Advertising: Information or Manipulation
What would you say is the goal of commercial advertising? Most people would agree that advertising provides the consumer with information about a product, but is that all advertising accomplishes? No.
Advertising is used to masterfully engage the mind of the consumer to motivate him or her to buy the advertised product. Advertising is about more than just selling products, but about branding.
Branding refers to the process of impressing a company name or a product name onto society’s collective brain. You want to get the product’s name firmly planted in people’s heads. The advertiser does not necessarily expect you to do anything today — the advertiser simply wants to impress itself on your consciousness.1
Catchy Slogans. Do these slogans call to mind their product: Breakfast of champions, You’re in good hands, When you care enough to send the very best and Just do it! These slogans appeal to our emotions and pride, they can make us feel like we need to use this particular product or drive that particular car when something of lesser value will suffice.
Testimonials. Often times celebrities or sport stars are used to recommend a product advertisers want us to buy, as if some how we will become like that person. The power of persuasion.
Direct Commands or Buzz Words. Buy Now. Limited Quantities. New and Improved. While Supplies Last. Final Sale. A sense of urgency is created like we’re going to miss out on something if we don’t buy now. Try listening to QVC for an hour and then ask yourself why you thought purchasing a ceramic rooster for your kitchen was a good idea when you’re not a collector.
Sense of Smell. It’s not by accident that most everything we buy today from shampoo to dryer sheets have a scent associated with it, even bug spray no longer stinks, but smells of flowers. Advertisers want us to have a psychological experience when we use their product so we’ll keep buying it.
It’s no surprise that millions of dollars are spent on advertising during the super bowl or that the typical American is exposed to over 3,000 commercial messages, online advertisements, magazine and billboard ads a day. Advertising can either be a great slave or a horrible master. How much does advertising influence your purchasing power?
[Money Monday topics will now appear on any given Monday].
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“How much does advertising influence your purchasing power?” I wish I could say that it doesn’t, but I’m sure it does - even if at an unconscious level.
Vereds last blog post..Best Shot Monday: A Taste Of Barcelona
The goal of commercial advertising… To get ME to part with MY money and give it to a 3rd party. Simply put.
I try not to let advertising influence my purchases, but in this day and age it’s almost impossible. I’m not big on watching TV or listening to the radio but with advertisements everywhere else from my phone to the internet, it’s pretty hard to avoid it. More times than not, I rely on personal testimonials or my own first hand experiences when it comes to purchases, but in the times where not much information is known about a set of products, whoever spent the most money advertising usually gets my dollars.
TOPolks last blog post..Sunday Night Selections: Storytime
Hi Natural,
Advertisers are good, aren’t they? I always laugh at the commercials where they use sex to sell. Unfortunately it works, and many buy products to look better, feel better, or whatever.
I try to remember that “they’re just ads”, but sometimes they can say “Gotcha” to me. I hate when that happens.
Barbara Swaffords last blog post..Interview With Lorelle VanFossen - Part 1 - Stay Motivated
I hate to admit this but I’m a sucker for a good commercial! If the commercial inspires me to think “wow that was awesome,” I’ve just become a little biased towards purchasing that product. My g/f says “oh jeeze, you’re such a sucker.” :-/
(I’m not as susceptible to advertisement and radio commercials…)
Ricardo Buenos last blog post..Quote of the Day
Advertising is the reason I don’t listen to the radio anymore (& also why I didn’t watch TV for 10 years.) Being in New Zealand was like no small miracle. Once outside of Auckland, there was nothing but trees & waterfalls & whatnot as far as the eye could see. Not an ad in sight. Ahhhhh, how wonderful!
Personally I enjoy decoding the Orwellian 1984-style messages in commercials. For example…
~ “Nice ‘n Easy” hair dye (I think it was,) using “Got to Be Real” by Cheryl Lynn as their theme song.
~ “Oil of Olay” telling me to “love the skin you’re in.” I already do. That’s why I have no need of “Oil of Olay.”
~ Nutri-system employing professional atheletes to hawk their services. The LAST people who should need Nutri-system would be professional atheletes. I also loved the way Dan Marino tried to convince us all how HUGE the hamburgers on their meal plan were–particularly when they were clearly more like meatballs in his huge mitts. (That commercial was pulled pretty quickly, I noticed. Perhaps they’d heard my boisterous laughter at the “huge portions.”)
Another fun exercise is to ignore the main message of a commercial & solely focus on the small print & auditory disclaimers, which pretty much contradict the main messages completely.
Snake oil salesmen are alive & well here in Amerika, land of the fee & home of the slave!
Lanas last blog post..More Young Birds
I don’t watch TV much any more, so I don’t see that much advertising. I enjoy picking apart that which I do see, and cutting out all the spin to see what the product is actually about.
Even though I worked in advertising for a while and I know “the tricks of the trade” I find I get really amped up watching infomercials when I hear “Buy Now. Limited Quantities. New and Improved. While Supplies Last.”
I *know* there are tons of supplies and that the offer will be good two days from now (even though they tell you to call in the next ten minutes) and I still feel the urgency.
Thankfully I am good at resisting the urge.
But I do like a good infomercial. (Preferably without Billy Mays.)
cardiogirls last blog post..An ode to my words, featuring ShetBag and Sarcasm
Whew, that was a close one, I almost bought that ceramic rooster.
What gets to me is those commercials aimed at manipulating little kids. And internet marketers are the worse. They’re always launching new products, using all of the tricks you mentioned like “limited supply”, only 23 lefts (when you just know their living room is filled with boxes of the stuff), and so on. I think advertising is just completely getting out of hand.
actually nil- as the dollar is duct- taped to my hip these days, I’m more likely to buy something I need or that someone has recommended. Amen
sandy kesslers last blog post..
Ha - I am an advertiser’s nightmare. The usual way that I’m influenced by advertising is that I am so irritated by the advertising, the music, or the way the company seems to be taking me for an idiot - or in one or two cases the sheer tastelessness - that I’ll remember the product only to avoid buying it at all costs.
when someone advertises they want to seel you something..the info is just the whipped cream on the cake to attract……………………………………………………………………………..( sorry my mind wandered at the thought of whipped cream)…:)))))
I am usually faithful to certain products because 1.. they provide what I need.. and 2.. they do something for me like support and sponsor my favorite sport.. I have been known to drop a product like a hot potato when they don’t..:)).. do something for me and I will do something for you
I love catchy phrases and jingles. I am a complete sucker for them, I fall for every one.
“By Mennen” is stuck in my head right now.
meleah rebeccahs last blog post..Monday Monday
Actually, the commercials that I love the most because they are clever actually backfire on me because I can never remember what I’m supposed to be buying! All I can remember is how clever they were. For example, in the I Am Canadian rant I posted last week, all I can ever remember is that it is for a beer commerical. Which one? Not a clue. But maybe that’s good enough…I’m just supposed to go out and buy beer.
Urban Panthers last blog post..Behind the scenes
VERED, I’m sure it influences all of us, I just like knowing the tactics of my predator so I can be on the defense.
TOPOLK, that is the end result. To get our money! We can go broke thinking we need more stuff because the idea has been planted in our mind that if we don’t have it, we’re nobody.
BARBARA, sex is the number 1 seller of everything. They are good and in a way, I bow at their control. Makes me wish I had a store. lol.
RICARDO, I like funny commercials or good ones…that’s not really the issue. It’s more of an awareness of what is happening. It’s like drifting, you don’t know you’re doing it until it’s too late. The process is gradual.
LANA, I had to laugh through your post. Advertising is very cleaver. It’s much easier to just tell people to send money to this PO Box, that’s what I do. I have no song and dance, just send money. The land of the fee…lol. I’m not hating on America, I’ve been to other countries and we have it pretty good here..but what we value is a little upside down.
SOLOMON, I’m out of the loop myself when it come to commercials..some of them are entertaining and they do what they set out to do.
CARDIOGIRL, so you know what the deal is then…I get excited myself when I get an email advertising stuff from companies I purchased from in the past…there is a rush, then I’m like calm down, they are going to send you this same email in a few days with lower prices. I have to take myself on a few email newsletters.
Marelisa, that’s funny. I actually heard a woman on a radio show tell a story of how she bought a ceramic rooster and had no use for it, didn’t know why she did it, but was in debt. That kind of shopping is costly. The only limited supply we might have is food…we have plenty of junk to sell people.
Sandy, the dollar? lol. You sound like me, I have the dollar, a dollar, nothing more. That’s a good place for it.
JAY, it’s an interesting business. I didn’t even write about everything I read about.
Robert, focus. Oh wait, don’t focus, I forgot where I was. Scratch that…okay let your mind wander and when you get back you can join us. I’m not faithful to too many products, but I’m loving on Tide right now. My budget dictates a lot.
Raise your hand if you’re Sure Meleah, the phrases and tunes are catchy and yes I did sing By Mennen when I read it
URBAN Panther, that’s funny. Go out and buy beer any kind will do.
Like everyone, I’d love to say I’m above it, but I’m not. Food commercials are the worst! They get me every time… It definitely helps to step back and analyze the tactics that are being used or even the font in the text. I’m fascinated by those kinds of details.
And smell shouldn’t be underestimated! I can still identify the smell of Tinkerbell products from I was a kid and they make me swoon with pleasure to this day. Sigh.
Of course, the best tactic is to not watch/listen to commercials. The less TV I watch, the fewer things I want. Well, the fewer ceramic roosters, that is!
Sara at On Simplicitys last blog post..How to Do Less: Simplifying Your To-Do List
I’m with Sandy. My dollars are duct-taped to me lately. When I watch TV I usually hit the mute button when the commercials come on. But, if it’s a fun commercial, usually involving animals, then I can’t help myself. Are you listening out there all you advertisers??? ha, ha.
I have a history in advertising and I look at commercials more with a creative eye than for the buying factor. I usually know what I want and I don’t need a commercial or advertisement to catch my eye. I’m a tough customer! Suspicious of schemes….
Davinas last blog post..Like a Bird
I don’t watch TV these days, but I’m sure the advertising gets to me one way or another - there’s lots of advertising around everywhere. Sometimes I notice my thoughts of buying something have been influenced by advertising - but generally I just get what I need (but which brand??)
Robins last blog post..A Magic Trick For Relationships
SARA, you are right, the best thing is just not to watch, stay off the mailing list and stop catalogs from being delivered to the home but all of that probably won’t happen. Being aware of the tactics used can act like a protective shield.
DAVINA, hello and welcome. I did read that suggestion as well, to mute the TV commercials. Emails get me, just a few clicks and my debit card number is stored in my head, it can be sooo easy to get swept up.
ROBIN, yep advertising is everywhere. I don’t think anyone is immune, I guess it’s the believing part of it all, it does more than inform.
Naturals last blog post..Advertising: Information or Manipulation
I have aways been a sucker for a good food commercial!
Now, my kids are a different story. Every commercial they see they want. I swear they do it, just so our kids will get all yancy about a new toy and drive their parents crazy to go buy it.
I saw a really funny commercial the other day online, which was really creative…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43MLpdniz_o&feature=related
Work At Home Mom Taras last blog post..Avoid The 3 Most Common Affiliate Mistakes
Hi Tara, when I do watch TV, I enjoy commercials that make me laugh, they are entertaining for sure…and I’m sure advertisers use what appeals to kids to get to the parents - have a tantrum in the store, get a toy. humph have a tantrum in the store - you live there! my kid would try that “i want that” with everything she saw on TV to the point when a commercial came on i would just say:
me - say it
her - say what
me - tell me you want it, let’s get it over with
i watched the youtube link you left, funny. thanks for stopping by.
Naturals last blog post..As Not Yet Seen On TV
I’ve been working with advertising (online) for the past 5 years.
Advertising is the art of making you think you need something you don’t really need.
J2R, don’t I know it! Kind of amazing at what people can try to sell you and make you believe you need it too.
Naturals last blog post..As Not Yet Seen On TV