How are we forced to buy?

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The term "advertising" comes from the Latin word "reklamare" – "to shout loudly" or "notify" (in ancient Greece and Rome, announcements were loudly shouted out or read out in squares and other crowded places). The main purpose of advertising is to convey information, accompanying it with emotional design, advertising should affect the interests and attitudes of the consumer, create incentives.

What are the advertisers asking for? How are they trying to hook us and convince us of the need for this or that purchase?

There are mental triggers that influence the decisions we make. They are laid down biologically and brought up civilizationally, so it is extremely difficult to deal with them. Often they are used by marketers when creating advertising. We think it will be useful and interesting to know, especially during Black Friday, New Year and Christmas discounts.

 

1. Drivers of human behavior

Human behavior is driven by the need to avoid pain and the desire for pleasure. Even if we do something that hurts, we do it because we associate that action with the pleasure we get. Marathon runners who cross the finish line with the last of their strength are still happy.

This is the basic trigger on which all others are based. It underlies the motivation for every action we take. But in order to use this trigger in marketing, you first need to understand that there is pain or pleasure for potential customers, because in different cases the already mentioned marathon will mean different things.

 

2. Novelty

Man loves novelty. Exposure to something new and unfamiliar has been clinically proven to increase dopamine levels. Novelty makes us feel like there is a possibility of reward. This potential pleasure makes us seek it.

Look at the situation with updating the line of smartphones, for example, Apple. The new model is not always revolutionary, but millions of people are abandoning their previous versions and buying the latest one.

 

3. Explanation "Why"

"I'll donate one hour of my time to give you advice on how to double your money, or I'll give you $100." What do you feel when you read lines like this? You are interested? Surely you want to know this, because our brain is sharpened to find answers.

In his book "Who's in charge?" Dr. Michael Gazzaniga, professor of psychology at the University of California, discovered that our rational mind is always looking for meaning, even when there is no meaning. Basically, we are looking for explanations to understand everything we experience in life.

In a famous Xerox experiment by psychologist Ellen Langer, it was found that people are willing to do more for someone who explains their behavior (even if the reason is completely arbitrary). Thus, people standing in line to make a photocopy were 34% more likely to let someone else get in line ahead of them, even if the excuse was something like “because I have to make multiple copies.”

 

4. Tell a story

Stories involve emotions, and we are all emotional beings. Gerard Zaltman, author of How Customers Think, found that 95% of cognition happens outside of consciousness, through emotion.

Stories activate parts of the brain associated with sight, sound, taste, and movement. They allow you to gain experience without real experience. They literally take us into the world of history and illuminate the path in which we emotionally make a purchase decision. Advertising should evoke emotions, and the best way to do this is to tell a sincere story about eternal values.

 

5. Simplified solution

In his bestselling book Think Slow, Decide Fast, Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman says, “The general law of least effort applies to both cognitive and physical effort.” The law states that if there are multiple ways to achieve the same goal, people will end up going for the least demanding option. In the action economy, effort is a cost, and skill acquisition is determined by the balance of benefits and costs. Laziness lies deep in our nature.

We always choose the easiest way to achieve the desired result. No wonder The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People became a bestseller. After all, it tells us a simple formula for how to become highly effective. You only need 7 skills. This is a great book, but it has a very apt title, too.

 

It is sometimes very difficult for any of us not to succumb to temptation before any purchase. However, the main thing here is to be honest with yourself and understand why we need this?