With most research focusing on high-involvement product categories (such as cutting-edge products and ‘sexy’ brands), managers of low-involving products often struggle to get their brands noticed; the same rules just don’t apply. This article explores the factors that may influence consumers’ purchase decisions in what could be seen as emotionless product categories. How can marketers begin to re-engage their audiences?    

What is a Low-Involvement Product Category?

Some products may not excite all consumers. For example, for me (and I believe a lot of others),  insurance and antivirus software aren’t particularly inspiring. When selecting products in categories of little interest, consumers are unlikely to spend time assessing which brand to buy because to them, their final purchase decision is of comparatively little importance.  Instead, they may act by habit or simply buy what is top of mind. Their lack of motivation to actively weigh up the pros and cons of the brands means that any actual feelings of like or dislike are often based on subconscious factors.

Chargers are an inevitable result of ubiquitous consumer electronics. There are phone chargers, tablet chargers, iPod chargers, laptop chargers, and the extension cables required to support them all. At one stage, it became so complicated that the EU stepped in, passing legislation to make all phone chargers identical[1]. But despite this move, we need a lot of wires to keep our devices blazing away.

Yet wireless power transfer has been around in one form or another since the late 1800s, when individuals like Nikola Tesla began experimenting with the technology and demonstrating its feasibility. Since then, the technology has continued to evolve although never truly becoming a widespread feature of consumer electronics. However, all that might be about to change due to a confluence of events necessitating new approaches to old problems.

TV is in the middle of a technology revolution which has the potential to completely change the TV-viewing culture and experience. A range of technologies is contributing to this revolution including Connected TV, HDTV, 3DTV, time-shifted viewing and the ability to watch TV programs on a number of devices.

These are having a significant impact on how TV manufacturers, established broadcasters, advertisers and researchers engage with their target audiences. The capacity to entice consumers to vote, bet and buy (via tablets and smartphones) while watching TV means that the global TV landscape is offering broadcasters and brands new and unique business opportunities.