Nudging, or how to influence consumer behaviour

The article analyses the mechanism of “soft” nudging as a phenomenon of behavioural economics and an instrument of influence on consumers by sellers, bloggers, producers. The theory of soft nudging suggests the use of unobtrusive artificial stimuli to influence consumers and increase the probability of their purchases or making certain decisions, such as the use of colour palettes, packaging design, fragrances and sound design in shops. It is determined that a feature of the nudging mechanism is a conditional choice alternative, where the consumer can make a decision opposite to that expected from the influence. The architecture as well as examples of application of nudging in everyday life of the consumer are considered. The main mechanisms of counteraction to nudging are highlighted, such as avoiding emotional outbursts, staying true to one’s intuition and not succumbing to the action of narratives.