How Asking for Favors Can Increase Likability by 43%: The Ben Franklin Effect
When Benjamin Franklin wanted to win over a rival in the Pennsylvania legislature, he didn’t try to impress him or do him favors. Instead, he asked to borrow a rare book from his collection. This simple request transformed their relationship from hostile to friendly, revealing a powerful psychological principle we now call the Ben Franklin Effect.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, asking someone for a favor doesn’t burden them—it actually makes them like you more. When someone does something for you, they subconsciously justify their action by convincing themselves they must like you. Otherwise, why would they have helped?
Research from 2025 shows that individuals who are asked for small favors subsequently rate the requester 43% more favorably than control groups, with effects lasting up to 7 months.
Research Findings
The data is compelling:
- Asking for small favors increases likability ratings by 43%
- Customer retention improves by 37% when brands strategically request minor customer actions
- User-generated content increases by 58% when framed as “doing the brand a favor”
- Brand loyalty scores increase by 31% after customers complete small requested tasks
*Eureka Moment
The most powerful application of the Ben Franklin Effect isn’t just asking for any favor—it’s requesting what psychologists call “identity-consistent micro-commitments” that align with how people already see themselves. When someone performs a favor that reinforces their self-image, the likability boost is nearly twice as strong.
5 Strategies to Implement the Ben Franklin Effect
1. Request Expertise Sharing
- Ask customers to share their experience with your product
- Invite specific feedback on areas where they have expertise
- Request participation in specialized surveys or focus groups
- Solicit advice on potential new features or products
- Frame requests as valuing their unique perspective
2. Create Micro-Commitment Opportunities
- Design small, easy-to-complete favor requests
- Implement progressive engagement ladders with increasing commitment
- Start with minimal-effort actions before larger requests
- Make initial favors almost impossible to refuse
- Express genuine appreciation for each completed action
3. Leverage User-Generated Content
- Ask customers to share photos with your product
- Request testimonials framed as “helping future customers”
- Invite participation in hashtag campaigns
- Solicit reviews as a personal favor to the brand
- Create community challenges that generate shareable content
4. Implement Strategic Personalization
- Request information to “better personalize their experience”
- Ask for preference selections to “help improve recommendations”
- Invite customers to create profiles or avatars
- Request feedback on personalized experiences
- Solicit input on future personalization features
4. Process Transparency
- Ask customers to help answer other users’ questions
- Invite participation in community forums or discussions
- Request votes or input on community decisions
- Solicit mentorship for newer community members
- Create opportunities for customers to contribute to brand initiatives
5. Build Community Contribution
- Ask customers to help answer other users’ questions
- Invite participation in community forums or discussions
- Request votes or input on community decisions
- Solicit mentorship for newer community members
- Create opportunities for customers to contribute to brand initiatives
MINI CASE STUDY
How Duolingo Increased Engagement by 47%
Duolingo masterfully applies the Ben Franklin Effect through their “help us improve” translation tasks. By asking users to help translate real-world content as a favor to improve their algorithms, they’ve created a powerful psychological bond with users.
The results were remarkable: user engagement increased by 47%, daily active users rose by 32%, and their Net Promoter Score improved by 28 points. By framing these activities as favors that help the platform improve for everyone, Duolingo transformed routine learning activities into relationship-building opportunities.
Cultural Variations
Research shows that while the Ben Franklin Effect exists across cultures, its implementation varies significantly. In collectivist cultures (like Japan and South Korea), favor requests that benefit the community are 37% more effective than individual-focused requests. In individualistic cultures (like the US and UK), favor requests that emphasize personal expertise recognition are 29% more effective.
Implementation Checklist
- [ ] Identify small, easy-to-complete favor opportunities
- [ ] Create a progressive engagement ladder of increasingly meaningful requests
- [ ] Implement personalized favor requests based on customer segments
- [ ] Develop a system for expressing genuine appreciation after favors
- [ ] Test different favor framing approaches (helping others, expertise sharing, etc.)
- [ ] Create opportunities for user-generated content through favor requests
- [ ] Implement community contribution opportunities
- [ ] Measure engagement and sentiment changes after favor completion
- [ ] Develop follow-up sequences that build on completed favors
- [ ] Analyze cultural factors in your audience to optimize favor framing
Insights from the Cultural Relevance Book
Learn More in Chapter 7
Cultural Relevance: Shaping Brands for the Multicultural Future
Ready to master the psychology of influence and dramatically increase customer loyalty? Get your copy of Cultural Relevance today and discover dozens more evidence-based strategies to transform your marketing effectiveness.