Little Effort, Big Payoff: Why Small Tasks Boost Discount Campaign Effectiveness

Why It Matters

Price promotions usually make saving effortless. But research shows that asking customers to make a small effort, like typing in a promo code, can actually make discounts more persuasive and boost sales.

Key Takeaways

• Adding a trivial task, such as entering a promo code or solving a CAPTCHA, increases redemption compared with automatic discounts of the same value.
• The small effort makes customers perceive a high return on effort (ROE), giving them a sense of achievement as “smart shoppers.”
• The effect is especially strong for smaller discounts, making low-cost promotions more impactful.

 

Trivial Effort Makes Discounts More Attractive

Marketers often assume customers prefer discounts that require no effort. Yet this study uncovers a surprising truth: adding a tiny task, such as typing in “SAVE10,” can make a promotion more compelling.

The researchers tested this idea across eight studies, including two field experiments. In one trial, they worked with a U.S. coffee chain to compare email promotions. One group of customers received an email with a 15% discount automatically applied. The other group needed to type in a short promo code. The results were clear: the code version led to nearly 60% more purchases.

A similar experiment with Facebook and Instagram ads confirmed the finding. Ads that asked users to enter a simple code attracted significantly higher click-through rates than ads where the discount was automatic.

Why a Small Task Changes Perceptions

Why does a trivial effort make a discount more appealing? The act of doing something, even as small as entering a code, gives customers a sense of ownership over the reward. Instead of passively receiving a deal, they feel they earned it.

This sense of accomplishment raises what the researchers call the “return on effort” (ROE). Since the effort is tiny and the reward is tangible, customers perceive a better value. They also feel clever for unlocking the discount themselves. This “smart shopper” effect enhances satisfaction and makes redemption more likely.

When More Effort Backfires

The effect works only when the effort stays minimal. If the task becomes too burdensome, the benefit disappears. In one study, asking customers to solve a single CAPTCHA boosted redemption, but requiring multiple CAPTCHAs discouraged customers from completing the purchase.

The researchers also discovered that the framing matters. When people focused on the monetary cost of a purchase, the effect of trivial effort vanished. The magic works best when customers pay attention to the process of unlocking the deal rather than the exact pounds and pence saved.

Business Implications

This research points to a simple, no-cost tactic for marketers: make discounts feel earned rather than handed out. In a market filled with frictionless, one-click checkouts, asking for a tiny effort can make your promotion stand out.

The strategy is especially useful for smaller discounts, where impact can otherwise be limited. By adding a trivial task, brands can stretch their promotional budgets further, boost engagement, and give customers a sense of achievement.

In short: a little effort goes a long way.

 

Authors & Sources

Authors: Kuangjie Zhang (Nanyang Technological University), Thomas Allard (Singapore Management University), Nidhi Agrawal (University of Washington), and Rajesh Bagchi (Virginia Tech)

Original Article: Journal of Marketing Research