The Decoy Product That Exists Only to Make You Choose the Expensive One

The Economist famously offered: Digital only ($59), Print only ($125), Print + Digital ($125). The print-only option makes no logical sense.

Cialdini’s decoy effect. The $125 print-only exists solely to make the $125 print + digital feel like a steal. Without the decoy, more people chose digital only. With it, 84% chose the combo.

A software company added a “Pro” tier at $99/month with fewer features than “Business” at $99/month. Pro existed only to make Business look irrational not to choose.

Business tier signups increased 32%. The decoy was never meant to sell.

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