Are you influenced by advertising? If you’re not actively resisting, you are. My late friend Fred Barnfield was an artist who spent a lot of time considering such things. His library was full of self help/get rich quick/win friends and influence people books, highbrow tomes on economics, autobiographies of people like PT BARNUM, and titles on the structure of the mind and psychology. He told me once that advertisers aim to get their message to you seven times. After that, they are in your consciousness and if you decide to buy an item it’s more likely you’ll get it from them than a competitor.
Fred’s conclusion was to protect yourself by repeating the phrase “I will not be influenced by advertising” as many times as could be remembered especially during television commercial breaks or whilst walking underneath billboards. I remember to do that occasionally only. I wonder what he would have made of targeted algorithms that feed you repeats of what you have said unguarded next to your mobile phone or searched for on the internet. Comics I read when I was a child are now being hawked to me on social media. Maybe it’s my age and some inclining towards nostalgia. More likely some robot overheard me mention Judge Dredd during an animated conversation on an armwrestling road trip.
Sales and advertising are dark arts. They know about us already and can find out more easily. That smiling sales rep doesn’t bleach their teeth and comb their hair for vanity alone. They are creating an impression and the smoothness of their voice and practiced patter are engineered to put you at ease. “I have what you want, and the price that I’m offering is fantastic – but it will be more tomorrow.” More subtle is the battle to gain your attention by the AI robots. Your attention is the most valuable commodity – advertisers want to get their product in front of your eyes whilst you are engaged in your favourite entertainment. Maybe you won’t buy today or tomorrow but if they can get into your consciousness now, half the sale is done.
Telesales guys and scammers somehow get my number. I don’t buy from them. My polite requests to be taken off the lists don’t seem to work, but adopting the telephone manner of Stone Cold Steve Austin seems to destabilize them. Withheld or unknown number? My answer is a sharp “What?” followed by “Who gave you this damn number?”. Conversations after that don’t last long.
There are a few guidelines to avoid impulse buying. Did I want the thing or service when I woke up this morning? Naturally I believe myself to be rational and logical, so contend that no deal is that good to be outside what I’ve already considered. If I decided already that I want something in some not so distant future and the price becomes right – well that might be different. Only might, because I’m also conscious that this is the chink in the armour. Those pesky robots are squirreling away to understand our motivations and plant their brand into our unconscious minds. An extra layer of rationale might need to be employed. Choices need to made when there are no means of ordering. The resting place in the forest or crowded noisy train might be the places for such considerations. The next day’s opportune moment must be paused. Was this my decision or an influence? The broader concept of how decisions form in the mind will be explored further next week.
See you down the road.
