{"id":33259,"date":"2025-10-11T14:59:57","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T18:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/?p=33259"},"modified":"2025-10-17T15:01:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T19:01:21","slug":"the-thrill-of-the-chase-why-anticipation-beats-ownership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/the-thrill-of-the-chase-why-anticipation-beats-ownership\/","title":{"rendered":"The Thrill of the Chase: Why Anticipation Beats Ownership"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- iframe plugin v.6.0 wordpress.org\/plugins\/iframe\/ -->\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border:none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/38485815\/height\/100\/width\/\/thumbnail\/yes\/render-playlist\/no\/theme\/custom\/tdest_id\/606730\/custom-color\/f7a011\" height=\"100\" width=\"100%\" scrolling=\"no\" 0=\"allowfullscreen\" 1=\"webkitallowfullscreen\" 2=\"mozallowfullscreen\" 3=\"oallowfullscreen\" 4=\"msallowfullscreen\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Episode Overview<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Ever buy something you couldn&#8217;t wait to get\u2014and then let it sit in the box for days (or weeks)? You&#8217;re not alone. Guest host Morgan Ward joins Ryan Hamilton to explore why we often love <em data-start=\"427\" data-end=\"440\">the pursuit<\/em> of products more than the <em data-start=\"467\" data-end=\"479\">possession<\/em> of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">From unopened tools and &#8220;someday&#8221; sweaters to the viral Stanley Cup craze, they unpack the psychology of anticipation, dopamine, and why the thrill fades once the package arrives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"672\" data-end=\"826\"><span style= \"font-size: 12pt;\">This episode reveals what&#8217;s really driving that &#8220;add to cart&#8221; impulse\u2014and how brands can design experiences that move customers from wanting to <em data-start=\"816\" data-end= \"824\">using.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">&nbsp;<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,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\" width=\"47\" height=\"47\" alt=\"\">Quote of the Episode<\/h2>\n<blockquote data-start=\"865\" data-end=\"977\">\n<p data-start=\"867\" data-end=\"977\"><span style= \"font-size: 12pt;\">&#8220;Apparently, the most appealing part of consumption for me is the buying\u2014not the using.&#8221; \u2014 <em data-start= \"958\" data-end=\"975\">Dr. Morgan Ward<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udd11 Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li data-start=\"1011\" data-end=\"1137\"><span style= \"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong data-start=\"1011\" data-end= \"1056\">Anticipation feels better than ownership.<\/strong> Dopamine spikes during the <em data-start=\"1084\" data-end=\"1091\">chase<\/em>, making the search itself deeply rewarding.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1011\" data-end=\"1137\"><span style= \"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong data-start=\"1140\" data-end=\"1173\">&#8220;Maybe later&#8221; kills momentum.<\/strong> Adding something to a wish list or cart often satisfies the craving\u2014so we never come back to buy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1011\" data-end=\"1137\"><span style= \"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong data-start=\"1276\" data-end=\"1309\">Trends have expiration dates.<\/strong> When products are tied to social signaling (like the Stanley Cup craze), they must be used <em data-start=\"1401\" data-end=\"1406\">now<\/em> or lose their power.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1011\" data-end=\"1137\"><span style= \"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong data-start=\"1432\" data-end= \"1466\">Experience is the new product.<\/strong> Pop-ups, fittings, and even unboxing rituals add emotional value that can&#8217;t be postponed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1011\" data-end=\"1137\"><span style= \"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong data-start=\"1561\" data-end=\"1586\">Design for immediacy.<\/strong> Products that promise instant results or gratification inspire customers to open\u2014and love\u2014them right away.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 data-start=\"2693\" data-end=\"2733\">\ud83d\udcda Resources Mentioned \/ Referenced<\/h2>\n<ul data-start=\"1733\" data-end=\"2097\">\n<li style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" data-start=\"1733\" data-end=\"1843\"> <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/lifestyle\/stanley-tumbler-craze-overflowing-184504631.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC8w4Ig3Gw-zXHqxNPPyoKxuhbd1x_zkRz7Pz_sOploluBG9LwYfl_Es6XiGZ0rmBPd6LRVH2cKVcWvnsbFPSVfBAuLHLCbilmkSQTjTPBL026XBpzpvSz2EUqLA3dz3_x6xZnfeEwMn8VgOOpyY3bACtn27M8_GLSL58tQXdfku\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong data-start=\"1850\" data-end=\"1876\">Stanley Cup phenomenon<\/strong><\/a> as a case study in social inclusion and urgency<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" data-start=\"1927\" data-end=\"2020\">\n<p data-start=\"1929\" data-end=\"2020\"><span style= \"font-size: 12pt;\">Discussion of <strong data-start=\"1943\" data-end=\"1967\">anticipatory utility<\/strong> and the <strong data-start=\"1976\" data-end=\"1997\">hedonic treadmill<\/strong> in consumer behavior<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" data-start=\"2021\" data-end=\"2097\">\n<p data-start=\"2023\" data-end=\"2097\"><span style= \"font-size: 12pt;\">Norton, Michael I., Daniel Mochon, and Dan Ariely. &#8220;The IKEA effect: When labor leads to love.&#8221;&nbsp;<em>Journal of consumer psychology<\/em> 22, no. 3 (2012): 453-460.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style= \"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong><span style= \"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #0e101a;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,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\" width=\"38\" height=\"38\" alt=\"\">About the Hosts<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2023\" data-end=\"2097\"><span style= \"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: #0e101a;\"> <strong>Ryan Hamilton<\/strong> is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University&#8217;s Goizueta Business School and co-author of &#8216;The Intuitive Customer&#8217; book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets &amp; Quants&#8217; &#8220;World&#8217;s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40.&#8221; His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new&nbsp;<\/span><span style= \"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: #222222; background: white;\">book called<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3ZCN2wD\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em><span style= \"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Gothic'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; color: #1155cc; background: white;\"> &#8220;The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things&#8221;<\/span><\/em><\/a> <span style= \"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: #222222; background: white;\"> Harvard Business Press 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2023\" data-end=\"2097\"><a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/in\/ryan-hamilton-49b3321\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style= \"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Gothic'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; color: #1155cc;\"> Follow Ryan on LinkedIn<\/span><\/a> <span style= \"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ryan-hamilton-49b3321\/)\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ryan-hamilton-49b3321\/)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2023\" data-end=\"2097\"><strong><span style= \"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;\"> Morgan Ward<\/span><\/strong> <span style= \"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;\"> is an adjunct marketing professor, weekly expert guest on <em>The Take<\/em>\u201411Alive&#8217;s in-depth news program that explores timely stories through expert insight\u2014With over 20 years of experience advising clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500s and publishing in top academic journals, she&#8217;s passionate about decoding the symbolic and cultural forces that shape consumer behavior. Her work focuses on status, identity, and decision-making across sectors like luxury, retail, and tech. Beyond consulting, Morgan serves as an expert witness in branding and advertising litigation, bringing academic rigor to questions of perception, distinctiveness, and influence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2023\" data-end=\"2097\"><span style= \"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/morgankward-phd\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Follow Morgan on LinkedIn<\/a> (https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/morgankward-phd\/)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style= \"margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;\"><span style= \"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/108490\/the-thrill-of-the-chase-why-anticipation-beats-ownership?tdest_id=606730\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Episode Overview Ever buy something you couldn&#8217;t wait to get\u2014and then let it sit in the box for days (or weeks)? You&#8217;re not alone. Guest host Morgan Ward joins Ryan Hamilton to explore why we often love the pursuit of products more than the possession of them. From unopened tools and &#8220;someday&#8221; sweaters to the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3143,"featured_media":27706,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[640],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcasts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3143"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33259"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33263,"href":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33259\/revisions\/33263"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beyondphilosophy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}