Do “made with love” products sell? Research shows who values ​​handmade products the most

We’ve all seen the “handmade with love” marketing message. It is designed to tug at our heartstrings, suggesting that special care and affection went into creating the product.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, many companies will increasingly include such messages in their advertising.

Handmade gifts are often seen as more thoughtful and special options than their mass-produced, machine-made alternatives.

But does “love” actually sell? Our fresh product testspublished in the Journal of Consumer Behavior shows that not everyone has the same opinion about these labels.

Why do some people believe that handmade products are made with love, while others don’t really care? We’ve found that it all depends on how they approach their purchasing decisions.

A deeper human connection

Why do companies advertise products as handmade? Previous research has shown that handmade labels can evoke greater positive emotions. This trend is known as “handmade effect“.

In the world of seemingly perfect and refined products, tests shows that consumers increasingly prefer human interactions (as opposed to machines), including when shopping.

It has also been shown that giving handmade gifts can promote social relationships.

We often associated handmade products with smaller “homegrown” retailers. However, many immense global retailers – including Amazon AND IKEA – strategically introduced handmade products aimed at establishing a deeper emotional connection with consumers.

Our research shows that not all consumers respond to these marketing messages in the same way.

Who cares about love?

In two studies, we found that the response to products being advertised as “handmade” depends on the consumer’s locomotion orientation – in straightforward terms, how he or she approaches decisions and other actions.

People with low mobility take everything slower. They take time and are able to carefully consider their purchasing decisions. Think of them as “mindful.”

In contrast, people with high locomotion are “doers.” They like to get things done quickly without going into details. These are customers who want to shop on a grab-and-go basis.

When the way they perform an action – such as making a purchase – matches their quick attitude, something unusual happens: they experience what is calledregulatory fit“.

This alignment increases their excitement and engagement.

Our first study

In our first study, participants imagined purchasing a gift for a loved one. They were divided into three groups and given a photo of the same cup.

One group was told that the mug was “handmade”, the second group reported that it was “machine made”, and the last group was not offered any “manufacturing tip”.

We also asked and measured how much “love” there was in the mug – and how much they would pay for it.

The handmade mug generated more love and led to greater willingness to pay – but only for people with reduced mobility.

People with high locomotion did not respond in the same way. For these “factors”, the story of how the cup was created was not as vital as getting the product they needed.

For “makers,” the benefits of selling the mug as handmade actually backfired.

They loved the mug more if it had no label at all.

Our second study

By communicating with consumers on social media, marketers can induce a mindset called the “regulatory mode of locomotion.” Simply put, it is the mode in which we take action and make progress towards goals.

Marketers can do this using activating locomotion words like “move” and “go” to encourage dynamic decision-making.

To borrow one eminent example from Nike: “Just do it“.

In our second study, we examined marketer-generated content from over 9,000 Facebook posts from verified Etsy Facebook page.

We analyzed how locomotion triggers in social media posts about handmade products influence consumer engagement.

In other words, we wanted to understand how these words influenced the social media engagement of potential consumers reading them, especially in terms of social shares.

We found that the higher a person’s locomotor orientation, the fewer “shares” there were of handmade products on social media.

So does crafts really matter?

As Valentine’s Day approaches, understanding these differences can assist retailers adjust their marketing strategies.

For the “mindful” customer, retailers should highlight the story of craftsmanship, care and love behind a handmade product this Valentine’s Day. Operate emotional language, such as “made with love.”

But keep in mind that this may not work for everyone. For a “contractor” customer base, keep it straightforward by omitting unnecessary details about production methods.

There are a number website analytical tools that can assist retailers determine how their customers approach the purchasing decision-making process.

Do they browse quickly, jumping from one product to another, selecting “one click”buying? Or maybe they took their time, browsed slowly and considered the product choices?

Personalized marketing messages can then be developed to highlight the aspects – love or effectiveness – that are most vital to each group. The key is knowing who you’re talking to.