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It's crazy how advertising has evolved. First, advertisers were somewhat honest about their products, generally relying on Smith's little theory that buyers are
by voidhorse 8y ago
It's crazy how advertising has evolved. First, advertisers were somewhat honest about their products, generally relying on Smith's little theory that buyers are rational and can thus be convinced by a strong argument about the qualities of the product. Then at some point (w/ the dawn of Western snakeoil/ cure-alls?) advertisers figured out purchasers aren't so rational after all and are better convinced by psychological manipulation--targeting their weaknesses, showing them images that associate the product with happy families, etc. Now advertisers go a level deeper. Instead of suggesting some general association between happiness and their product, they can target you at the personal level and have your friends and relations (often the closest people to you psychologically speaking) serve as manipulation relays. No need to figure out some general fear or desire in the populace that you can target--just make it seem like the product is already embedded in the buyer's world. Like his friends are the direct representatives of its efficacy and the happiness it will bring.
It's wild.
- QuantumGood 8y agoIt's moved onto dopamine triggers of course, but even simple website "stickiness" I think may be an example of the kind of embedding you mention. Engage long enough and when the brain says "I engage with this site" it becomes self-fulfilling and engagement has no set end point.
- leesec 8y agoFrom what I've heard the "some point" was primarily a result of one man Edward Louis Bernays, who lead the charge towards these somewhat predatory practices, effectively inventing modern public relations and advertising. There was a really interesting ( and comical ) podcast about it from the folks at Stuff You Should Know: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/live-in-chicago-how-public-relations-works.htm https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/live-in-chicago-...
- malvosenior 8y ago> targeting their weaknesses, showing them images that associate the product with happy families, etc. This part is explored really well in The Century of Self documentary. It describes how Madison Avenue used new psychology concepts and Baby Boomer individualism to invent modern advertising. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Century_of_the_Self https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Century_of_the_Self