Minions,
Happy Monday! It’s time to gather over a cup o’ Joe and discuss the question of the week.
This week: They gave you glamour and movie stars. Let’s counter it Monday morning with our own glitz: hypnosis, fast food and cheesy commercials! Dream!
We all have triggers that influence our buying decisions. Many of these are unconscious, according to a recent Psychology Today article. We buy more when we’re hungry or tired because we’re especially susceptible to specific triggers during these times.
Fast Food Love
A few years ago, a friend gave me the opportunity to undergo hypnosis. I thought, “Cool! I’ll finally get to walk like a chicken in front of a crowded theater of people.” Instead, she and I were in a comfortable office alone, and I was handed a list of topics. I chose weight loss, because my waistline was starting to balloon and I wanted to keep this sexy figure.
What I discovered during these sessions was beyond interesting.
The first two times I went under, we discovered that I most enjoyed the communal properties of eating. I like good discussions, and those often happen over lunch or dinner. Plus, in my financial planning job, going out to eat was a great way to network, which led to bigger paychecks.
Eating out equaled career success.
Those were neat, but the third session was the breakthrough.
I had a strong image during the third session of riding in the back seat of our Buick next to my brother. My mom drove us to pick up my dad on his break at the local GM plant. He’d work long hours, but would be able to escape with us for a few minutes to hit the close-by McDonalds, pizza place or Dog ‘N Suds drive thru.
I remember these times and immediately get a warm, comfortable feeling. We were all together, happy and eating hamburgers.
In short, we found out that I equate fast food with home, happy times and family.
To my subconscious mind, Big Mac = Huge Love.
Ever since this revelation, my eating habits have morphed. Sure, I still like fast food, but when I pull in, I now know that those family feelings are a lie. It’s just a hamburger and fries. The old days won’t reappear, but my waistline will disappear.
Unlimited Laughs
Humor is another big seller for me. I don’t usually like dumb humor, like the Three Stooges. I know people who love that type of thing, but it doesn’t do anything for me. I’m into more subtle humor, (like lyrics found in songs by The Beautiful South). If somebody worked on making it clever, I think it’s funny.
We were up early at 4 a.m. getting ready to make the long drive to the state swim championships. I was both tired and hungry, so it doesn’t suprise me that I sat and watched all of this commercial:
It’s the first time in forever that I’ve watched an entire two minute commercial. Funnier? Cheryl watched it all with me. What do I like about it?
– First, the product appears to work and solve a need. If it doesn’t work, the humor doesn’t matter.
– It laughs at itself. I have this tendency, too. Witness this, this and this. I have an appreciation for those who can
– It emulates the absolute worst in infomercials and makes fun of it. Watch the commercial a second time and notice how hard the actors appear to be trying to cheese it up.
– There are slimy but clever jokes about cat hair and playing with your Schticky. Some of this stuff I can’t believe they say in a commercial. Then again, it make me listen to the whole thing, so apparently it worked.
– The pitchman even makes fun of this run-in with the law.
– They double down by making the biggest part of the product free. Of course it is! Why would the smallest portion of the product be free when you can give away the store? Brilliant.
…all while reminding you over and over again how well the product works.
I don’t know if I’ll ever buy this, but I’m captivated by the marketing strategy. In an age when everyone seems to be working hard to be taken more seriously than the next guy, I like that they’re redefining the rules of informercial television.
Now the Cuppa Joe Monday Question
What are your triggers? When and why do you impulse buy? Have any commercials keep your attention…or better yet, made you buy?
((Photo credit: Flickr user puuikibeach))
The only time I do impulse purchase is when my Mrs. wants something bad. Her wish is the only trigger. 🙂
You are a wise, wise man, SB. …if mamma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy….
Just like my boss says to his boss “Your wish is my command.” 🙂
I don’t impulse buy anything. My problem is I under budget major purchases. I budgeted 1k for a new camera and spent 1800 on a camera and accessories. /doh!
Ouch, YFS! That’ll make up for all the impulse Schticky purchases you didn’t make in a hurry.
Boredom is my biggest trigger. It triggers eating and shopping. Most often what it triggers is a run to the grocery store for junk food. Cause the way not to be bored is to eat potato chips, but you have to have potato chips before you can eat them.
Otherwise, stress/lack of time are triggers for eating out. We’re much better now that we make enough to have leftovers. Heating up leftovers is amazingly quicker and easier than going to a restaurant.
Finally, major loss is a trigger. After losing our dogs in 2009 and 2011, we both felt really strong urges to just go out and buy to fill the hole. I also felt the urge to buy after my grandmother died.
Loss does it for me, too. So does depression. I get depressed every winter for no reason (I’ve just learned to embrace it now). But, I really want to buy something to fill the “hole” I feel.
This weekend I walked into a game store to buy a game…but couldn’t bring myself to actually purchase one. Believe it or not it was actually in the budget and I could afford it…and walked out. What I’m really excited to know is this: did you did the video? I still can’t stop crackin’ up every time I see it. Apparently, it’s just me and my weird sense of humor.
It’s funny, and yes, it might convince me to buy a Schticky if I didn’t already own a Schiticky and a little Schticky. (My mom gave them to us a few years ago. I don’t think they were called that, and their sticky surface is a red instead of a blue, but it’s the exact same product.)
I love that guy. My wife loves the Dumb and Dumber toilet humor, I tolerate it, but really don’t like people humiliating themselves as humor…
I can be drawn into almost any good ad, but have learned to ignore them over time. Plus I know I’ll get questioned at home, “you bought what?”
I remember those early trips to a burger joint as a kid too, though it wasn’t a chain, we didn’t have those in the backwoods south in the 60s…
So hypnosis worked for you? I’ve been thinking of learning it for my practice…
I don’t get your meaning on the “humiliating themselves” comment. You mean where they act like idiots (or go to the start line in their underwear?).
Your point on ignoring commercials is mine exactly. I can’t remember the time that I’ve ever watched a commercial all the way through (outside of the Super Bowl) and was this interested. Plus, it’s a full two minutes long!
Apparently, you’ve been lucky enough to never see Dumb and Dumber. That is definitely humiliation humor, and like Dr Dean, it is not my favorite.
While I really don’t buy a lot of stuff for myself, I tend to overcompensate when it comes to my oldest son. He is at such a cool age that when we are in Toys R Us and he says ‘daddy, wouldn’t that be fun to play with?’, I typically answer yes…yes it would.
I feel your pain.
Way-back-when, I bought my six year old a slot car set for his birthday. When Cheryl saw it, she said, “That isn’t really for him, is it?”
I want to believe my buying triggers are humor based. I certainly pay more attention to advertisers who make me laugh. I wasn’t in the market for a car but the Joe Isusu commericals with the fine print disclaimers stating that he was lying were disarming and fun. BTW – you video link is down (bummer – I’m sure it was funny).
Thanks for letting us know, Corky! It’s back up in case you want to check out another product you don’t want….