“Hurry in for our winter savings event! Act now and save $10,000 off the purchase of this new truck!” How to save money in an advertisement world
“Save, save, save!” is the popular mantra for these exciting ads. But are they really savings events?
If someone must buy this new truck to replace an old one that no longer serves its owner’s needs, it could be a way to save money. Shopping for a needed item when it’s on sale is a smart way to make a purchase. But for someone who has a fully operational truck and doesn’t need to buy one as a replacement, spending money on another one isn’t saving a dime. It’s an unnecessary expense that drains savings.
Spending is the opposite of saving.
“Savings” advertisements fill the airwaves for vehicles, home furnishings, cell phones, and more. When money flows from the pockets of a buyer to a seller, the buyer isn’t saving anything if he or she didn’t need to spend the money in the first place.
Here’s an easy way to think of savings. When your money flows into and remains in a financial account you control, it’s called savings. When your money flows into a financial account someone else controls, it’s called spending.
Savings advertisements will use different tactics to coax viewers into parting with their hard-earned money, but they all have one trait in common – manipulating viewer emotions.
Advertisers use a web of emotional triggers to gain a response from a target audience, including:
Anticipation and joy – Ads create desire by showing viewers how much more exhilarating life would be with a new product.
Fear – Ads make viewers concerned they’ll miss out on a great deal unless they act immediately.
Trust – Ads ease the anxiety of buying from an unfamiliar seller by using phrases such as “the number 1 trusted seller,” “award-winning,” “highest rated,” and many others.
Sellers want to move product, and they use emotion to manipulate ad viewers into action. Emotional manipulation is a highly effective strategy to generate revenue.
The next time you see an advertisement, identify how many emotional triggers it uses to prompt you into action. What effect did these triggers have on you? Were you tempted to take advantage of the offer, even if you don’t have the financial means now to buy the product?
Advertisements can act as seeds of desire. Businesses plant these seeds in viewers’ minds, instructing the audience on what they should want to purchase. Over time and with constant watering (additional ads), these seeds grow and flourish. They encourage viewers to alter behavior patterns that will eventually permit them to buy these items if it isn’t financially possible to do so now.
No matter where you encounter an advertisement, whether on television, a website, social media, or anywhere else, keep in mind the strategy of the ad. It’s a message designed to manipulate your emotions to drive you into action. Don’t be an advertiser’s marionette.
If an advertisement attempts to get you to buy something you don’t need by manipulating your emotions, the ad becomes a virus. Once you identify the virus, it’s easy to come up with a cure – ignore the ad and keep your hard-earned money in your pocket. How to save money in an advertisement world
How to save money in an advertisement world
How to save money in an advertisement world How to save money in an advertisement world How to save money in an advertisement world How to save money in an advertisement world How to save money in an advertisement world How to save money in an advertisement world
