In a research study recounted in The Economist last spring1, Capuchin monkeys were first trained to trade tokens for pieces of fruit. Then, the rules were changed so that, in exchange for their token, the monkeys received either the same amount of fruit from one researcher (A) or a variable amount from another (B). The variable amount from B was, in the aggregate, larger than that provided by A. Yet, to the surprise of the researchers, the monkeys preferred trading with A.

Similar experiments conducted with graduate students yielded similar results. When faced with two trading options, one offering an uncertain but overall positive average outcome, the other, a predictable but somewhat less positive outcome, the option with predictable results was preferred. Graduate students, like monkeys, will go against their self-interest and gravitate towards the decision that offers the most predictable outcome.

Economists are puzzled because basic economic theory dictates that individuals always choose the solution that is best for them. Yet, this experiment offers evidence that there is a wired-in preference for predictability for which we are ascribing value. Or, seen another way, predictability commands a price premium.

Brand strategists understand this phenomenon very well as they have learned that shoppers prefer to make choices which have a predictable outcome. A brand is the essential tool for identifying the reliable choice.

What does this simian experiment mean to a brand marketer?

First, understand that the value of a brand originates in its predictability. Reflecting that predictability in a brand's message, however, is easier said than done. After all, business is seldom predictable. Competitors change. Prices change. Rules change. So it behooves the brand manager to find and obtain company-wide agreement on what part of his brand's behavior cannot be changed.

Marketers should create a document that lists all the values that exist in the brand and obtain an understanding and commitment of all those who have an effect on how the brand is perceived that those values are never transgressed. Better, they should be promoted wherever possible.

A core value at McDonald's, for example, is being a kid-friendly family restaurant. Products and decor are kid friendly and store crews recognize and understand kids' needs and aspirations. The company even produces a training video in which the camera is placed at a child's eye level to show how a kid might find it difficult to attract the attention of a crew member, etc. If McDonald's suddenly became unfriendly to kids, it would become a very different brand. It would cease to be McDonald's.

Another excellent example is Procter & Gamble's Tide brand, which has long stood for being the best laundry detergent. Tide has continuously and quietly adapted its formulations to retain its edge, even as there have been changes in U.S. washing machines, washing habits, the type of fabrics to be washed, etc. Are there other laundry detergents that may do a better job? Perhaps. Consumers just can trust Tide's relentless and consistent pursuit of excellence. Consistency is worth a little more.

The same can be observed with many other brands. Harley-Davidson carefully ensures that its newest machines have the Harley look and sound, helping the brand command a higher price than more reliable Japanese motorcycles. IBM computers are considered to be advanced and reliable in the business world, particularly when compared with lesser-known competitors. Hence the “nobody ever got fired for buying IBM” axiom. Oh, yes, IBM computers usually cost a little more. And their software may not be the most advanced, but the reputation it has acquired with management protects it.

Implementing consistency is very difficult and time consuming, particularly in marketing. The obstacles are many, from product managers who seek management recognition by changing the brand, to ad agencies who do the same for similar reasons, to the lassitude that seeps into the boardroom when the time comes to review yet another similar ad for the brand.

When you face these difficulties in managing your brand, it is good to remember the innate wired-in branding predisposition of Capuchins and the steps that researchers went through to evidence our common craving for consistency. Do not go ape! Stay the consistent course.

By Jacques Chevron