Have you ever heard of a dopamine app? It's an app that lets you order food, fashion, sometimes even the illusion of smoking a cigarette — not to receive anything — but to experience the anticipation and emotional reward associated with making a purchase. Sounds odd, but, strangely enough, there's a market for it.
These apps indicate a remarkable change in market offerings. We know that dopamine has always been a major factor in purchasing behaviour, however, the act of "buying dopamine" is a new consumer trend. Through using these apps, people are finding value in the experience surrounding a purchase, without ever receiving the delivery of said purchase.
Apps like these are then completely restructuring the way marketers engage with consumers, allowing marketers to sell more than products and services. Just the prospect of receiving the online product conjures up excitement in a consumer, and the emotional payoff of browsing and “ordering" can activate many of the same reward systems that make shopping enjoyable, even when no product arrives.
Consumers already spend hours building wishlists, curating Pinterest boards, watching unboxing videos and scrolling online stores with no intention of making an immediate purchase. These interactions keep the brand top of mind and strengthen the relationship between customer and company while money has yet to exchange hands.
The same happens with brands that use their websites and social media channels for more than driving sales. They create spaces that encourage discovery and loyal interaction, and these consistent and engaging online experiences keep audiences connected to a brand on an emotional level — meaning loyal customers when they are ready to buy.
In other words, if anticipation has become part of the product, or even the product itself, then brands will have to think beyond conversions as these apps now obfuscate the distinction between online shopping and entertainment.
Consumer psychology further illustrates this: feelings around products play a much larger role in purchasing decisions and consumers aren't even always looking to own something. Consequently, creating an experience could become one of marketing's most valuable products.
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*Image courtesy of Canva
**Information sourced from Bizcommunity, Psychology Today and CNA