Shopping for food is sometimes like speed dating...
you scope out the scene and decide who looks good while simultaneously weeding out the “losers”. You're drawn to some based on their looks, others by the promises they make you. At times, the choices can be overwhelming. Those that make the final cut get to go out with you. If they are agreeable, you entertain the idea of a long-term commitment, as long as they treat you well. After a while, you may realize that they’re not what they portrayed themselves to be - they may leave you feeling empty, lacking, or even confused, even though they provided an awesome first impression. Sometimes, you keep them around simply for convenience sake, even after their true colors have been revealed - while they’re not doing a whole heck of a lot for you, you simply can’t imagine life without them. Somewhere, sometime, you were convinced you needed them...
Our relationship with food is a lot like that. Often, we operate on auto-pilot. The relationship gets comfortable. We buy what we buy, simply because we’ve been buying it for ages - sometimes because our mothers may have bought it for us when we were kids.
Advertisers understand that a lot goes on in our psyches that shape our decision-making mechanisms. Decisions about purchasing food are no exception.
Coming up, I will highlight several key strategies that marketers employ to convince you to purchase their products. While I will not attempt you sway you regarding specific products, it is my hope that you will better understand the reasoning behind product marketing and become a savvy, smarter shopper - deciding on your future purchases in purposeful, well-informed manner.
This was a really cute analogy! The metaphor will help me i the store haha. Green is my "go to" color because it reminds me of life and freedom. I don't know about wealth though.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about food like this, but your right. I have my "go to" food items that I always go to, but when I think back on it, sometimes I'm not even crazy about what I've chosen, it's just what I know. I don't like shopping, so I am all about getting in and out of the grocery store as fast as possible; sometimes I just scan over the shelf, pick the first item that catches my attention and looks like it is what I needed and move on. I'd be really interested to learn more about what marketers do to convince me to purchase their products.
ReplyDeleteinteresting comparison - i look forward to future posts!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing what foods are the "keepers" and what ones look flashy and leave us wanting for more ... great analogy ... I'll be thinking baout food "losers"in the grocery store next time I shop !
ReplyDeleteInteresting comments. Yes, green does seem life-giving and "free"... the very things that money insures in many cultures...
ReplyDeleteAlso, going to the grocery store DOES often seem like one of those things that lots of people dread - kind of like ripping off a band-aid... Do it quick and get the pain over with...
Many of the foods we bring home look great in their packaging, but underneath it all, there is not much substance... have you ever really LOOKED at the patties underneath that special sauce, cheese, lettuce and buns (a la: Big Macs)? Those things look nasty! Or what about the insides of some of those "lean pockets"?