Bird's Eye View

In my previous post, I discussed the art of persuasion mostly through the eye of the retailers and manufacturers.  In this post, I want to discuss persuasion through the point of view of the consumer.

As consumers, we are faced daily with glowing advertisements and gaudy signs that are utilized to attract us to businesses and products.  Much like a fly to light, we fall into these traps either consciously or subconsciously on a regular occurrence.  Businesses know that the more exposure consumers have to a specific type of advertisement, the more likely we are to purchase that specific advertised product. This knowledge of exposure is called "Effective Frequency". Effective Frequency is used to describe the number of times a consumer must be exposed to an advertising message before the marketer gets the desired response, whether that be buying a product, or something as simple as remembering a message.  (https://thefinancialbrand.com/42323/advertising-marketing-messages-effective-frequency)

Example:
This past week, I traveled home to Alabama for Thanksgiving.  Being from Alabama, I am a loyal Alabama Crimson Tide fan so naturally I had to attend the Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa.  All season I have been watching the Bama games on television stations such as CBS and ESPN.  These stations are cluttered with monotonous advertisements that you see on a weekly basis every Saturday.   One advertisement in particular is from Dr. Pepper.  This commercial features a Dr. Pepper vendor preaching "Ice cold Dr. Pepper, here!" to the crowd in football stadiums at nauseam.  So while sitting in Bryant Denny Stadium on Saturday I found myself craving a Dr. Pepper.  I was not even thirsty but all I could hear in my head was "Ice cold Dr. Pepper, here!" I couldn't believe it!  As soon as I felt this craving I immediately attributed this desire to the commercial. (Note: I am not a Dr. Pepper drinker) This experience just proved to me how powerful repetition of advertisement can be, I was persuaded to buy a Dr. Pepper before I never even knew that I would want one.

The Art of Persuasion

Persuasion.

I have always struggled with this word.  My inner moral compass always tends to spin in a 360 degree direction when I contemplate the many ways I could influence another individual for my own personal benefit.  Is not the most basic meaning of freedom for an individual is to be able to make his or her own choices and decisions with out an others persuasion?

But then I reflect on the utility of persuasion.  Without the use of persuasion there would be no incentive for companies to fabricate the most advanced products that is possible. If companies could not persuade customers to buy their product then why manufacture the product at all?  Would a world without persuasion just lead to dead ends and lost capital?

Being a retail associate in the fly fishing industry, I have had many opportunities to examine and apply persuasion.  As an employee I was instructed to arrange the merchandise to where that the customers would view the most expensive and "boutique" items first.  I believe that this tactic gives the customer a nudge to purchase these products.  We as consumers obviously always want the best possible product that is available on the market. If retailers can, for lack of a better term, force these items into the eyes of the consumers, then the consumer will experience a sense of tunnel vision for that particular product and will take little consideration into the alternatives.  I experience this phenomena myself when I'm scouring store shelves for my next purchase.  I frequently find myself trapped in the bright lights of beautifully displayed items.  These techniques both subliminally and blatantly cater to my desire for purchasing the "biggest and the best" that manufacturers can offer.

To conclude this post, regardless of the utility of persuasion I will still struggle with the morality of it.  I concede and recognize that there is no preverbal gun being held to the consumers head when they make a purchase.  But, the thought of taking advantage of an individuals wants and desires for my own personal gain will always make me question the ethics of the art of persuasion.

Road Map

Hello fellow students,

Better late than never, huh?  For whatever reason I always find a way to bring things down to the wire for better or for worse.  Inevitably, at the end of the day I always get it done, but I've always envied those of you who can begin tasks within a reasonable time frame.  But, I digress.

That being said, in my blog postings for the remaining few weeks I want to explore the particular "lenses" of consumer behavior that we have discussed.  Particularly, I want look through these lenses and analyze my passion, the outdoors.

By lenses I am referring to the books and articles we have read as well as the topics we have discussed in class.  I have found it fascinating and valuable to hear each of your feedback and ideas in our forum setting.  Gaining a fresh perspective on these compelling topics has broadened my finite perspective on the way we consume and perceive goods and experiences.

I have been fortunate to work within the outdoor industry for the past five years.  Such jobs ranging from lift operator at Moonlight Basin to fly shop employee and fishing guide within the Madison Valley.  These positions have given me a unique opportunity to examine individuals consuming habits and trends at a very core level. I want to better understand why consumers make the decisions that they do and what retailers and manufacturers do to persuade and trigger these decisions.

I look forward to changing and looking through these "lenses"  as this semester comes to a close. I hope you all enjoy the view.