When a new product hits the shelves, customers may be initially convinced that the product is right for them, but for some reason they don’t follow through with the purchase. Something is holding them back, but what is it? Attributes such as convenience, scent or performance could actually be unrecognized barriers to purchase.
 
For instance, a consumer may be attracted to the idea of an all-natural shampoo because of its promise of eco-friendliness (trigger) but may also harbor doubts that it will perform as well as a premium shampoo (barrier). Those doubts may be strong enough to prevail and ultimately prevent purchase. However, if the shampoo communicates quality performance, the consumer is reassured and the barrier is overcome. By overcoming this barrier, the trigger of eco-friendliness is able to effectively trigger purchase.
 
Effective Marketing Communications
Identifying methods for overcoming barriers is an essential element of marketing communication. Reassurances do not have to be, and often are not, the same as what triggers a consumer. Instead, they are often “reason to believe” statements. Let’s return to the earlier example of all-natural shampoo. In this instance, a natural option is appealing, but there are concerns about performance. Communicating the shampoo’s eco-friendliness can trigger consumers to buy, but marketing around this alone still fails to address the concerns of performance. To effectively reach consumers, marketing efforts need to also reassure them, which could be done by stating that it performs just as well as a premium alternative. Combining a trigger with a reassurance to overcome a barrier is vital to effective marketing communications.
 
How is it done?
By conducting specific research into triggers and barriers, brands can create compelling reassurances that effectively “close the deal.” The three-step research process entails the following:
 
Step 1: Identifying potential triggers and barriers to using a product is vital, and can be done in collaboration with an internal marketing or product team if there is sufficient market and consumer knowledge within the company. Alternatively, research strategies can be utilized to help uncover the most prevalent triggers and barriers.

Step 2: The importance of each trigger and barrier is validated quantitatively. This enables a brand to see how much of the market possesses a particular trigger or barrier and which are most important for effective communication efforts.
 
Step 3: Consumers identify reassurances that can help them overcome their barriers in order to provoke trial or increase usage. Ideally, these consumers are either potential first time users or those that do not engage in repeat trials.
 
 
Taking Action
At the end of the day, a “triggers and barriers” study is a vital tool to understanding why consumers buy your product, as well as the most crucial barriers that prevent others from embracing it. By also focusing on the reassurance statements, marketers and communicators are able to gauge the effectiveness of certain communications in terms of overcoming these barriers. This gives marketers the ability to define an optimal communication strategy that can simultaneously prompt consumers to use a product while also removing any and all doubts that stand in their way.

About the author
Scott Garrison is responsible for overseeing communications research globally for SKIM, an international customer insights agency specializing in decision behavior.