Peanut butter and jelly. Salt and pepper. Tom and Jerry. Creating triggers and connections.

When NASA Sold Mars Bars

In his book, Contagious, Wharton Marketing professor Jonah Berger explains the power of creating "triggers" that sell products. In 1997, he recounts, NASA's mission to launch Pathfinder for a Mars landing to collect rock samples and register atmospheric readings inadvertently sold candy here on earth--Mars bars to be precise.

As media widely reported on NASA's mission, the Mars company was initially baffled by a sudden and significant uptick in the sales of Mars bars. Eventually the reason became clear: the constant talk of planet Mars triggered consumers to think about and purchase the candy bar.

This was a lucky link, but marketers are often more intentional as they go about creating triggers and associations that stimulate product sales. In "Contagious", Berger also points to the "KitKat and Coffee" campaign that linked eating KitKats with taking coffee breaks. Tying the snack to routine coffee breaks succeeded in keeping KitKat top of mind for many sweet eaters, driving awareness and sales.

Similarly, Michelob tied its beer to having fun on the weekends in its "Weekends are made for Michelob" campaign to trigger sales. How can you trigger associations and links to your product? The goal is to home in on events, occasions, or experiences that occur frequently and then tie your product or service to them, creating a strong link and impulse to buy.

Marketing Triggers

Penelope

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