Over the years, there have been some extremely expensive advertising campaigns. Of course, you’ve got the famous Superbowl ads, with Pepsi spending $8.1 million on one of their campaigns. However, businesses all over the world seem to be pumping a lot of money into marketing, and who can blame them? The retail environment is more competitive than it ever has been thanks to the Internet. For the consumer, though, it means that you need to be savvy. So, with that being said, read on to find out more about how advertisers help you to spend more money.
How does this computer know me so well?
Have you ever been browsing Facebook and you notice that your favorite football teams kit is advertised on your page? Maybe you see a banner for a CD or concert of a band you like? How on earth does your computer know you so well? Well, this is all part of advertising. Google Ads and such as display adverts based on the things you have recently looked at online. They may take other things into consideration, such as your location. So, if you have recently been looking at clothes from River Island, don’t be surprised to see some adverts from the brand pop up. The same sort of thing happens when you go to a website to buy something and they ‘suggest items’ to you. This is done based on the things that you have bought previously, had in your basket, or clicked on.
OMG…Nicole Scherzinger eats Muller yoghurts!!
Have you had one of those yoghurts that Nicole Scherzinger eats?
I’ve just bought some underwear from the David Beckham line at H&M
If Cheryl Cole is worth it, so am I, I’m getting that L’Oreal hairspray!
Do you see where we are going with this one? Celebrity endorsements are used by companies to encourage customers to purchase products. If you see your favorite celebrity wearing clothing from a certain band or using a particular type of product, you are going to be inclined to purchase it.
Psst… open this… treat inside!
Email marketing is extremely effective. Companies will encourage you to sign up for their newsletter, or they will automatically add you to their mailing list if you have bought something from them. This will lead you to receive a ton of promotional emails from the company in question. Many businesses will try to entice you to buy something by sending you discount codes, such as, enter ‘15OFF’ at the checkout for a 15 percent discount. These discounts only run for a short period of time, forcing us to act quickly. As we think we are getting a good deal, we often end up buying something that we wouldn’t have purchased in the first place, simply because there is 15 percent off.
Under pressure
Some companies aren’t so subtle with their advertising. They will call you up, put you on the spot, and make you say ‘yes’ to purchasing something simply because you feel under pressure to do so. They may claim that you are at risk if you don’t invest in their insurance product or they may try to convince you what you need to upgrade something on their phone. They have a script in front of them, and they will do anything to try to make your stay on the other end of the phone. After all, most of these people work on commission, meaning they will get a nice percentage of your money if you do agree to anything.
Fear factor
Advertisers are very good at playing with our emotions. They do this via one of two ways – creating fear or a sense of need. For example, a company selling vitamins and other health-related products might aim to make you fear getting sick. When creating a need, a clothing company may make you feel like you need to get something new. You couldn’t possibly go out in something you’ve worn before, could you? Of course, you could! But, the advertiser doesn’t want you to think so.
Staying savvy
As you can see, there are a number of different approaches that advertisers use today to try and tempt us to purchase from them. However, you still need to be savvy. Yes, discounts are great but conduct research before buying anything so you know that your money is well-spent. This ranges from necessity goods to luxuries. There are websites dedicated to reviews on specific product types, for example, you can read medical alert system reviews from FindReviews. These sorts of sites help you to get the information you need so you do not waste your funds on something with a poor reputation.
Summary
It is important to recognize the different tactics advertisers use to get you to spend more money. In some cases, you can take advantage of them. For example, if you know there is a pair of trainers you really want, why not wait a few days to see if the company send you a discount code via email? At the same time, you also need to be aware of when not to be sucked in by these promotional messages, as you will find yourself spending money you never intended to.
