Marketing has a strong influence on people's consumer behavior. Is that true? And whether strong or weak, is it right (ethical)?
Influence is an essential component of human nature: humans are social animals.
In this presentation, various forms of influence are explored, how marketing and social marketing uses them is examined, and the question of whether the use of such influences is powerful and ethical is addressed.
27. Socrates on
marketing
"How many things there are
which I do not need“
“Those who want the fewest
things are nearest to the gods”
-- Diogenes Laertius, Book 2
30
Notes de l'éditeur
Is it true? (epistemology)
Does marketing influence customers?
Does marketing have an undue or unreasonable amount of influence on customers?
Is it right conduct? (ethics)
Is marketing self-interested? Is it unreasonably self-interested?
What rules/intuitions about right conduct are broken by marketing?
Does it create good for others? Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
marketer can be untrustworthy
lies – Enron
incomplete information – “no sugar” / “no added sugar”
puffery – exaggerated claims – “perfect chicken burger”
Frankfurt, On Bullshit, cf Trump, students applying for jobs)
solution?
regulation - but not “perfect”
trust…
friends, family, “good” marketers
but not “perfect”
unintentional or intentional violations
Profiles on dating sites
Student CVs and job interviews
- “what are they looking for?”
- “what does the interviewer want to hear?”
- “what’s the right thing to say?”
Psychological tools
hypnotise us
seduce us
ensnare us
make us do things we do not want
zombies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cpdb78pWl4#t=50 (:50-1:32)
- Positive reinforcement
- offering something desired – eg, “a carrot” or “a sweetener”
- Negative reinforcement
- removing something undesired – eg pain relief
Used by marketers… and also by
spouses
parents
lovers
friends
bosses
circus animal trainers
liking – we are easily persuaded by those we like
reciprocity – quid pro quo
authority – doctors, teachers, priests
social proof – modelling others (especially if we identify with others)
scarcity – limited time offer
consistency – we like to be consistent, so can be encouraged to greater commitment if we’ve made a smaller commitment
minimise effort (convenience)
- “choose” default option
middle of the road option (compromise effect)
paradox of choice
loss aversion - value a loss more greatly than an equivalent gain
choice blindness - how we fool ourselves into believing we got what we wanted!
mental accounting – “price of a daily cup of coffee” (= $1400) / credit card debt / 4c off petrol
hyperbolic discounting - preference for smaller, sooner over larger, later
- original claims of subliminal were a hoax
however, marketers do place subliminal/ embedded images
why?
why not – low cost!
- original claims of subliminal were a hoax
however, marketers do place subliminal/ embedded images
why?
why not – low cost!
Positive punishment
- providing something undesired – eg, “a stick”
Negative punishment
- removing something desired – eg no-jab, no-pay policy
Not used a lot by marketers
- threats might be used in hard sell (bullying, standover tactics)
- can punish if holds market power (eg monopoly)
influence <> control
eg, humans have had an impact on the planet – influence
but do not control everything as might be implied by Time Flannery’s book-title The Weather Makers
marketing is but one of multiple influence agents
humans are social creatures, influence is inevitable
parents, siblings, family, friends, teachers, peers, colleagues, professionals, politicians, priests, etc.
marketers are probably more aware and more open about their intention to influence (c.f., others)
weak or strong influence?
even marketers are unsure about that!
operation of free-market, many marketers, many customers has ensured a plentiful supply of products, cheap and convenient for customers
More information
- nagging backfire / overload / use heuristics
Persuasion
- do the ends justify the means?
Restrictions / regulations / policy
produces both good and bad consequences
+ solve the problem (hopefully)
- creates negative consequences (eg bicycle helmets reduced cycling)
- limits individual choice, self-determination
- encourages blaming & reduced customer responsibility
do restrictions serve the greater good
and who gets to decide?
The economic problem of checking marketing’s harmful influences
customer wants are endless (eg Buddha’s second noble truth)
resources for checking marketers are limited
therefore, caveat emptor
More information
- nagging backfire / overload / use heuristics
Persuasion
- do the ends justify the means?
Coercion
- used extensively by
spouses, parents, lovers, friends, bosses, circus animal trainers, and government policy!
making something a crime is coercion !!!
Restrictions / regulations / policy
produces both good and bad consequences
+ solve the problem (hopefully)
- creates negative consequences (eg bicycle helmets reduced cycling)
- limits individual choice, self-determination
- encourages blaming & reduced customer responsibility
do restrictions serve the greater good
and who gets to decide?
The economic problem of checking marketing’s harmful influences
customer wants are endless (eg Buddha’s second noble truth)
resources for checking marketers are limited
therefore, caveat emptor
Profiles on dating sites
Student CVs and job interviews
- “what are they looking for?”
- “what does the interviewer want to hear?”
- “what’s the right thing to say?”
people will cheat - a little, if they can get away with it/live with themselves!
blaming marketers
credits them with more influence than they have
may make us feel better
but lets consumers off the hook
diminishes our sense of (joint) responsibility
ineffectual
