If you head over to Costco this weekend, you’ll be able to make a meal out of all the free samples being distributed. Why does Costco do this? Because of the positive “frame” it creates for your shopping experience. The sampling creates a “fun” atmosphere (not an easy task at a vast warehouse store), gives people an incentive to walk through the door and encourages them to buy.

The frame impacts perception 

In the marketing context, a “frame” is the message that precedes your message, or the context in which your message is viewed or received. Essentially, it’s the “set-up” that shapes your prospect’s assumptions and preconceived notions.

To understand this concept, think about art. When you look at a piece of art in a museum, the underlying assumption is that the art must be “good” in some way. After all, it’s in a museum! But what would happen if you saw the same piece of art being peddled on a street corner? This change of context would undoubtedly impact your perception of the artwork’s value.

When implementing a marketing tactic, it is extremely important to be aware of the frame. This is because an otherwise perfectly targeted and executed marketing message can be completely undermined by the wrong frame. A positive frame increases the chances that your marketing efforts will succeed; a negative or inappropriate frame can derail an otherwise great program.

Some common frames

Let’s take a look at some frames that can impact your marketing efforts:

• Word of mouth – A big reason why word-of-mouth advertising is so successful is that it’s an incredibly powerful frame. Someone the prospect trusts has already sold them on buying from you.
• Graphic design – Does your design announce that you are highly professional? Family-oriented? Hip and trendy? Because your graphic design frames the context of your company’s message, you need to guard against undermining your message with poor or inappropriate graphic design.
• Online ads – Online ads are framed by the rest of the content on the page. A few months ago a number of major companies pulled their ads from social media site X after reports that some of their ads appeared next to pro-Nazi posts. These companies recognized how harmful a frame like this can be.

How is your message framed? To reach your goals, pay close attention to this important element of your marketing efforts.