I'm not an expert on advertising or marketing but can anyone explain

We’re all exposed to 100,000s of messages every day from God knows how many sources. Your mind can’t cope with that so screens the majority out. That means advertisers have a massive task, First to get noticed, then remembered


No advertiser aims at everybody, they couldn’t afford to, so they target. You don’t like fried chicken so nothing anyone does could do to make you buy it. Having said that you remembered ‘finger lickin’ good.’


You are interested in buying a car. Most people look no more than 5 brands. Audi want to be on that shopping list and ‘Vorsprung Durch Tecknik’ got them there. It also told you it’s a well-engineered car. Good going. Car advertising doesn’t sell cars though. It aims to get you on the list and into a showroom. That’s where the real selling happens.


On being rational, well we all like to think we are. But there’s a mass of research over the years that point to buying decisions being irrational. Emotions come into play - hopes, dreams, wishes. (Are you really completely rational in a car showroom with all that shiny metal?)


In advertising there’s a limit to how far this goes. There are laws (ASA). But when these same techniques are applied to other areas like politics, and manipulators are free to delve into hidden fears, and when people are asked to make important choices based on little information that’s when the real trouble starts.

 

Mmm Danone.

 

On a similar theme, I was once on a training course with a chap who was employed by several large chains to do ‘subliminal marketing’.
For example, Morrison’s bake their bread at the back of the shop, but vent the hot air out by the entrance to make you want to buy fresh bread. They also have citrus aromas near the fresh fruit aisle to prompt you to buy (an unpeeled orange doesn’t really smell that strong).

On the opposite end of the scale, this chap also designed the colour schemes, seating and playlists for Pizza Hut. Designed to look modern but not be too comfortable so that without even thinking, once you have finished your meal, you don’t feel inclined to make a day of it as it isn’t a relaxing surrounding. You get up, pay for your meal and leave freeing up the table for the next customer. All this and you don’t even realise it.

Clever bloke.

 

Does what it says on the tin - ,oh ****