While purchasing coffee a few years ago, Katherine Du noticed the unusual way that the cafe\u0301\u2019s baristas were eliciting tips. Instead of one jar, two jars sat side by side on the counter. One was labeled \u201cStar Wars\u201d and the other, \u201cStar Trek.\u201d<\/p>\n
Soon, she began to see this method applied to charitable giving too. For example, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals used a campaign that invited donors to express their preference for either \u201cdogs\u201d or \u201ccats\u201d while making their pledge.<\/p>\n
Du, a 51ÁÔÆæ assistant professor of marketing, wondered if framing the act of giving as a choice between two options worked better than the traditional request \u2013 and, if so, why.<\/p>\n
So she and two colleagues conducted a study of the strategy, which they called \u201cdueling preferences,\u201d and found that the method not only attracts more givers but also significantly increases the amounts they give.<\/p>\n
How come? The researchers found that the tactic is effective because it allows people to reveal something about themselves through spending.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeurological studies have shown that we feel rewarded when we get to share something about who we are,\u201d Du said. \u201cThat’s the psychology that this approach is leveraging. People love to express themselves so much that they’re actually willing to pay for an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The secret of the dueling approach\u2019s success didn\u2019t surprise Du, whose main research interest is how consumers use products and other offerings in the marketplace to symbolize or express their identity. What she didn\u2019t expect was the magnitude of its effect.<\/p>\n
In an experiment in a cafe\u0301, the research team, which included Jacqueline Rifkin at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Jonah Berger at University of Pennsylvania, found that compared to the standard method, the dueling preferences approach increased the proportion of tippers from 40.9% to more than 77%. It also more than doubled the total amount of tips raised during a business day.<\/p>\n
The researchers also tested its application to charitable giving. In an experimental online campaign for the American Red Cross, potential donors either saw a typical appeal or they saw a \u201cchocolate versus vanilla\u201d appeal. The total amount raised by those who saw the duel jumped 28% over results for those who saw the standard method. And the number of donors rose from 37.4% without the duel to 54% with it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis simple intervention was astonishing,\u201d she said. \u201cI thought we would see an effect, but not to that extent.\u201d<\/p>\n