Why they want your product?

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🧠 Collateral Craving Theory: Why They Actually Want Your Product (And How to Weaponize That)

You think they want your product. They don’t.

They want what your product proves about them to themselves, and to everyone watching. That’s the psychological leap from transactional desire to collateral craving, and it’s where DTC gods separate themselves from the tactical herd.

Imagine two people buy the same cold plunge.

One says, “Can’t believe I’m doing this.”

The other says: “Discipline over dopamine.”

Same product, different subtext. One is hoping to change. The other is proving they already have. This is Collateral Craving, the emotional self-evidence your customer seeks through purchase.

They’re not buying what you sell. They’re buying the version of themselves they get to post, believe in, or admire afterward.

4 Advanced Strategies to Activate Collateral Craving

1. Rebuild PDPs to Project Identity, Not Specs: Ditch: “Made from 100% recycled aluminum.”

Use: “For people who give a damn about what they leave behind.”

Shift every product detail into a personal or public signal. Make the buyer feel seen.

2. Launch the “Self-Proof” UGC Series: Brief creators to answer: “What does using this say about me?”

Not just how it works, but who they become by using it.

👉 Insense helps you find creators who already embody that aspirational identity — so the message lands as lived, not performed. You can book a free demo call by May 16th and get a $200 bonus for your first campaign.

3. Create Mirror Messaging Funnels: Test 3 emotional frames in your ads:

• “Proof I’m ahead of the curve”
• “Proof I’m disciplined”
• “Proof I belong with people like this” Track resonance and build retargeting off emotional self-alignment, not just CTR.

4. Encourage Performative Use-Cases: Build rituals or moments that invite being seen.

Think: “Gym selfie after taking the nootropic,” “Unboxing with handwritten affirmations,” “Post-cold plunge journal prompts.”

You’re not selling the result. You’re selling the ritual that lets the customer show up as their upgraded self.

Final Lens: You’re not selling skincare. You’re selling the feeling of being someone who prioritizes themselves in a world that doesn’t.

That’s the magic of collateral craving, and the brands that master it build not just loyalty, but devotion.

Now go write your next ad… and make the buyer feel proud of who they are for choosing you.

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🤖 Google Ads Just Got a Major Intelligence Upgrade

Google is transforming ad management with deeper AI integration across Performance Max, Merchant Center, Display & Video 360, and even core search results. It’s a full-stack move toward an AI-native advertising ecosystem.

The Breakdown:

1. Performance Max Gets Full Channel Breakdown - Advertisers can now view campaign results by channel, Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail and more, with asset-level metrics like impressions, clicks, CPC, and Shopping feed performance. Search term reporting and diagnostics also reveal which assets are driving results.

2. Smarter Merchant Center with Natural Language Filters - Google’s “Search for Products” tool turns plain-English queries like “products with no conversions” into actionable filters. Retailers can isolate performance issues faster and export clean views for optimization.

3. DV360 Gets Conversational AI Tools - Display & Video 360 now uses Google AI to auto-suggest inventory, pre-fill settings, and generate real-time campaign reports. You can troubleshoot pacing, ask natural-language queries, and run predictive campaign setups with just a prompt.

4. Sponsored Modules Tested in Search - Google is testing “Sponsored” tags on non-ad content in experimental search modules tied to shopping queries. These aren’t paid placements yet, but they hint at Google’s push to monetize commercial intent more subtly. 

Google is fusing AI, automation, and commerce intent into every corner of the ad stack. These changes don’t just streamline workflow, they unlock scalable performance across surfaces, screens, and stages of the funnel. 

👾 Quick Hits

❓ Struggling to Find the Right Influencers Fast? Insense connects you with 60,000+ vetted UGC creators in just 48 hours, no more endless searching. Quip saw 85% influencer activation, and Any Age Activewear boosted AOV by 20%. Book your free strategy call by May 16 and get $200 toward your first campaign.

🖇️ Pinterest has upgraded visual search with AI-powered image breakdowns, personalized refinements, and long-press access, initially for women’s fashion in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, with more categories coming soon.

🧵 Trump may extend TikTok’s U.S. sell-off deadline again, as no deal has emerged. Ongoing China tensions stall negotiations, leaving TikTok in regulatory limbo despite a Senate-enforced divestment law.

🧠 33% of Google users kept using Bing after a two-week trial, revealing that habit, not quality, drives search dominance more than we think. Exposure alone dramatically shifted user preference and perception.

🎫 Performance Max now supports channel-level reporting, full search term insights, and expanded asset metrics, giving over one million advertisers deeper visibility and smarter control across Search, YouTube, Display, Maps, and more.

That’s a wrap for today! Tell us your thoughts about today's content as we line up more Shorts! And don’t hesitate to share this with someone who’d adore it. 🥰