International Conference on Marketing and Consumer Psychology
(IC16Thai Conference) ISBN: 978-1-943579-28-0
Bangkok-Thailand. 18-20 February, 2016. Paper ID: TC606
Infiltrating the Mobile Device through Subliminal Multiple
Exposures in Healthy Food Choices
Andrea Scarpa,
Benetton Group, Germany.
[email protected]
Taylan Ürkmez,
International Direct Marketing,
University of Kassel, Germany.
[email protected]
Ralf Wagner,
International Direct Marketing,
University of Kassel, Germany.
[email protected]
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Abstract
Healthy food consumption has been a pressing topic for scholars and policy makers for a few
decades. Research and policy have aimed to improve human health conditions and decrease
health problems stemming from unhealthy nutrition. However, changing people’s decisions
on food choices is not that easy. Notably, trends of not cooking at home, eating highly preprocessed food, etc., are followed by an increasing number of people. This study assesses the
possibilities of subliminal priming using a mobile phone device screen in the choice of
healthy food, especially for individuals eating at restaurants or cafeterias. In contrast to
previous studies on subliminal manipulations, this study evaluates the effect of manipulations
on a small screen. These manipulations might be included by the creators of any content or
added in the delivery chain. In our experiment, the subliminal manipulation is to encourage
individuals to consume healthy food in a real life situation. Thus, the results presented here
are not subject to laboratory-related biases (situational, framing, and selection). In addition,
the present study evaluates whether multiple exposures to the subliminal message will lead to
stronger effects and, therefore, increase the priming’s efficacy. The empirical results suggest
that the subliminal priming has a substantial positive effect on the consumption of healthy
side dishes on subjects with multiple exposures compared to subjects who were not exposed to
any subliminal priming. Going beyond the results of the experiment, the study aims to
contribute to the fight against obesity and to ignite a fundamental discussion on the limits of
manipulating individuals in a future dominated by the withdrawal of technical restrictions.
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Key Words: Food choices, Healthy food, Mobile marketing, Multiple exposures, Obesity,
Subliminal manipulation
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