The Hidden Persuaders

Personally, since my primary school, high school, college and even after college I have been wondering how come these advertisers are SO smart and manipulative! They seem to be able to control the human mind…I am still WOWED by some jingles that are been played to make us buy products and services. These advertisers have the tips and tricks to penetrate our minds and in the end we end up doing their bidding (buying their products!). That is why today I decided to talk about advertisement. I hope you enjoy reading through and learn something from it.

As a Maverick and Quirky person that I am; I do not just subscribe to whatever is been advertised. If it is not necessary for me to have I do not spend my money on it. But unfortunately, there are people who always fall prey to the tricks, manipulations and sweet-tongues of these advertisers and their advertisements. Suffice to say that some people are like puppets—hence making to wonder where they put their willpower, discipline and integrity. By puppets I mean some people just fall for anything in vogue. Is that allowed?

Well, I am of the believe that you will find this blogpost helpful, insightful, liberating, inspiring and a game-changer: ultimately setting you up for a more positive life momentum!

Are you a victim of the hidden persuaders? We are all influenced for more than we realize by professional persuaders, the men and women of advertising. Advertisers have something to sell and they use a number of ways to persuade us to buy their products. They spend millions of naira every year studying human behaviour so that they can control our choices effectively.

Certain feelings and fears are common to nearly all of us and advertisers take advantage of these emotions. For instance, most of us need security and want to be popular with others. We also want to be healthy, successful and attractive. By playing feelings like these advertisers make us believe that we need and want certain products because they will improve our lives in some ways. For example, toothpaste makers doubled tier sales in a few years by making people uncomfortable about their teeth and breath. Unless you had fresh breath and white teeth you would be a social misfit!

Another interesting example of emotional manipulation can be seen in the advertising of beauty products. An advertising executive once said that women will pay a hundred naira for skin cream but no more than ten naira for cake of soap. The reason is that soap promises to make them clean. However, cram promises to make them beautiful. The women are buying a promise. In other words, the cosmetic manufacturers are not only selling cream, but hope. Perhaps, the most obvious method of advertising is the use of sex appeal. Some adverts promise success with the opposite sex. If you buy a product, you will get the man or woman of your dreams. For example, an advert for impulse products tells us ‘impulse made me man’s favourite.’ Sex appeal is used to manipulate men as well—“Change to Ego, it will change your life,” says the man in the advert; surrounded by beautiful women.

In other adverts, aimed mainly at men, women are used to sell products not normally associated with them. Research has shown that the image of an attractive woman is always an effective way of advertising. She may sit on a new car or she may lie at a man’s feet stroking his new socks. Whatever she does her image sells. Women are used to as objects to attract male customers. Even colour is used to manipulate our choices.

A company did a test to see if people were influenced by a product’s packaging. Firstly, they gave a group of women three different boxes which all contained the same washing powder. Then they asked them to try out the different washing powders and decide which one was best. After they had used the products, many women stated that the one in the brilliant yellow box was too strong while the one in the blue box left their clothes dirty. The best of all, according to the most of the women was the powder in the third box which has a design of soft cololurs on it.

Next time, you buy something. Ask yourself why you choose that specific product. Are you being persuaded that you need something by the men and women of advertising?

Adapted from The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard

“Change to Ego, it will change your life,”

Do you agree with this statement above made by the man in the article talking about advert? I do not agree with him because our Ego is NOT our Amigo!!! He made that statement from a ignorance, blindness and narrow-mindedness