TM: How can marketers apply psychological principles to their audience interactions—campaigns, customer service, etc.?
MR: That's a great question, because psychology should be leveraged in all customer interactions. Its power in business isn't limited to marketing communications. Every touch point between a business and a customer is a communication. Every communication should be carefully designed. When we leverage psychology to design all customer communications, including but not limited to those in marketing, we make the customer experience truly seamless and holistically drive transaction.
TM: How can psychology help marketers better anticipate and address obstacles to audience engagement?
MR: There are many stages of audience engagement with a brand. Engagement starts with thoughts of initial interaction and moves to behaviors like ratings, voting and commenting. As engagement deepens, it is expressed by behaviors like social brand advocacy and endorsement. Psychology explains what moves customers from one engagement stage to the next and what obstacles stand in the way. Psychology explains why some customers progress in deepening their engagement with brands while others choose to disengage altogether.
The Business of Database Marketing