In the world of marketing, a recent study has made a surprising discovery: referencing artificial intelligence (AI) in product descriptions might discourage customers from buying the products. The research was conducted by Washington State University and was published in Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management.
Key points
This study surveyed over 1,000 adults in the U.S. to understand how consumers respond when they encounter AI as part of a product description. Surprisingly, these findings were consistent across different product categories.
The lead scientist, Mesut Cicek, noted that there is less interest among consumers to buy products if described using AI terms. Interestingly enough, this happened not only with one type of product – it occurred among smart TVs and financial services.
But why? The reason lies with trust for these researchers. Their emotional trust decreases upon seeing “artificial intelligence” mentioned therein, leading to less desire to purchase.
Moreover, the negative impact of talking about AI on such dangerous things as high-risk items or services appeared to be much stronger according to Cicek’s team. For instance, these are very expensive electronics or medical devices many people feel skeptical about purchasing them even without mentioning their use of AI technology. Thus mentioning it makes them even less willing to buy.
For eight different types of products and services, this effect was tested. In this situation the result remained unchanged i.e., they continued being disadvantaged by mentioning AI into their sale offers.
So what does all this mean for companies and marketers? Cicek advises that they should be cautious when referring to AI in their product descriptions because instead of focusing on the idea that it is an artificial intelligent thing; it could be better off describing its functionalities as well as benefits gained by customers through making purchases from them.
It doesn’t imply that companies should pretend they don’t use any AIs; however they will have to find strategies which can assist in creating consumer trust especially for those dealing with AI powered machines. This could involve explaining how the AI works in simple terms or highlighting the benefits it brings without using buzzwords.
These findings are of particular interest as products become more integrated with AI. While they race to announce their use of AI, businesses may be alienating customers. Through understanding this, organizations can come up with better ways to introduce AI-powered products that build trust and attract customers.
