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𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁
First, check out the image and drop your answer in the comments – then scroll down to see the full explanation.
Imagine this: you walk into a coffee shop.
Small for $3.50, Large for $7, and Medium for $6.50.
Let me guess - you go for the Medium because it feels like the best deal. Even though Large gives more for just 50 cents extra, Medium feels like the smart compromise: not too expensive, not too small.
That’s 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘆 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 in action. Marketers use a third, less attractive option (the decoy) to push you toward the one they really want you to pick.
In 2012, researchers from Duke and MIT ran experiments showing that people consistently choose the “middle” or “better value” option - even when it wasn’t originally appealing - just because a decoy made it look smarter.
👉 Why it works:
Our brains don’t compare prices in isolation, we compare them relatively. When there’s a worse deal next to a good one, the good one suddenly feels irresistible.
💡 For marketers:
Next time you build a pricing table, menu, or plan page - test adding a “decoy” tier. Just make sure it makes the middle option look like a win, not a trap.
So tell me - when you see “Basic / Pro / Premium,” which one do you actually click?
