Experts in marketing know how to increase sales and promote excessive consumption. To get you to buy something, whether it’s a good or a service, they employ every trick in the book. It’s not surprising that we frequently fall prey to these pitfalls and end up spending excessive amounts of money on unnecessary items. The good news is that these marketing pitfalls are avoidable with little knowledge.
To help you avoid overconsumption and money waste, the team came up with a list of things that marketers don’t want you to know.
1. Never trust how you look in a fitting room.
Everybody has had the humiliating sensation of recognising their reflection in a mirror in a dressing room as being completely different from what they are used to seeing in other mirrors. The store mirrors reflect every blemish and pore on your face in the most unfavourable way. Additionally, it makes you appear to be a size or two older and five years older. The lighting that many stores utilise is to blame for this.
This marketing gimmick appeals to the ego of the consumer to get them to buy additional goods—in this case, clothing—that will boost their self-esteem. They essentially solve a problem that never existed.
2. Avoid medium-sized drinks.
Due to the fact that large beverages are too enormous and tiny ones won’t satisfy their thirst, most people opt for medium-sized drinks. However, because it is only marginally larger than the small one and nearly as pricey as the large one, the medium beverage isn’t a good deal. The popcorn served at movie theatres uses the same marketing ploy. The decoy effect is a strategy used when a third option is intended to persuade customers to select a more expensive option.
3. Ads make us use more toothpaste than needed.
Most people use too much toothpaste when brushing their teeth; only a pea-sized amount is required. This tendency first appeared in ads, where using higher quantities of products looked better and gave the impression that doing so would make our teeth whiter and cleaner.
4. Sales are rarely a good idea.
One of the main goals of a sale is to increase profits and entice you to make additional purchases, but this could also mean that the item is overpriced or of inferior quality. Asking yourself if you would pay full price for the product will help you avoid falling for sales tactics. Put the item back if the answer is “no” and realise that you are only pursuing the immediate enjoyment of shopping for new things.
5. Turn a blind eye to trends.
You might want to reevaluate your wardrobe if you enjoy wearing trendy clothing. A new jean style or colour makes its way across the Internet every few months. This fad aims to keep you from developing your own personal style while also making you spend money all year long. When something new emerges, the item that is currently in style and sold out will quickly become “cringy” and out of date.
Spend time and effort figuring out your personal style and creating a timeless wardrobe rather than simply following trends.
6. Don’t fall for the illusion of scarcity.
When resources seem to be in short supply, people are more prone to want them. Think about how many individuals would be interested in reading a book after realising that the initial printing was quickly consumed. When an airline business states, “Only a few tickets left at this price,” or when a hotel states, “Just 3 rooms left,” this is an illustration of the scarcity illusion.
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7. Don’t fall for the allure of owning a limited edition of something.
Limited edition products are occasionally produced by businesses in the expectation that consumers will value their rarity and uniqueness. Since they are typically released around celebratory times when people are more likely to spend more money, these companies are aware that customers will pay more for something unique and exclusive.
Since these products will only be available for a little period of time, the makers rarely make an effort to ensure that they are of high quality.
8. Don’t trust the scent of the store.
The bakery section of the grocery store doesn’t have an oven, thus the delicious aroma is not coming from there. It seems that stores intentionally exude the scent of “fresh bakery” to entice you to buy pastries even if you weren’t going to. Scent marketing is the name given to this tactic.
Which deception are you guilty of accepting? What other sales techniques do a lot of people unwittingly succumb to?
