Kirk Lends Marketing Expertise

Marketing and consumer behavior expert Colleen Kirk, D.P.S., associate professor of management and marketing studies, was quoted in a marketing guide by Quikly, which discusses consumers’ preference for simpler shopping experiences. Among other points, Kirk notes that one reason that simplicity works well for consumers is that people feel good when they believe that they can master something. 

“It’s called a feeling of effectance, or competence, and…effectance makes it easier for consumers to feel ownership for a product as they shop,” said Kirk, whose research focuses on psychological ownership in marketing. “When consumers feel a product or brand is ‘theirs’ they will pay more for it, will evaluate it more positively, and are more likely to tell others about it.”