Availability Heuristic
The Availability Heuristic is a mental shortcut that describes our tendency to make decisions based on what information or examples come to mind quickly and easily. The assumption we make is that if something can be recalled easily, then it must be of high importance, it must be the best option, or it must be the correct answer. This may or may not be the truth, but it is the way our brains work.
This is the Availability Heuristic at Work
Brand recognition: Quick! Name a toothpaste, a detergent, a credit card company, a fast food chain. The likelihood that your answers are among the most advertised, most readily available products is high.
And when the brand is a common verb or noun… “I just googled it…” “Let me grab a kleenex.” or “Why don’t you just photoshop it?” then the availability heuristic is even more solidified.
Check out this list of the 30 most recognizable logos in the U.S. for more examples of inescapable brands.
Shark Attack! When you swim in the ocean do you think about sharks? The movie JAWS did a great job setting us up to be hypervigilant because of the vividness of the story. You don’t even need to have seen the movie. The ominous two-note motive on repeat is enough to evoke the fear of something dangerous lurking just under the surface. Those two notes on repeat have become a universal shorthand for danger.
So how many people are killed by a shark each year? About 10. And yet, there were six people killed by the shark in Jaws alone, just on Amity Island.
As an interesting contrast, how many people are killed in car accidents? About 38,000 every year. Millions of people get into a car on a daily basis without thinking about the risk.
If your morbid curiosity is piqued, then test out the availability heuristic by making a list of ways to die that come to mind for you, then take a look at this list of the actual most common causes of death. The most vivid examples might be things you’ve seen in horror movies or on the news. But the most common causes are less newsworthy.
The availability heuristic is a constant in marketing, check out these familiar strategies.
Be known for one thing. A good marketing tactic is to set your product up to be the most familiar solution to one specific problem. Uber, WD-40, or U-Haul are a few examples. These kinds of businesses spend a great deal of time building expertise on the issue the product or service addresses. Other tactics to build primacy for a product or service include using testimonials or before-and-after examples to illustrate results. Using a tagline or jingle on repeat to prime people to bring that product to mind quickly when it is needed also a tried-and-true technique.
Be available when most needed. Brands and products that align with the latest trends and buzzwords may get the attention that is applied to those issues. Think of Zoom. In March 2020, companies all over the world closed their offices and asked office workers to carry on from home. The Zoom brand exploded into the lives of office workers in a matter of weeks. Offsite work moved from being the exception to the dominant office work site, and Zoom was right there prepared to lead the way as the primary brand to solve the problem of effective remote meetings.
Be consistent and reliable. Some brands stick with their tag line for years, even decades. They may refine and refresh it, but consider these classics…
Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.
Just do it.
The breakfast of champions.
Think different.
Can you hear me now?
You’re in good hands.
Finger lickin’ good.
Betcha can’t eat just one.
All the news that’s fit to print.
Taste the rainbow.
How many of these can you match with their brands? While some of these have been retired, all of them live on in the minds of people all over the world.
The availability heuristic plays a role in the non-profit sector, too.
Some of the most recognizable nonprofit brands are:
World Wildlife Fund
Doctors without Borders
The Nature Conservatory
The American Red Cross
UNICEF
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Habitat for Humanity
Salvation Army
Planned Parenthood
Goodwill
YMCA
United Way
These brands took years to build, and now they are internationally recognized.
Recognition comes in all sizes and shapes. If your animal shelter is the best known shelter in your local area, then your nonprofit is going to be most “available” in the minds of people in your local area when they are interested in learning more about the work of animal shelters, finding out about volunteer opportunities in the local area, and supporting your work.
On social media, there are mega-brand influencers, but there are also micro-influencers in many, many specific areas of interest. If you don’t have a nationally recognized brand, come up with ways your organization can be the best known, and the most “available” in the minds of a segment of people who would be most likely to support your mission. You want to be the go-to option for support for those who already care deeply about your cause.
Jump on the bandwagon. If local, regional, or national conversations shine a light on your subject matter, if the conversation turns to the problem that you and your colleagues are working so hard to solve, do not hesitate to get in the conversation as quickly and as loudly as possible. You want your solution to the problem to be highlighted and you want to use that opportunity to build awareness as quickly as possible. This effort to shine a light on your organization's efforts to make change within the topic at hand will have a lasting effect, likely allowing you to garner more resources and build community and recognition, and expand support for your mission, for a long time to come.
My Story: Jingles are Forever
Like most children of the 1970s, I spent a lot of time in front of the TV. There are many, many jingles I remember from 70s commercials, long retired now, but they will live on embedded in my brain until the day I die. These are brand I will never forget. Here are a few. Enjoy, but be careful… jingles are forever!
My bologna has a first name...
two-all-beef-patties-special-sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions-on-a-sesame-seed-bun
Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?
And, finally, a PNW classic - not a jingle really, but one of several unforgettable Rainier Beer commercials from that era.
And if you want to go down a wacky Rainier Beer advertising rabbit hole, check out this article.
