Intro:
TV
Commercials effect people every day. From the clothes we pick out to
wear in the morning, to what we eat for lunch, and even what brand of
milk we pick up on the way home from work. Companies are constantly
trying informing us of their amazing, beautifying, reliable, or
organic products, showing us that their's is the only one and true
product and we should buy it. People have often said that they are
not influenced by advertising
and just because they see it on TV doesn't mean that they will buy
it. But would U.S. companies really have invested $104.5 billion in
2012 on something they thought didn't work? (Johnson)
The
reason that many think advertising doesn't work is that they
think advertisements are trying to make them do something
immediately. They are wrong. As
Nigel Hollis says, “Successful advertising creates positive
memories and feelings that influence our behavior over time to
encourage us to buy something at at later date. No one likes to think
that they are easily influenced. In fact, there is plenty of evidence
to suggest that we respond negatively to forward attempts at
persuasion. Instead, the best advertisements are ingenious at leaving
impressions.” For example, the Old Spice commercial “Anythings
Possible”. (clip below)
This clip is fun and exciting and
leaves you laughing at the end, and without a doubt very memorable.
So when you're at the store and
you see Old Spice on the shelf you are instantly reminded of how
funny and exciting the commercial was. Hollis also emphasizes
this, “You do not reflect on the scenes and messages unless
triggered by something else at a later date: seeing the advertised
brand ... Even then, it is not the ad that matters. The ideas,
impressions and positive feelings about the brand that matter. Any
memory that will predispose you to view the brand in a more positive
light than its alternatives is a plus.” Now the Old Spice
commercial may make you want to, “Smell like the man your lady
would like you to smell like,” even though you may have another
body wash that your lady likes better. But you buy it because of the
desire to smell like the man she wants.
Problem:
Now
advertising is not bad! In fact, it is a necessity for companies in
order to sell their products, but the problems arise when we find
ourselves buying things we don't want or need in order to fulfill the desire the product has placed in our minds. I am constantly
finding things I bought that I didn't need, and looking back I
realized I bought these things because I saw them on TV ads.
Specifically for me it is skin care and makeup. I LOVE makeup. I have
every brand imaginable and love to try new things. So when I see a
commercial for the newest and latest product that can do this or
that, I instantly want to buy it to see if it can do what it claims.
I know this breaks the rules of what I said before about commercials leaving impressions for later but like
Hollis says, “Once in a blue moon an advertisement might
leave you thinking, just what I need! And send you running out the
door to buy something.” This is what advertisers called raw
persuasion. Its focus is on crafting a compelling argument that will
encourage you, with the delivery of “new news,” to buy something
right away. Now after I have
bought and tried that newest and latest product and it doesn't work
it goes in the drawer of, “I totally forgot I had these/and will
probably never use again”. Now every time I open this drawer I think
to myself, “Why did I buy this? I wasted so much money on this and
I don't even like it or want it.”
There
is another kind of persuasion that advertisers will use
called, the power of engagement. Its focus is on creating a positive
experience that will influence you over the longer term. Here, the
objective is to seed positive ideas and memories that will attract
you to the brand (Hollis).
This is what I explained earlier with the example of the Old Spice
commercial. Advertisements persuade us to buy things we don't need
helping us to waste our money. But if we follow the steps below we
can be sure that what we are buying is because we need it and like
the brand, and not simply because of the impressions the commercials
leave us for this product.
- “Why am I buying this?”Ask yourself why you decided you need that item? Is it a special one time offer that is never-to-be-repeated? If so, compare prices on the internet and between other retailers before buying. It’s not a bargain and it’s not saving you money if you weren't going to buy it in the first place. Next, check your mood. If you're having a bad day, don't shop to cheer yourself up. Keep yourself away from your favorite stores or restaurants. Ask yourself if I buy this will I really be happy with myself? You might experience a quick high from your latest purchase, but once the feeling wears off, you'll still be upset and find you have the extra financial burden of your latest purchase.
- “Can I Afford it?I personally hate this question, because it seems to be the most effective. Think about your financial situation, if I spend money on this what I am taking it away from? If you can afford it then ask yourself, will I wear this or use it after I buy it? Often times when we buy things in the moment we don't actually use them or wear them. I often ask this question when buying clothes especially if I see something that I feel I have to have because it is stunning, but then realize that I probably will not ever wear it either because its too fancy or not my style even though it is truly amazing.
- “Am I being Rational?”
Often times when we get to this point we have rationalized our way through most of the steps. “I can afford this, $20 won't matter”, “I simply have to have this, its the newest and most fashionable thing!”, “I need this to be beautiful!”. At this point I always put the product down and tell myself to wait a week. If I still decide by then that I want it or need it, I go back for it. Often times you will find that you don't want the item anymore, or you found it at a lower price somewhere else, and if your like me you've completely forgotten about it. If you do this you will be much less likely to experience buyer's remorse.
This
list above is really great while your'e in the moment deciding what
to buy and what not, but what if you can be prepared even before you
hit the store? Here is a list of 5 things you can do to be prepared.
- Carry Cash-If you can actually see the money disappearing right before your eyes, it will help you to limit your buying. Also before you go to the store put the amount of money you want to spend into your wallet. That way you won't be tempted to spend more money than you have already decided.
- Leave The Credit Card(s) At Home-We all say that we're “only using our credit cards for emergencies” but if it's in your wallet while you're out, you just might be tempted to use it. There's no harm in leaving it at home. Put it in a safe place and believe that today, there won't be any emergencies. For me this seems to be the most effective way. I found that once I started doing this I was actually saving $200 a month! You never realize how much those little purchases start to add up.
- Develop A Financial Plan-You need to get your finances in check. It's always best to have a blueprint of where your money is going. A great website is www.mint.com. They can help you organize your finances so you can plan and set financial goals.
- Plan Shopping Trips Ahead-Make a list of what you need and take it with you. When you're out shopping challenge yourself to only buy what's on the list. This is extremely difficult and requires self-discipline but when followed it can be extremely effective.
- Turn Off The Commercials-Now I know that this is easier said than done and most of you are thinking, “Why bother?” But think about it, if you don't see those commercials about when your favorite store is opening a shop downtown you won't even be tempted to go and spend money! Also get off of those mailing lists and unsubscribe from catalogs.
Once
these lists are put into affect I can promise you that you will be
spending less money, and be less likely to spend on those impulsive
purchases of, “I simply must have that item!”. Or have you
questioning, “Do I really need to smell like the man your lady
would like you to smell like?”
We
are all guilty of buying things that we don't need. We are surrounded
by a world that is constantly trying to prove that their product is
the best, or that if we buy this we will have all our dreams come
true, and the girl/guy we want will finally notice us. We have to be
careful and figure how to spend our hard earned money and stay away
from putting items in the drawer of, “I totally forgot I had that/
I will probably never use that again.” If you follow the steps
above I can promise that you will be happier with your spending
habits and the money you have saved, and happier with how you have
avoided those products you don't need.
Works Cited
Hollis, Nigel. "Why Good Advertising Works (even when you think it doesn't). The Atlantic. 31 Aug. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
"How to Stop Impulse Buying." Free In Ten Years. 12 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Johnson, Bradley. "Big U.S. Advertisers Boost 2012 Spending By Slim 2.8% with a Lift from Tech." Advertising Age. 23 June. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
SavvySugar. "10 Savvy Ways to Stop Impulse Buying." Learn Vest. 25 Jan. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
