Psychology · Fr
Framing.
Same fact, different frame.
Framing is how the way you put a fact changes how people judge it, even when the fact stays the same. '75% lean' and '25% fat' describe the same mince. '$3 a day' and '$1,200 a year' describe the same plan. The research says framing is real but usually modest, and it works best on people who know least about the product. Used honestly, it makes a fact easier to understand. Used to hide the total, it misleads.
Written by Dan Picken, a marketer applying published research. Last checked 30 October 2026.An illustration with made-up numbers, not data from a study.
What the
research says.
Evidence: DependsFraming effects are well documented but usually modest, and they fade when people have their own experience of the product. Test frames on your own buyers.
In a classic study, Levin and Gaeth had people rate minced beef labelled either '75% lean' or '25% fat'. The lean label got better ratings, but the effect shrank once people actually tasted the meat. A frame matters most before people have their own experience.
Not all framing is the same. Levin, Schneider and Gaeth separated three kinds: risky choice framing, attribute framing (how a feature is described) and goal framing (how persuasive a message is), and argued that mixing them up explains many of the conflicting results.
Time is a frame too. Gourville found that putting a cost as a series of small ongoing amounts, the 'pennies a day' approach, generally made people more willing to buy, because it made them compare it with small everyday spending instead of big one-off purchases. A later study found periodic pricing produced a 77% increase in sales for a meal delivery service.
Keep the size of the effect in proportion. A meta-analysis of 136 papers found framing effects were small to moderate overall, and depended heavily on how the frame was set up. Framing nudges a decision. It rarely turns a no into a yes on its own.
In your
marketing.
Subscription pricing
Show the per-week or per-month price next to the yearly total, so the small frame helps and the total is still clear.
E-commerce
Service pages
'9 in 10 jobs finished on the day' reads easier than '90% completion rate'. Say where the number comes from.
Trades
Finance ads
Repayments framed weekly can help people budget, but ASIC expects interest and comparison rates shown properly too. See the finance hub.
Finance
Where it backfires
A small frame that hides the total. The ACCC says the total price must be shown as a single figure, at least as prominent as any part price.
All
Weak frame,
honest frame.
The same fact in each row. The honest frame is easier to understand and still shows the whole picture.
| Industry | Weak frame | Honest frame |
|---|---|---|
| Subscriptions | 'Just $5.77 a week!' with the yearly total in small print | '$5.77 a week ($300 a year), cancel any time', both equally clear |
| Trades | '98% satisfaction' with no source | '49 of 50 customers in the last year said they'd recommend us' |
| Health | 'Only 1 in 10 patients feel pain' | Plain facts about what to expect, within AHPRA's advertising rules |
| E-commerce | 'From $9' when nearly every option costs $29 | The price of the option most people buy, with the range |
| B2B | 'Saves up to 40%' from one best case | 'Most clients save 10% to 20%, here's how we worked it out' |
Try it
Same number.
Different frame.
Put in a price, or a percentage. It writes the same fact several honest ways, with a note on when each one helps and when it starts to mislead. Test the frames on your own buyers rather than picking a favourite.
Example numbers only. Every frame below is the same fact: the tool never changes the number, only how it's put.
The price, framed
The percentage, framed
A frame only helps if the buyer can still see the whole picture. In Australia the ACCC requires the total price as a single figure, at least as prominent as any part price.
Try this
Show a monthly price next to the yearly total, as clearly as each other.
It backfires when
The frame hides the real cost or the real risk.
In my experience
Where I see framing go wrong most is pricing pages that lead with a tiny weekly number and bury the total, or the contract length, further down. It might lift clicks, but the calls that follow start with suspicion. Showing both, side by side and equally clear, tends to bring in people who've already accepted the total.
Test it on
your own buyers.
- 1
Pick one number
A price, a success rate or a time saving that appears in your ads or on a key page.
- 2
Write two honest frames
For example, per week and per year, or '9 in 10' and '90%'. The framer above does the first draft.
- 3
Run them side by side
Two ad versions, or two versions of the page, to the same audience at the same time.
- 4
Judge on what happens next
Enquiries, sales and the questions people ask on the phone. A frame that lifts clicks but brings surprised callers isn't working.
Questions
people ask.
What is the framing effect in marketing?
It's when the same fact, described differently, changes how people judge it. In one study, mince labelled '75% lean' was rated better than the same mince labelled '25% fat'.
Does 'only $X a day' pricing work?
Often. Gourville found the pennies-a-day frame generally made people more willing to buy. It works because people compare the daily amount with small everyday spending. It stops being honest when the total is hidden.
Is framing the same as being misleading?
No, but it can become misleading. Choosing the clearest true way to put a fact is fine. Hiding the total price, or using a frame that creates a false impression, isn't. The ACCC requires the total price as a single, equally prominent figure.
How big is the framing effect?
Usually modest. A meta-analysis of 136 papers found framing effects small to moderate overall, and they shrink when people have their own experience of the product.
What's the difference between framing and loss aversion?
Loss aversion is one specific idea about why some frames work: that losses can feel bigger than gains. Framing is broader. It includes how you describe a feature, a time period or a percentage, not just gains versus losses. See the loss aversion page for the gain and loss tests.
Should I use percentages or '1 in X'?
For most people, '1 in 4' is easier to picture than 25%. Use whichever is clearer for your buyer, keep it true when you round, and say where the number comes from.
Keep going
Where is this costing
you sales?
Takes a minute. Audits come back within 1 to 2 business days. For anything else, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
What happens next
- 1I'll ask for read-only access, or just your website for a search audit.
- 2I go through it and write up the 3 biggest fixes.
- 3A 20-minute call to walk you through it. No pitch unless you ask.