Marketing Psychology
By: Emma Solberg
What is marketing psychology?
Marketing psychology is a technique that marketers use to influence others to buy their product. They use smells, pictures and clever wording to pull you in. This is not an uncommon thing. There's marketing psychology in almost every commercial or ad you see. Some examples of this include when in beverage ads or an ad with fresh fruit they apply little droplets to the food to make it appear more fresh. In reality, it's probably not even real food that you're seeing in the picture, it's "glamour food" meaning a replica of the food that looks more perfect. Marketing psychology is even used at Disney World. They have little pumps in different places where they pump smells of sweets and foods to make people more hungry and go and buy some food. Next time you go to Disney, look around and see if you can find one.
Here's an image of one of the pumps at Disney!
What is the science behind marketing psychology?
Some ads trigger your limbic system and your autonomic system. These control your emotions and memories. Some ads will remind you of a memory you had or remind you of common knowledge that you already know. As I used in my previous example, if you see a soda ad and the soda can has droplets on it you will immediately think it's cold and fresh which makes you crave the product even more. You think this because in the past or in your memory, when you saw a drink with condensation on it, it was fresh and delicious. This is exactly what the ad was intended to do. The more appetizing the product looks, the more you'll crave it and the more you crave it, the more you want to buy it.
The limbic system
Autonomic nervous system
Where and how is marketing psychology used?
Marketing psychology is used in any kind of store, on billboards, at theme parks, on TV and pretty much anywhere else you can think of. It can be used in a variety of ways. It can be used with just words for example in very expensive brands it says things like "for those who start trends, not follow them" to make their product seem more exclusive. This makes the customer think that if they buy that product, they'll be superior to everyone else. Celebrities are also used in ads as a form of marketing psychology. They'll have a picture of a celebrity with their brand making you think that if you buy the product you could be as successful as them. Marketing psychology also has a lot to do with placement for example in the cereal isle at a grocery store they'll put the more fun sugary cereals on the lower shelves so children will grab them rather than having them at the top where adults will ignore them for a much healthier cereal. Marketers also use color in marketing psychology. For example the color red triggers your appetite which is why so many fast food restaurants have the color red in their logo and inside of their restaurant. Other companies highlight your flaws so you think that their product will fix them. These things being said, there are many aspects of marketing psychology.