the stories should also be good. He explains, “Good stories involve a strong aesthetic experience that provides felt meaning, a feeling of connectedness, and enjoyment.” Stories that offer positive aesthetics lead to more engagement and repetition. Obviously, someone may act on new knowledge from your story if it happens to coincide with something they need anyway, but this might only be a convenient and purely transactional relationship. If your story is enjoyable to engage people even when they don’t need your product or service at the moment, then your aesthetically pleasing story will leave an impression for future use. It’ll stay in their memory, or they may retell it to a friend or colleague who potentially becomes a customer in the future.
These four reasons why aesthetics matters for your business are not exhaustive, and they are only presented in their basic forms. But they help to point out why we need to reorient ourselves to realize the impact that aesthetics has on our practical business goals. Your company may have excellent sustainability practices, amazingly efficient products, or an exciting vision for the future. However, if people can’t connect to these things, then your products, services, or messages may be hindered from having a further reach. Aesthetics will not replace hard work, quality products, or sustainability efforts. But it will complement all of the great work you are already doing, and it will attract people to your business.
