Consumers Today Are Kicking Themselves In The Face!

Do you ever wonder how something as simple as a catch phrase or logo can be engraved into your head? Perhaps after being influenced by the logo, you question how it has managed to entice you to spend your well earned money on something that will not produce any personal value (nutritional, financial, spiritual or emotional)? Unfortunately a majority of the population has not recognized this as a problem, and it is my duty to inform them. :)

Such products like clothes, fast food, and alcohol are all examples of these short term pleasures society seems to base their living on. They are willing to give their time (hours spent working) on such meaningless things that help them to temporarily feel good. For example, clothes make your esteem rise when you see how good you look, or when you are complimented on something new.

It is because of the endorphins being released in our brain like nor-epinephrine that tell the body to desire such things from past experience. Without any conscious thought, we automatically tempt ourselves with the decision on if we will buy into these pleasures. Through irrational decision making, we are usually the victim of a major corporation's million dollar scheme to make their product(s) a "need" to the consumer.

 
Although these products seem pleasurable, they have no benefit to improving one's self. Almost every temporary pleasure on the market today has a negative side effect; alcohol (a depressant) causes hangovers and rowdiness, fast food causes people to become bloated and obese, and designer clothing just burns a big hole in your wallet.

If time and money were spent wisely, they would be used to benefit one's self further into the direction they wish to take, and by wasting it on meaningless products such as these it shows that insignificant, temporary pleasures are worth more than productivity for the people who have not been enlightened. So now I challenge you: If you are not aware of this atrocity weighing upon you; take action, make change, and find better things to wisely spend your time and money on. If you ARE aware of this, I challenge you to share the knowledge you have, with someone that will listen, and together we have the power to change the world!

If you want a laugh, and a reason why not to buy fast food, check this out.
 Why Fast Food Is Bad

Before and after 6 beers!
http://www.lifeisajoke.com/simpsons/magnets/Homer-To-alcohol.jpg

I Persuade you To READ MY BLOG!

How did the snake make Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the fruit tree? The answer is persuasion!  Ever since mankind has been able to walk, talk and move, there has been persuasion. Throughout the years it has been refined into an art and is now getting more and more in depth.

In fourth century BC Aristotle created The Art Of Persuasion (Rhetoric) this was the first documented information that revolutionized persuasion as we know it. Persuasion today has been critiqued and added to in order to create a refined version of the previous subconscious knowlege of the past.

Although everyone has their own way of persuading a person or audience into a specific alternate oppinion, there are a few rules/tips to help improve your persuasive skills.

Rules of Persuasion

• Reciprocation. People want to return favors. Giving small unsolicited gifts will often result in the recipient feeling an outsized obligation to return the favor.
• Scarcity. We want what we can't have. Perceived scarcity generates more demand.
• Authority. It must be true if an expert says it is. We all tend to revere authority figures, or even just those with the trappings of authority.
• Consistency. If a person publicly takes a stand on a particular idea or goal, he or she is more likely to keep that commitment, putting into action the stated belief/goal.
• Consensus. People look for "social proof." They want to know that other people took the same action they are contemplating and under similar circumstances.
• Liking. We are more easily persuaded by people we like and are attracted to. 

These are just a few of the most efficient ways to persuade. There are infinite amounts of knowledge on this subject from common simple Knowledge, to the deeper subconscious Neuro-Linguistic Programing. Persuasion is entirely up to the persuader, but knowledge is definitely power in the sense of persuasion and that is why being aware of, and understanding some ways of persuading are crucial when working in the integrated marketing communications field. I am happy I persuaded you into reading my blog and I believe this is good preparation for noticing/using persuasiveness in your future.

The Grass Will Never Be Green Enough!

(Satisfaction) play this in background

"Mommy, I want 3 scoops of ice cream!!!" "But Billy, two scoops is plenty for you." "No! I want more!"

The four letter word that causes so much agony and pain throughout the history of the world: more money, more friends, more happiness etc.  For some reason, mankind can and will always aspire for something more. Some might say that it is evolution, but I believe otherwise.

Ev·o·lu·tion  

A process of gradual, peaceful, progressive change or development.

Naturally, everything will progress without our control. It is quite selfish and blind to actually believe humans can manipulate evolution. What we can do though, is influence and guide our personal evolution. The common mistake people make is how to better themselves, but that is exactly how we (marketers) make money!

The majority of the human race thinks that if they somehow meet the expense of something they should purchase it, for example " I could afford a Mercedes if I put my savings down and pay it off through a period of 15 years and if I sell my two children". They get caught up in what they could have, in comparison to what is necessary. 

In the Integrated Marketing course we were introduced to the concepts behind Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs. One of the needs, located approximately in the middle of the pyramid, is esteem. This need triggers almost every unnecessary buy in our society. Its either because their esteem is too low causing them to buy frivolously in order to provide illusory comfort of living for their inflated state of social class; or the esteem is too high where one feels the urge to buy in order to show off. The fact is, once a person becomes comfortable with what they have, the hunger for something more soon returns and the cycle continues.

What society needs to focus on in order to begin evolving in the right direction does not necessarily revolve around purchasing for one's ego, but for our overall health and generosity. These may consist of: getting a gym membership, eating healthy food, and maybe a self help book for those personal image problems. In addition to charities and donations, your esteem will rise when you bring joy to others and you will begin to appreciate that its not what you want, but what you have that makes the difference and that is what will bring you eternal happiness.

 

 

 

Can We Escape?

If you talk to the average person I'm sure they would not be able to give a detailed definition on marketing or advertising, although that same person would have example after example of everyday ads or logos they have been accustomed to.

So how did marketers train us into thinking that it is okay to have someone selling you something everywhere you go? Through our conscious perception or subliminally, messages are fed into us without us even caring. With society as we know it, there is really no antidote for forceful, uninterrupted marketing in our day to day lives. We are literally bombarded with television ads, billboards, and even modern music has added encrypted label drops to place the product idea in our brains. So by repetition, it has become "normal" to advertise everywhere there is a chance.


By living our ordinary lives we absorb hundreds, even thousands of products placements burrowed deep into our subconscious. These seeded thoughts grow and entice you into wasting money on overpriced "names". This year alone Coca-Cola will spend an approximate $1.6 billion dollars on advertising. All for the predicted idea that our minds will consume these ads, which in turn tells us that buying there product is the right thing to do.

“The average American is exposed to about 3000 advertising messages a day, 
and globally corporations spend over $620 billion each year to make their products 
seem desirable and to get us to buy them.” 
(Union of Concerned Scientists Website).

Because of this insanity, there is really no way to physically or mentally escape
this hypothetical jail cell without being in complete and utter isolation from society. 
Now the question is not if we can escape, but is it worth escaping to leave everything we know and have? 
I guess it is up to you to be the judge...




http://www.fair.org/articles/coke.html 

http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/guide.ch1.html