From my perspective, marketing is a way to entice consumers to purchase their products or services through a bombardment of advertisements. Until now, I did not consider how the external stimuli of marketing were an emotional engagement where consumers are conditioned to form an attachment with brands and products(Belyh, 2019). The psychological conditioning tactics used to influence the behavior of consumers include endless advertising, celebrity appearances, imagery, and word association(Belyh, 2019). All to tug on the consumer's emotions and build loyalty with hopes of connecting to their wallets. Marketers take the time to research their audience through focus groups, surveys, and at times direct observation(Belyh, 2019). You never know whether the person standing in line or beside you in a store is watching what you gravitate to when shopping in a sea of similar products. By being customer-oriented, marketers are able to understand the target audience(Belyh, 2019).

Although marketers and businesses are not blamed for using psychological tactics to find customers, it is thought-provoking when you consider the marketing material used that led to the purchase of an item or two(Belyh, 2019). For example, a woman has an affection for Michael Kors products. Michael Kors is having a 40% off sale on medium-size black bags with gold hardware. In the past, the women could not afford to purchase so it remained on a wish list. Reviews read which built her desire to purchase; however, the thought of the investment came to mind. The purchase of other Michael Kors products was procured but not so expensive. However, the handbag is on sale, and the cognitive behavior is afoot, ending with a purchase. The marketers win through the customer's affinity with Michael Kors. Another example, streaming platform subscriptions are offered, bundling multiple streaming platforms for a default price, and individual subscription prices for each streaming platform such as Hulu, ESPN, and Disney+. Many prefer easy solutions, which is why marketers provide default choices because offering several choices could stump the consumer(Belyh, 2019). The consumer chooses the easy solution and purchases the bundle.

It issomewhat unnerving, which provokes a question. Am I not thinking for myself? Am I being preyed upon? The answer appears to be yes. As (Belyh, 2019) stated, "Through advertising and marketing, businesses are able to condition the consumers, shaping their knowledge and belief or cognition about the brand's product attributes, as well as the consequences of using the brand and the applicable and appropriate consumption situations for these brands." Fortunately, consumers are becoming well-informed shoppers. They do their research too as am I.

References

Belyh, A. (2019, September 23). Customer psychology frameworks. Retrieved from Cleverism: https://www.cleverism.com/customer-psychology-frameworks/

QUESTIONS:

• Offer an insight you gained from your colleague's analysis of how marketing affects decisions consumers make.
• Relate something your colleague said about the role of marketing in their life to your own experience.
• Provide an additional perspective for your colleague's analysis of how awareness can change consumers' minds, or an additional way in which marketing is used to condition consumers and/or affect their cultural mindsets.