Reframe Products to Be Newer

People like new stuff.

It's a recent finding called the mere newness preference (Jie & Li, 2022).

How does it work? 

Well, I just called it a “recent” finding. Based on this mere newness, you think the study is more important. Even though it could be garbage.

And it's been replicated: The same headphones seemed more innovative when they were a week old (vs. a year old; Min, 2023).

Innovative ideas are likely to be the most recent ones…  this observation is so prevailing that its reverse causality (i.e., recency  is innovative) may also seem to be the case (Min, 2023)

Why It Works

• Evolution. Researchers argue that it stems from evolution: "Over millennia of evolution, humans have developed a taste for fresh foods due to their greater nutrition content and disgust toward decaying foods due to their possibility for illness (Jie & Li, 2022, p. 2)"
• Proximity. New products feel subconsciously closer to you in the present. A study from 20 years ago might seem boring, while a new study – even the same finding – would seem relevant because it’s closer to you.

How to Apply

• Frame Products With the Most Recent Date. Production date, release date, purchase date, etc.
• Always Mention Products That Newly Arrived. Fresh cars at a dealership seem better than identical cars that have been sitting on the lot, even if nobody has driven them.
• Embrace the Word Today. An ice cream shop could mention "Today's Flavors" even if they're permanent.
• Reframe Scarcity For Fresh Products. Only 2 left can boost sales for limited editions. But in other scenarios, this message could imply leftover options that nobody wanted. Perhaps try the opposite framing — newly arrived 2 days ago — to motivate customers to buy fresh options that won’t stay fresh much longer.

• Jie, Y., & Li, Y. (2022). Chronological cues and consumers’ preference for mere newness. Journal of Retailing, 98(3), 527-541.
• Min, B. (2023). Because it is brand new! Recency heuristic for product innovativeness evaluation. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(3), 1023-1041.