Marketing with the Peak-end Rule

Why would someone choose more discomfort?

That was the question Daniel Kahneman and his fellow researchers explored in a 1993 experiment.

Each participant was given two tasks: First, they submerged their hand in 14 °C water for a full minute. Then, they repeated the step with their other hand. The second time, they had to submerge the hand for an additional 30 seconds as the water temperature increased to 15 °C.

Participants were then asked which trial they wanted to repeat.

A significant majority chose the longer trial, even though it subjected them to more total discomfort.

The psychological explanation has become known as the “peak-end rule.” It suggests that we don’t judge every moment of an experience equally. Instead, our memories are disproportionately shaped by how we felt at the peak of the experience and its end.

In the study, people endured more time in cold water because they liked the memory of it better than the shorter stint in slightly colder water.

Highs and Lows

The peak-end rule has big implications for marketing and communications, from lead generation and customer touchpoints to internal comms. This LinkedIn B2B Institute piece explores some approaches.

For marketers, leveraging the peak-end rule starts with knowing what your audience considers the peak – and the end – of the experience.

Where are you seeing the most engagement and the most positive feedback? Where are there opportunities to surprise or delight? What are the perceived endpoints, and how can they be improved?