The Psychology of Advertisements

Look at me! Look at me! Did that get your attention? Good. Marketers need to grab consumer attention to promote their products and promotions. If the customer doesn’t see that there is a limited edition item, then what’s the point? These methods are what they use to get their brand out more.

You know how people use flattery to get you to do things? Companies also use sweet talk and choose certain adjectives to make their product look good. If you look at the words advertising fruit water they say “bubbly beauty” and for shoes they say “new classics”. These words create an association between the words and their product. You would think that the water makes you lively and fun while the shoes will make you seem fashionable and sophisticated.

50% off the entire store! Buy one get one free! Everyone wants a good deal right? Putting any kind of discount out there will make people at least check out the store then possibly spend more. According to Ms. Fobes who runs a coupon blog, sales and markdowns drive success since it gives people a rush when they save.

Two words always grab attention. Free Trial! An opportunity to do something at no cost is always a good way to get customers. The word FREE is the most effective. But be on guard, sometimes these come with fine print.

Deadlines are also another way to get attention. Doesn’t the word scare you into doing your project now? Well advertisers use sayings like “Limited time offer” or “For one day only” to call customers to action. Research shows that time-pressure is the best when used for electronics or other expensive items. This is what Black Friday is all about.

If your friend told you a certain singer was good you would listen to them right? Using other people’s opinions and reviews on products helps companies sell their products. Any infomercials like the ones about spray that make your hair grow show people being happy and telling the audience it worked for them. Seeing that a friend like a certain thing on Facebook will make you consider the product. People trust their friends and this makes social selling the most successful. Celebrities also do this to add to a brand’s trustworthiness since they are idols to people. This makes customers want to be happy like them.

Big. Beefy. Bliss. These are the first three words of a McDonalds ad with three big burgers below it. Be Extraordinary are the first words used on an ad for Universal Studios theme park. Using target or result words trigger the brain into thinking of the outcomes or benefits of products. The ad for burgers will make you picture you eating that meat and being happy while the ad for the park will make you picture an adventure. Telling the ending consequences is so easy for consumers to look at the rewards for getting the product.

Next time a banner catches your eye think about the factors that drew you to it. Was it color? Was it a specific word like SALE? Did they combine the use of these strategies?

Sources:

1. Clifford, Stephanie, and Catherine Rampell. “Sometimes, We Want Prices to Fool Us.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 Apr. 2013. Web.
2. Kristof, Kathy. “Nation’s Top Scam? Free Trial Offer.” CBSNews. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web.
3. “The Sneaky Psychology Of Advertising.” Online Advertising Blog. BuySellAds, n.d. Web. 20.