Worst decision ever?!

I'm glad you're back!

In today's world, everything around us has undergone a buying decision whether its tangible or intangible; from clothing apparel to transportation fares and even education. And one thing that we, as humans who learn from our mistakes think about, is if we liked what we bought, whether we would buy it again, would we recommend it to our friends and most of all was it worth?

The array of questions arise especially in the e-commerce industry. Here's something I know for sure that we have experienced once. That moment when you see something online and we feel like we have to get it, no matter what! 

So you order it right away with a click of a button on that Paypal checkout box and before you know it, the post comes and we're all excited to open the package. But then the worst thing happens. What looked so awesome on the internet is not what you received. The product's utility is almost worthless. Oh the disappointment! If only online shopping had an undo button. An example for me was ordering an iPhone 5 case and what's funkier than a picture of the award winning actor of the Dark Knight behind shattered glass? Who knew that the design was a sticker with low quality print on delicate plastic! But it is because of the way the case was advertised with pictures of the case placed in such a manner that my sight was indulged in the advertising stimulus such that my perception was convinced that this was something I would like to purchase and I wouldn't take no for an answer. 
              

But what is it that makes us buy that product? Here's the ugly truth. Sometimes we tend to depend so much on the aesthetics of the product, that we compromise it for quality. Businesses know that it is an important aspect in branding a product and they leverage it to affect our buying decision. And this doesn't only relate to online products but when we go to a store, sometimes we are unaware of the taste of the product or its functionality until we make that decision to purchase it. The advertising strategy is to connect to our sensory inputs like sight, smell, touch. I mean, if the phone case I bought online didn't look as appealing in HD quality, I probably wouldn't have bought it. The idea is to connect to the customer. The power of our senses are directly related to the advertising stimulus. 

I was at a mall back in Kenya and one of the toy stores set up covered tents at the entrance and actually used colourful glow in the dark footprints to lead children in. Now if something as intriguing and appealing attracted me and led me to intuitively walk towards the store, which 5 year old would walk right by? The fact that their eyesight is stronger at a young age, was a perfect opportunity to drag their parents along with them. 

And this doesn't only work with visual techniques! Recently I was talking to a buddy in Australia, someone I studied with in high school back in Kenya. So we were talking about midnight munchies and he told me how a local brand was promoting their minute pancakes at the store using Point of Sale displays. 

Now a strategy like this wouldn't just tackle a consumer's ability to see the product but the idea of generating a sense of smell in the surrounding area brought people in just to try the product. What devils! Imagine people shopping around midday or later in the afternoon, when their digestive systems are calling for a refill. The perfect opportunity to get people to make an impulse purchase when they have a bite of that sweet pancake. It's just how business works if you want to have advantage over competitors.

Many at times when I go to a mall, I would often be influenced in going to clothing stores like Lacoste because the trade dress (that is the colours associated with the brand) attracts me towards the store. I like the colour green and even though I am aware of the ridiculous pricing that the brand offers, I enjoy seeing their products. The sensation (immediate response through colour, sound and light) creates a desire to just browse around the store. If the business was to target towards an older age group, it would use dull colours to market to the older generation as they are attracted towards that sort of light. Lacoste uses a shade of green, BMO uses a shade of blue, TD uses a different shade of green and these are strategies that business use to create brand recognition. 

In my class, I learned something I wouldn't have known. Colour accounts for 85% of the reason people purchase a certain good. Interesting isn't it? Its an unspoken strategy to use our sensory inputs to influence our decision to buy a product.

Here's a funny clip from the famous Rowan Atkinson taking control of what he would like to purchase at the mall. This is a classic example of how sensory inputs affect our purchases. Notice how women's perfume led him to pace away (even though exaggerated) from that area, leaving him breathless. What if it were men's cologne? I'm darn sure it is something that would appeal to his interest and thus he would take the time to browse for varieties that would suit his needs.

Have a good laugh!