ADVERTISING - PART I

Advertising is all around us. Hardly could one imagine his/her life without being bombarded with numerous ads trying to persuade us to purchase different articles that we usually don’t need. Many methods of advertising goods and services exist and contemporary market seeks the best ones to pocket best profits. According to marketing definitions, advertising is a paid promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas. It could be concluded that such a promotional strategy is aimed to make us familiar with options, attributes of products. Nonetheless, we are all quite aware of the fact that numerous tricks, psychological means are used manipulate us into buying this instead of that. Still, as I found out in many conversations, people believe they are not susceptible, claiming such tricks do affect other people, but not them. I bet most of you would say with confidence, that they are more or less in control of what is their purchase choice. However, you might be mistaken, or let’s say a little overconfident. Advertising industry exercises different methods and I encourage you to become familiar with them and therefore more in control of your choices. I will present you with some common tricks: so called “supermarket psychology” , then discuss some psychological basics and at last investigate “ you are what you buy” tactic.

Packaging is obviously an advertising tool to differentiate one product from another, but did you know that it may convey much more. Usage of shapes, colours, fonts or images may communicate to you that this products represents some certain values. They are displayed so you can attribute it to yourself. Utilizing green will immediately make a product more healthy and the brand more environmental friendly. If you care, you are probably more prone to buy such a brand instead of a more mainstream looking one- and you do it without much thought! Images of half-naked women advertise goods from beauty products to food, cars, vacation and beer. But nudity sells everything, so why not? Were you aware that when a merchandiser wants to communicate a drop in prices he will do it different way depending on the price of the good? With cheaper things, let’s take a chocolate bar, the reduction in the price will be announced in percentage ( Snickers, now 20% cheaper!). It makes a bigger impact than saying that it is 25 grosz cheaper. With cars instead they always communicate the reduction in exact amount of money( Out now, discount for previous year Hondas is 5,400 Pln). Sounds better that 3% discount, doesn’t it. And I don’t intend to say that customers can’t count but such a trick is enough to catch your attention and consider a purchase. Such methods are countless, for different sectors distinguish. Here have a look at two clips discussing consumer behavior psychology:








Q:
Do you guys, spend much time thinking over your purchases or you are spontaneous customers?

How does it vary for different sorts of goods?