Overzealous marketers devote countless hours to fashioning piles of product claims, when three would do just fine.
According to a study by behavioral scientists Suzanne Shu and Kurt Carlson, audiences react positively when exposed to one, two or three product claims, but turn suddenly skeptical when that number climbs to four.
While okay with three or fewer product claims, when exposed to more than three, audiences decide they're being manipulated—and begin to doubt the message and the messenger.
So the next time you're tempted to add yet another advantage to the pile, remember: Three's the charm.
