People always want more.
That’s the fundamental truth we cannot change.
This is more of a psychological observation than philosophical. It’s the phenomenon called the ‘hedonic treadmill’ where consumers continually buy new products and services in pursuit of happiness or satisfaction, but often find that the pleasure derived from these purchases is short-lived.
This psychological pattern has been well understood and artfully exploited by us marketers. From storytelling to personalisation to creating a sense of FOMO, we’ve designed our marketing activities to ensure that the wheel of consumer engagement spins continuously.
We’ve conditioned customers to anticipate and always crave more. And subtly, without them realising, nudged them into a perpetual state of alertness, known as the beta state.
What is beta state of the mind?
It is well known that the brain is an electrochemical organ. There are electrical patterns in the brain happening every single moment. They’re called brainwaves, and they’re behind every idea, every decision, every emotion. And among these brainwaves are beta waves, associated with a heightened state of alertness and focused attention.
For those of us who want to understand consumer behaviour, these are the waves that matter. They range from 14 to 30 Hz, and when they kick in, it means people are really paying attention.
In marketing, that’s gold. When beta activity spikes as customers interact with a product or an ad, it’s a clear signal: they’re not just glancing; they’re processing, they’re involved.
That’s where the real magic happens. And that’s how you win in this game.
Being nudged into the beta state
Marketers often create conditions that are more likely to stimulate an individual’s brain to produce these waves. Marketing strategies include high-contrast visuals, interactive content, fast-paced videos, stimulating auditory cues or emotional triggers to capture attention and keep the brain engaged, which is conducive to beta wave activity.
What it means to have consumers in a perpetual beta state
From a marketing standpoint, the concept of a perpetual beta state where consumers are continually engaged and in pursuit of the latest offerings can be seen as a catalyst for robust economic activity.
Always staying alert and wanting more is a good thing – imagine a world where the consumers are complacent and satisfied with the status quo. There would be no drive for innovation and we marketers would no longer push the boundaries of what’s possible.
Heightened cognitive capacity associated with beta waves empowers consumers so that they can better process information and make decisions that closely align with their values and needs.
The hidden costs of marketing-induced beta state
We marketers love to give choices and endless options. For example: once upon a simpler time, breakfast was a straightforward affair—a humble bowl of oats or a slice of buttered toast.
Fast forward to today, and marketers have transformed the simple morning breakfast routine into a high stakes game of choosing between health and value. There’s a shelf of choices, each more enticing and confusing than the last.
The mental energy required to navigate this maze of options is immense, and leads to decision fatigue. This is turn drives consumer choices that may inadvertently not serve their best interests.
The constant beeping and buzzing of phones with alerts and notifications puts minds in a constant state of high beta activity—we are always alert and never resting. It is overwhelming.
Consistently high levels of beta activity can be linked to increased stress, anxiety, and restlessness. These conditions can, in turn, result in diminished attention spans.
The irony that reduced attention spans, (which is every marketer’s problem) has been created by marketers themselves is not lost.
5Ps in marketing – but what about Purpose and Planet?
We need to talk about this relentless push for consumption. It’s unsustainable: for our minds, for our wallets, and importantly for our planet.
We marketers are at a crossroads. What worked for us, the push for constant consumption,is beginning to show its age and flaws.
We need to refine our narrative to meet the new consumer expectations and shift from mindless to conscious consumerism. Let’s not just market. Let’s matter.
Generational Shifts
The Millennials, the first digital natives, have been surfing the beta waves since the moment that they could swipe a screen.
They’ve grown sceptical of the constant marketing push and are tuning out the noise. They’re not buying the hype; they’re searching for authenticity and purpose in what they consume.
Millennials are now hitting the brakes on the beta blitz. Tagged as the burnout generation, they’re all too familiar with the cost of a life lived on hyper-alert and shifting gears towards mindful shopping and sustainable living.
Trends are emerging that show parental preferences for a mindful use of technology, balancing screen time with screen-free activities such as outdoor play, analog games, and ‘slow toys’ for Gen Alpha and the emerging Gen Beta – the children of Millennials and Gen Z who are born into a beta-saturated world.
In conclusion
We must acknowledge the generational shifts and adjust our sails accordingly. The marketing of the future will need to harmonize the beta wave push that we’ve historically exploited with theta waves: the brain wave associated with a state of relaxed focus and emotional engagement. Only this way will consumers connect deeply with our products and brands.
Sita Kalluri, (Director, Marketing Optimisation, The Fitch Group)
