The Art of Advertising

 

Welcome to the fascinating world where markets and minds collide, where decisions become windows into people's innermost thoughts. Enter the realm of consumer psychology and behavior, where each purchase is a decision that can be made to add a unique touch to one's canvas and tell a story. This blog will guide us through the consumer's mind, revealing the reasons behind each purchase by removing the layers that cover them. To understand the hidden language of preferences and reveal the mysteries that lurk beneath the surface of every shopping cart, we aim to investigate the art and science of what drives us to click "buy." 

To give everyone reading this a brief understanding of the topic we'll start by providing a quick overview of consumer psychology. The niche field of consumer psychology examines how our attitudes, perceptions, feelings, and ideas affect the products and services we purchase and how we interact with them. One thinks of consumer psychology when one wants to understand the rationale behind a consumer's purchase decisions. After all, it's evident that psychology underlies even impulsive purchases. The study of consumer psychology involves investigating the mental landscapes and the complex interactions between ideas, feelings, and perceptions that shape each stage of the consumer journey. On the other hand, this psychological script manifests itself visibly in consumer behavior.  The multitude of psychological cues, nudges, and influences that people encounter when navigating the consumer landscape add up to one. It speaks of the choices and acts that consumers make when they use or buy products. Consumer behavior with respect to a product encompasses all aspects, including the decision to purchase it initially, how they use it, and the possibility that they decide to buy it again in the future. 

Companies make every effort to boost the phenomenon known as consumer behavior. Brands use a variety of strategies to try to boost sales and, eventually, consumer behavior. One of the most well-known strategies is called "Emotional Advertising" among many others. The key ingredient that turns an ordinary advertisement into a resounding symphony of connections is emotion. They are strong inducers of action, but more significantly, they shape behavior in a way that primarily encourages viewers to buy something in an attempt to relive the emotional experience. Brands have exploited this very aspect of the human psyche; when they can elicit strong feelings in you, they are not just selling a product, but an emotional experience. Famous brands that have been linked to the emotional advertising approach include Lysol's "Protect Like A Mother" and Gillette's "Perfect Isn't Pretty" campaign, to name just a couple.

   Another technique we would like to discuss is "Subliminal Advertising.” Subliminal advertising refers to subtle, sometimes unseen messages in advertisements intended to influence the viewer. The visual or auditory stimuli are undercover so that we don’t consciously make note of them but their presence is overt enough for our subconscious to pick on it. One of the few well-known for visual examples is Baskin Robbins. In their logo, the curve of the B and the line of the R are separated and highlighted in pink to show the number 31. Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors and added it into its logo to show the variety of flavors they have.

Subliminal advertising does not work all the time. Sometimes the message may be too subtle or it may not match with the intention of the advertisement. The updated Wendy’s logo tried to incorporate the word ‘Mom’ into the ruffles of the collar, probably to associate Wendy’s with a mother’s cooking (a positive emotion). However, this did not work because very few associate their mother’s cooking to a fast food joint.

Subliminal advertising can be effective and may make you more inclined to buy a product but it is not the same as brainwashing. Just because an advertisement for a fast food joint flashed a message about their new deal does not mean that you would immediately go into a hypnotic trance and rush to buy it. Some studies suggested that in order for subliminal advertising to work, it must be relevant to the person’s goals. A study conducted by Karremans, J. C, Stroebe and Claus in 2006 aimed to see if exposing participants to Lipton Ice Tea would increase their preference for the drink. The advertising did work but only in cases where the participants were thirsty. The exposure had no effect on those who were not thirsty. 

There are some problems that arise while using subliminal messaging in advertisements such as the ethicality. Common opinion states that it is unethical as consumers are manipulated and subtly influenced about the product and that the decision they make is not based on conscious choices. This is a controversial topic as research has not been able to give a definitive answer but a few countries have strict laws regarding subconscious messaging. 

The reason we buy things may not totally be our decision. Yes,’ the consumer is king’ but the king also has his advisors who influence his decisions. While some would consider it to be a manipulative tactic, others would see it as a nudge in a certain direction. It depends on how you view it and feel about it.

References: 

What is consumer psychology? (2023, May 12). USC MAPP Online. https://appliedpsychologydegree.usc.edu/blog/what-is-consumer-psychology/

MSEd, K. C. (2021, July 6). What is consumer psychology? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-consumer-psychology-2794899

FutureLearn. (2023, July 31). How to understand consumer behaviour - FutureLearn. FutureLearn. https://www.futurelearn.com/info/blog/how-to-understand-consumer-behaviour#:~:text=Consumer%20behaviour%20in%20marketing%20refers,purchase%20it%20in%20the%20future.

Gartlan, D. (2023, September 14). Emotional Advertising: How brands use feelings to get people to buy. Stevens & Tate Marketing. https://stevens-tate.com/articles/emotional-advertising/

Welbourne, T. (2022, February 14). Emotional advertising: how and why brands use it to drive sales. The Drum. https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2022/02/14/emotional-advertising-how-and-why-brands-use-it-drive-sales#:~:text=Emotional%20advertising%20refers%20to%20the,fears%20and%20aspirations%20through%20content.

Gibbons, M. G. (2022, January 13). Subliminal Advertising: Definition and Examples. Webfx.com. Retrieved November 15, 2023, from https://www.webfx.com/blog/marketing/subliminal-advertising

Ignite Marketing Team. (2023, April 3). 12 EXAMPLES OF EFFECTIVE SUBLIMINAL ADVERTISING (AND 6 THAT AREN’T). Ignitevisibility. Retrieved November 15, 2023, from https://ignitevisibility.com/7-examples-effective-subliminal-advertising/ 

Karremans, J. C., Stroebe, W., & Claus, J. (2006). Beyond Vicary’s fantasies: The impact of subliminal priming and brand choice. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 42(6), 792–798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2005.12.002 

Technology Networks. (n.d.). Ask me anything: Psychedelics. Neuroscience From Technology Networks. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/webinars/ask-me-anything-psychedelics-379816 

About the author:

1. Aameya Kapoor

Member of the PsyCreative Column

Second-year, B.Sc. Applied Psychology, SDSOS, NMIMS

Aameya Kapoor is an avid reader and writer who enjoys researching about any topic under the sun. She constantly watches analogue horror even though she knows that she won't be able to sleep that night. A word of advice from her- singing Yeh Jawani hai Diwani by Kishore Kumar will distract you enough to ignore that lingering feeling of dread when you’re alone in the dark. When she’s not scaring herself to death by watching horror shows that she shouldn’t even be watching at night, you may find her engrossed in a sketch or painting that she may not ever finish. (She says that she’ll get back to it but it will never see the light of day). 

2. Aatmika Rao,

Member of the PsyCreative Column

Second-year, BSc. Applied Psychology Committee, SDSOS, NMIMS. Aatmika Rao enjoys reading a lot but sometimes struggles with deciding whether to spend more time in bed or choose the next book. She loves dancing too and it is one of the ways she expresses herself. She loves pets, especially doggos, and low-key enjoys a pets company more than humans. She finds horror movies hilarious and can't stop laughing when she's watching one. Finally, her one true love is coffee, in specific, filter coffee (it satisfies her little south Indian heart).