What is the last advertisement that you watched? Online, on the TV, billboards, the newspaper, or just a man on the sidewalk handing out something. It’s easy to see why and how we advertise products, but why do we use psychological manipulation to do it? This paper will discuss what I mean by psychological manipulation in advertising and some examples. Should this concern you as a consumer?
Psychological manipulation is like “mind control.” To change the way someone looks and feels about something/someone for the other person’s liking. “…the tactics they use can make it appear like they’re doing almost anything but simply trying to get the better of you” (Simon). This is purely psychological, but it can work in terms of psychologically manipulating customers to buy a certain product.
An example of this in advertising would be to use kids to target other kids. If a kid sees another kid playing with something and having an enjoyable time, then he or she will want to play with it as well. Legos and Barbie is just two of the many products that use this technique.
Another example is the weight issue with a lot of people. Many feel self-conscious about their weight, so to get these people to buy a certain weight loss product, like a pill to help their metabolism or an exercise machine, they will use actors that are already skinny and have them say something like this: “I lost 30 pounds in a month from using this machine four times a week for 20 minutes.” We all wish that could happen, but let’s be realistic: that will not happen. Not in a month anyways. They make you think that by buying the machine, that you will lose weight that fast because of the actor portrayal and the script.
To be effective in advertising, almost all companies use this method. “It is particularly effective when it starts using psychological manipulation, inciting to buy not the product, but its image” (Alexeeva). To keep you coming for the newest product, they want you to believe what they want you to see about their company. Like, Apple or Nike. Even organic trade companies. It may be true, but it’s the basis of psychological manipulation.
“Ordinary people want to bring a bit of cinematography into their grey lives. The success of the best advertising campaigns is based on people’s desire to become richer, smarter, stronger and more determined without making a real effort” (Alexeeva). Apple products use this to make people buy their products on the first day of release because then they will have the newest technology among them. To be “cool” or “rich.”
Creating “panic and paranoia” can be a strong advertisement plan. “One prime example is antibacterial hand gel, a product that’s everywhere these days. Companies have capitalized on health scares” to gain the trust of their customers; thinking that if they use their product they are less likely or will not get the flu at all if they use their hand gel (Tartakovsky).
In the end, it’s a smart tactic in the advertising world. How else would we know what to buy, besides our own judgement? If you were selling something, you would most likely use the same tactic, without even knowing it. It’s normal to see this sort of thing with adverting nowadays, that the advertiser doesn’t even know what they are doing psychologically with people. So, stay wary and use your own judgement for products that “promise” a beach ready body after a month of just 20 minutes of exercise.
References
Alexeeva, N. (2014, February 05). The basis of good advertising is psychological manipulation. Retrieved June 19, 2017, from http://www.pravdareport.com/business/companies/05-02-2014/126762-good_advertising_psychological_manipulation-0/
Simon, G. (2008, July 15). Psychological manipulation- An overview. Retrieved June 19, 2017, from https://www.drgeorgesimon.com/psychological-manipulation-an-overview/
Tartakovsky, M., M.S. (2011, November 07). How Marketers Manipulate Us to Buy, Buy, Buy. Retrieved June 19, 2017, from https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/11/07/how-marketers-manipulate-us-to-buy-buy-buy/
