Who doesn’t want to be better than average? Top the average income, rate a bit better in the “looks” department, have smarter kids. As it turns out, we consumers don’t want to be just average in using our products, either. And if marketers understand this, they can harness it to increase their effectiveness.



In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Rebecca Hamilton discusses her new research that suggests that if consumers don’t think they can meet the pace of product use set by other consumers, they’ll be less likely to purchase the product.