- Featured, Psychology
Boeing has been a giant in the aircraft space since 1916.
But one moment almost blew up their reputation (and cost them a CEO and $31.9 billion, so far…)
Back in early 2024 a door plug blew off a 737 Max 9 mid-flight. That’s some scary sh*t!
Thankfully no passenger was seriously hurt…
But Boeing’s brand has been hurting ever since (to the tune of $39 Billion in losses, because they violated the one real expectation of flying:
– Not leg room.. – Not yummy snacks.. – Not even departing or arriving on time…
People Expect SAFETY!
To add insult to injury, Boeing later issued some crappy corporate statement that basically said “Oops, we didn’t double check our work and you could have died. We’ll do better next time!”
(At least they met our low expectation for a typical corporate apology)
Now, we don’t want to violate expectations in scary ways like Boeing…
But you can intentionally break expectations in a good way.
That’s why today, we’re exploring Expectancy Violation Theory and how it can help you make videos people actually watch.
Let’s dive in.
The Psychology of Expectancy Violation Theory
Expectancy Violation Theory was first developed and popularized in the mid-1970s by communication scholar Judee K. Burgoon.
EVT explains how:
- Expectations guide our behavior
- Violating expectations can be a positive or negative experience
- If you violate expectations positively, it can yield good results
Inside Your Viewer’s Mind
When your viewer hits play, their brain already has expectations:
“This is going to be [insert prediction]”
If your video matches their prediction, people watch and then move on. Like with a tutorial video.
If your video is worse than expected, people feel annoyed, bored, or frustrated and can react negatively to your brand. It doesn’t take long to break that trust and lose someone… forever.
Like with a 90-minute webinar that’s really a giant sales pitch. No one will ever sign up for another webinar.
Now, if your video is better than expected, the brain flags this as different in a good way. It’s a surprise!
And that surprise is what makes you memorable and encourages people to watch your videos.
Now How Do You Apply This?
When it comes to Strategy:
Liz Wainger states it beautifully in her article titled: Stop Wasting My Time with Your Useless Video.
“…video requires the viewer to absorb information on someone else’s timeframe. And too many videos wind up building irritation instead of loyalty.”
So you need to be crystal clear on:
- Why you’re making this video
- Who the video is for
- What the viewer should take from this video
- How relevant your message is to your viewer
But then ask yourself “what else do they need to take the next step?”
Dan does this in our 7 Deadly Sins of Business YouTube Channels video:
- He talks about the 7 deadly sins killing business channels (meets expectations)
- He respectfully gives real, relatable examples (meets expectations)
- He tells you exactly how to fix your videos based on which sin you’re committing instead of a generic ‘stop doing these’ message (slightly exceeds expectations)
But then he anticipates your next need and links this video on retention in good faith (surprise):
Surprises like this help your videos get more views and comments like these:
When it comes to Story:
People expect information. They expect data. They don’t expect a story.
And that’s why people are drawn to videos with stories baked in. It is one of the most powerful ways to not only positively break peoples expectations, but to actually delight your viewers as well!
Use Storytelling Frameworks and make sure your videos include “The Big 4”:
- Entertainment
- Education
- Inspiration
- Practicality
If you like shortcuts and AI tools, just use our Storytelling Coach CustomGPT and get help finding the best story framework for your message (so people actually watch your videos).
When it comes to Confidence:
Viewers expect you to be confident because you have authority as a creator.
One thing separates performative confidence (eww) from genuine confidence though.
Curiosity.
Genuinely confident people stay curious about things they care about and they show vulnerability through that curiosity.
They approach their content with better questions, explore fresh perspectives and keep their delivery alive with a sense of exploration–
A nice surprise in a sea of “I’ll teach you to make 6 figures for the low price of 3k and your dignity”.
So be curious about your content to be genuinely confident.
In A Spicy Nutshell
Expectation Violation Theory is an established principle of psychology. People have emotional responses when you violate their expectations.
But you can break their expectations in a good way and create a surprise.
Surprises are how you become memorable and memorable creators are the ones people stay loyal to, share, and (eventually), buy from.
So to leverage Expectation Violation Theory:
- Aim to meet expectations, then give people the support they need to take the next step
- Wrap your message in a story
- Stay genuinely curious and share your vulnerability through curiosity
Until next time, keep it spicy.
P.S. Did You Check Out Your Free Custom GPT?
P.P.S. Click here to skip all this, and work with us directly.
