Advertising is ubiquitous now — on social media; on TV; on billboards; in our inboxes. It’s something so ubiquitous that we rarely notice its impact on our decisions. But advertising has a big hand in influencing what we buy and how we think. So how does this actually affect us? Let’s break it down.
Repetition Makes Us Trust It
Repetition is one of the most powerful tools advertisers use. Repetition breeds familiarity, and familiarity breeds trust; and all of that is most often the case when it comes to ad viewing. This phenomenon is called the “mere exposure effect.” In short, the more we view something, the more familiar we get with it. So when you were exposed over and over again to the same ad for a brand of soda or a new phone, you might eventually buy it simply because it’s familiar to you even if you’ve never tried it before.
Building Emotional Connections
Good advertising isn’t just rational; it’s also emotional. Ads are not designed to move us—make us happy, excited or nostalgic. These feelings can affect our decisions far more than the product’s features by themselves. Seeing a group of friends having a great time on an adventure in an ad might bring us positive feelings, and those feelings become associated with that brand. Then, when we’re out shopping, those positive feelings can sway us to purchase that product instead of another — even if it’s not the most practical choice.
The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
Another tactic advertisers use to make us willing to act quickly is FOMO, or fear of missing out.
They establish urgency through flash sales or revealing product popularity. The premise is simple: You snooze, you lose. You’ve likely seen promotional ads for flash sales or “today only” offers that sound like you have to act quickly. This creates a sense of urgency that taps into our feeling to things with the crowd to avoid missing out on a good offer.
Trust Signals and Celebrity Endorsements
We are by nature swayed by opinions of other people — whether they are people we admire or not. That’s why lots of ads include celebrity endorsements, customer reviews or testimonials. When a celebrity or influencer posts about a product, we think, “It works for them, maybe it will work for me.” What gives? This is called social proof, and it works because we trust the opinion of others, especially the influencers or dancing professionals. We’re more likely to want to try a product if we see a celebrity using it.
The use of color and design has an impact
The colors and style of an ad are also major factors in our reactions to it. Each color evokes a different emotional response. For example, red can make us feel excited or urgent, whereas blue tends to give us a feeling of calm and trust. Advertisers leverage these color associations in order to evoke certain feelings around their products. Similarly, the overall design of the ad — whether it’s clean and minimalist or bold and dynamic — influences how we perceive the brand. A sleek design can make a product appear high-end, whereas a bright, fun layout may make it seem more energetic and playful.
Subtlety in Advertising
Often, advertising subliminally impacts us. Consider, for instance, the sort of games we see marketed online.
Advertising for entertainment options, such as online gaming or slot games is often filled with bright colours, flashing lights and the prospect of instant rewards. Such ads play to our craving for fun and speedy gratification. The underlying message is that we can have excitement, risk and instant reward at our fingertips — for the vulnerable, childless, bored, unemployed, and middle-age crowd who have access to a smart phone. And this sort of messaging speaks to our most intrinsic desires, so we just might take the bait and have a go at something different.
Wrapping Up
Advertising is an extremely powerful tool that influences us to make decisions that we do not always see. From repetition to emotional connections, FOMO to social proof, every single ad is purposely designed to shape how we think and our purchasing decisions. Awareness of such tactics makes it easier to avoid all marketing traps and make better decisions. So the next time you see an ad, take a moment to think: Is this something that I really want, or is that clever marketing persuading me to buy it?
