Episode 34: The Option Nobody Picks: Using the Decoy Effect When Presenting Product Options

Why does adding a $6.50 medium popcorn make so many people buy the $7 large? It's the decoy effect: a third option that almost no one chooses, but that changes which of the other options people pick.

In this episode of The NeuroMarketing Playbook, we look at the 1982 Duke University research by Joel Huber, John Payne, and Christopher Puto, which showed that adding a clearly weaker option can steer people toward the option it makes look good. We explain why the brain grabs onto easy comparisons when a choice feels hard, and we revisit The Economist subscription example from Episode 25 with fresh eyes.

Then we get practical, with three moves for presenting your product options: pick your winner, build a decoy right next to it, and keep it honest.

If your customers keep saying "let me think about it," this episode is for you.

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