The marketing world is getting more and more sophisticated. But what does this mean for you? Are you ready for a world where everything from the color of your shampoo bottle to the expiration date on your milk carton is calculated by marketers?
It’s time to learn how brands are manipulating your buying behavior so that they can take all of your money. Read on!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Brands employ psychological tactics to influence consumers. |
| 2. Emotional appeals and scarcity create impulsive decisions. |
| 3. Awareness can help consumers make informed choices. |
| 4. Ethical concerns arise when vulnerabilities are exploited. |
| 5. Balancing effective marketing with ethics is essential. |
They Are Making You Feel Emotionally Bonded To Their Products
Emotion plays a huge role in how people make decisions. When it comes to consumerism, emotion is key. You buy products because you feel connected to them or because of the emotions they invoke in you.
The same can be said for brand loyalty and advocacy; if your customers are emotionally involved with a brand, they’re more likely to stay loyal and advocate for it on social media channels or by word of mouth (or both).
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They Are Taking Advantage Of Your FOMO
You might recognize this tactic under a different name, like “Buy Now!” or the more aggressive “Sale Ends Soon.”
But whatever you call it, the idea is the same: companies want you to feel like if you don’t buy something now, your chance has passed and you’ll miss out on something great.
This is a marketing ploy called fear of missing out (FOMO). It’s used by businesses to convince us that we need their products before it’s too late and it works.
FOMO impacts our buying decisions more than logic does because it taps into our irrational fears about being left behind in society.
And when there are thousands of products out there vying for our attention every day, businesses end up spending billions of dollars trying to get us to buy them!
They Hide Information About How Their Products Are Made
You probably have a mental image of how a company makes its products. Coca-Cola, for example, is made by mixing soda syrup with water and carbonation.
So when you think about Coke, that’s what comes to mind: the sweet smell of syrup and fizzing bubbles in your mouth as you take a sip from a glass bottle.
Coke doesn’t want any other story to be circulating about its product, so it hides information from consumers about how its drinks are manufactured. In the 1920s and ‘30s.
For example, it was revealed that Coca-Cola contained cocaine a drug that produces feelings of euphoria and this caused some people to become addicted to it in addition to having gastric problems.
So even though today there are still traces of coca leaf extract (the source material) left over in Coke products along with caramel coloring derived from ammonia (which is toxic).
They do not list these ingredients on their packaging because they want us all thinking only happy thoughts while we drink our pop!
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They Give You A Sense of Belonging
They give you a sense of belonging.
Brands that can make you feel like part of their community are the ones that will stick with you the longest.
For example, Apple’s popular “Take a Walk” series on YouTube features employees sharing personal stories about how they got started at Apple and what it means to work there.
The videos were so successful that they inspired other companies, including Google, to start their employee testimonials as well!
By creating content that shows your brand as an extension of yourself and not just as a faceless corporation you create deeper connections with customers who may be looking for more than just another product or service from you.
They Use Social Media To Speak Directly To You
Social media is a great way to speak directly to your customers. It’s also a great way for you and your business to build trust with them, as well as build a community around the brand. And that’s where the opportunity lies: in building a strong relationship with your customer base.
The more you engage with them, the more likely they are to buy from you, because they know that you care about what they have to say. This isn’t just true for businesses; it’s true for people too!
If someone takes time out of their day from busy lives (which is why so many people use social media), then there must be something wrong if all those messages go unanswered by others on social media platforms such as Facebook or LinkedIn
They Make Their Products Look Great In Photos
What You Can Do:
Learn to take better photos: Photoshoot with a friend and practice taking good photos. Get a camera you can use on the go, download apps that help you take better photos, and learn to use them.
Understand why brands use certain images. Sometimes they are using the image as a way to show the perfect day for their product or just how easy it is to use something.
Sometimes they do it because they want to be like their competitors, sometimes because of how much time and effort they spend on their social media presence, and sometimes because of how well an image has been received by others.
Try looking at pictures or videos of your favorite products being used in real life and try putting yourself in that situation yourself. How would you feel if someone used your favorite product while not doing anything special with it?
Would that annoy you? Why or why not? Be critical of other people’s images so you recognize when they are trying to manipulate people into feeling happy or thinking great thoughts about their products.
Ask yourself questions like “why did this person decide to take this photo?” “what could she have done differently?”, “Is this representative of my experience?”
Remember that unless someone specifically tells us what we should think about an image, we should be critical of them making false claims about the product itself!
In general, though, don’t trust everything you see in ads! There are cases where some companies (like Google) will put out badly edited images which can make their products look bad when compared to other products brand-wide.
If the average person believes these differing images, there will be a negative impact on sales for those companies who don’t lead by example when it comes to advertising discrepancies!
If a company makes it obvious through marketing campaigns what kinds of content is allowed on social media platforms and/or disallows specific types of content (such as nudity), then simply ignore posts that are against those guidelines–as long as we
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They Use Ambient Marketing To Reach You Where You Work, Shop, And Play
Ambient marketing is an integrated approach to branding that takes advantage of every available touch point. It’s a tactic where businesses try to reach you wherever and whenever you are: not just in the grocery store, but also everywhere else in your life.
They use ambient marketing to reach you where you work, shop and play. They use ambient marketing to reach you where you live. They use ambient marketing to reach you where you play (think ads on television sets).
They use ambient marketing to reach you where your commute takes place (on billboards along a highway), as well as all the spaces between places like work and home (in movie theaters). And they’re also using it online in social media feeds, websites, and more.
They Know What Triggers Your Buying Impulses
The marketers of the world know what you like, and they know how to use that information to sell you things. They don’t need to be psychic. They just need to watch what you do with your money, then give you more of the same thing–but slightly different, so it feels new and exciting.
For example:
You may hate Apple’s newest iPhone because it doesn’t have a headphone jack (that’s me!). But by not including one in the phone itself, Apple could save money on manufacturing costs–which means they can make their phones even more affordable!
And cheaper phones are better for everyone because…well…because that’s what Apple does? Anyway, this is just a hypothetical example; it doesn’t mean anything at all! Hahaha!
Or maybe you love those Kardashian sisters’ new app where they play games together–and while those dudes think they’re being funny when they talk smack about Kim K’s butt (it’s kind of gross).
Deep down inside we all know that if we had their bodies or egos or whatever else makes them famous then we’d probably feel pretty great about ourselves too!
They Use Celebrities Whom People Trust (Or Want To Be) To Sell Their Products
In the US, consumers are particularly susceptible to celebrity influence.
Celebrities are used to selling products because people trust them or want to be like them. We’ve all seen advertisements where celebrities are selling a product that doesn’t seem very relevant to them (like Coke).
But this is one of the ways that companies use psychological manipulation techniques on us when advertising their products.
The most common methods used by brands include celebrity endorsements and product placement in films that feature well-known actors or actresses who portray relatable characters.
The main reason why companies use celebrities as part of their marketing strategy has to do with their ability to reach a large audience, which can range from tens of thousands up to millions depending on how famous they are and how popular the item being promoted is as well (in case you’re wondering what kind of impact this has:
According to Forbes magazine’s annual compilation of highest-paid entertainers list). While there are some exceptions such as John Cena voicing an animated character named Ferdinand in 2017’s animated movie adaptation based on Munro Leaf’s 1936 children’s book “The Story Of Ferdinand.”
Which was successful at the box office but didn’t receive critical acclaim due lackluster plotline – most movies involving athletes end up being considered flops because they lack compelling narratives;
This isn’t surprising considering everyone knows who LeBron James is already so why would anyone need him associated with another brand?
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They Pick Colors Carefully To Get You To Buy More
You might not realize it, but colors play a big role in your purchasing decisions. People tend to associate certain colors with specific emotions and feelings and companies know that.
For example, certain shades of blue can make us feel calm, while reds often create excitement or passion. Pink can be reserved for women’s products and green tends to be associated with natural products such as lawnmowers and gardening tools.
Colors also influence how much we’re willing to spend on a product or service. A study by the University of Chicago found that people are more likely to buy an item when they see it in the color red (as opposed to some other color) because they associate red with luxury.
But only if they’ve just seen another item priced high enough that spending a lot doesn’t seem unreasonable!
Although this kind of psychological manipulation may seem sneaky or underhanded, it’s part of what makes shopping fun: we get excited about finding something new and exciting without realizing why we’re suddenly feeling so good about ourselves!
Giveaways Build Trust And Increase Sales. Here’s How It Works
Most people love free stuff, but giveaways are so much more than that. They’re a great way to promote your brand and create a loyal customer base.
First of all: giveaways build trust with customers. It’s no secret that consumers don’t trust businesses as much as they used to (especially with recent scandals), so this is a great way for brands to show their honest intentions.
The more you do it, the better your reputation becomes and the more likely people are going to keep coming back for more.
Secondly: giveaways are aimed at your target audience. When given away through social media or email marketing campaigns.
Merchandise is often targeted toward specific markets which make each giveaway even more effective than just being handed out randomly in stores or through advertisements alone!
Not only does this help improve sales because customers feel less obligated as well; but it also helps increase brand awareness among people who might not have heard about them otherwise (or even been interested).
Thirdly: Giveaways increase sales by encouraging repeat purchases from existing customers which saves money on advertising costs while still generating revenue from interest payments made over time between buyers and sellers.”
The Free Stuff Is Often Worth More Than The Product Itself. Here’s Why
Free stuff is a valuable marketing tool.
It’s no secret that free things are an awesome way to get people to try your product. But did you know that they can also increase the likelihood of a purchase?
That’s because consumers unconsciously equate the quality of an item with its price tag, so if you give them something for free, they subconsciously think it must be good enough for what they paid for it.
This is why retailers often give out free items as part of their sales strategy especially when they’re trying to move excess inventory or unload discontinued merchandise at deep discounts.
For example, clothing stores often give away handbags or other accessories when customers buy certain items from their store (and sometimes even when they buy nothing).
By giving away these little extras, these companies can drive sales by making customers think about buying more than just one thing from them and enticing them with additional products throughout the year (even if those products don’t come with extra savings as most coupons do).
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Free Shipping Sells Products Like Crazy, No Matter Where It Goes. Here’s Why
Free shipping is a huge incentive for consumers to buy from you. It’s also a big incentive for them to buy more because they don’t have to worry about the added expense of shipping costs.
And because it’s such an enticing offer, it can be hard for competitors who aren’t offering free shipping (or at least offering it on certain items) to stay competitive.
That’s why so many companies are moving away from free shipping and toward flat-rate or tiered pricing models instead.
The consensus is that these two strategies are less effective than offering free shipping in terms of driving sales volume and increasing customer loyalty over time.
Every Detail Of Your Unboxing Experience Is Planned By Marketers To Give You A Better Brand Experience
Unboxing experiences are a key part of the buying process. And according to Ketchum’s recent research, they are also planned by marketers to give you a better brand experience.
Many consumers do not consider their unboxing experience as something that brands think about.
The truth is that it’s been designed to make you feel like you’re getting more than you paid for when in reality, all they did was throw together some cheap packaging materials and shipped them off to you without much thought or care.
As consumers, we need to be aware of how these unboxing experiences are designed specifically for us so that we can determine if we want what’s inside before purchasing any product online or offline at retail stores across America!
Every detail of your buying experience is planned by marketers to give you a better brand experience.
Unboxing videos are a huge phenomenon on the internet. They’re videos made by people who open up their new products, show off their features and give you a look at what it’s like to use.
The idea is that when you watch someone else unbox a product, you’ll be excited about getting your version of that product. Here’s an example:
Now, there are many reasons why someone might want to do this it could be that they genuinely want to share information about the product or educate users about how it works;
Or maybe they just love showing off new toys in general! Whatever their motivation for making these videos may be the important thing for marketers is knowing how influential these channels can be when used properly by brands themselves (or not-so-properly by competitors).
Conclusion
So there you have it. Every detail of your buying or viewing experience is planned by marketers to give you a better brand experience.
The brands that are the most successful can create the perfect combination of all these techniques, giving customers an experience so rich and engaging that they come back again and again.
Further Reading
Explore more about how brands manipulate consumer behavior and the importance of marketing strategies:
Psychological Manipulation by Brands: Uncover the tactics brands employ to psychologically influence consumer choices and behaviors.
Decoding Brand Manipulation: Delve into the world of brand manipulation and discover how it impacts customer decision-making processes.
Your Role in the Marketing World: Learn why you, as a consumer, hold a significant role in the marketing world and how your interactions shape brand strategies.
FAQs
What are the psychological tactics used by brands to manipulate consumers?
Brands often employ tactics such as emotional appeals, social proof, and scarcity to manipulate consumer behavior and drive sales.
How does brand manipulation impact consumer decision-making?
Brand manipulation can influence consumers to make impulsive decisions, leading them to purchase products or services they may not necessarily need.
Are there ethical concerns associated with brand manipulation?
Yes, ethical concerns arise when brands manipulate consumers by exploiting vulnerabilities, potentially leading to decisions that are not in the consumers’ best interest.
Can consumers protect themselves from brand manipulation?
Consumers can protect themselves by being aware of marketing tactics, researching products before purchasing, and making informed decisions.
How can businesses balance effective marketing strategies with ethical considerations?
Businesses can prioritize transparency, honesty, and authenticity in their marketing efforts to ensure that their strategies are both effective and ethically responsible.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.