Alex Carson
#1 Deceptive Labeling Tactics
Many people today worry about what they are putting in their bodies. Because of this, they tend to read the labels on the food that they buy. Companies know this, therefore, they use deceptive labeling tactics to trick you. The ingredients with the highest quantity are listed first in the ingredient section. If there is a great deal of sugar in the product, companies will break down each sugar and list it in its actual form. This will put each sugar at the bottom of the list. Companies will also use the scientific name for certain ingredients so that you don’t know what it really is.
#2 Misleading Visuals
Many advertising companies will distort photos using paint, water, and a variety of other photography tricks so that the food on the commercials and the print ads look much better than it does when you buy it. Most people can say that they have never eaten a burger from a fast food restaurant that looks just like it does in the picture on the poster or on the menu.
#3 Misleading Commercials
This happens the most in the automobile industry. When you see cars racing down a sheet of ice and stopping on a dime, chances are it is not a real car. It is a CGI created on a computer. Many companies who create these commercials have a bare bones model that can do a lot. After the makeshift model is filmed, the creators add the vehicle around it using a computer. This is how it is possible for advertisers to make cars look like they are capable of doing anything.
#4 Anthropomorphism
As soon as a human quality is put to something, it makes it more lovable. For example, if you see a video of a great white shark in the water, it can be frightening. If you see the same video of the great white shark but it has a voice and it is telling a funny joke, it will be cute and funny rather than frightening. Advertisers use this same theory in their marketing. If you have ever wondered why many types of cereals and beverages have cute animals on the labels, it is so you will trust the product more. How can your not trust a cute little tiger?
#5 Anti-Advertising Slogans
More and more companies are using anti-advertising slogans. They hope that by using reverse psychology that you will buy their product. Companies such as Under Armor, Patagonia, and Burger King have all used this type of marketing to people to buy their products. It may sound strange, but it works.
#6 Decoy Pricing
Many companies will use decoy pricing to make a certain item look good. They will list two similar products with a similar price. The third item that they list will be a bit more inferior to the first two but will cost a great deal more. This gives you the impression that you are getting a good deal on either the first or second item listed. It is a dirty trick used by many retailers.
#7 Overpricing
Many businesses will use overpricing to get you to buy something. For example, if you go to a restaurant and the first thing that you see on the menu costs $100, your brain will tell you that $100 is the average cost. When you see the next two dishes are $50 and $60, you will think that it is a good price. Actually, those are also overpriced for one dish as a restaurant. You just think that the price is goo because it is cheaper than the first price that you saw on the menu. Car dealerships use this method often in their ads as well.
#8 Reduced Portion Sizes
More and more companies are reducing the portions of their food. Many companies don’t want to increase their prices because consumers will find a new brand. Rather than raising prices, they offer smaller portions at the same price. These companies hope that you aren’t going to notice the difference in the size of the product. Many products do this, from potato chips to crackers, to fast food.
#9 Gruen Transfer
This is the method of adding confusion to your shopping trip so that the retailer can make more money. First, by making things feel disorganized, you are more likely to walk around the store and see everything. This will make you buy things that you would not normally. Another trick is to put commonly purchased items such as bread and milk at opposite sides of the store. This makes it easier to make a few impulse purchases along with way.
#10 Strategic Layout of Product
This is one of the most common ways you’re secretly tricked by companies. When you go to a store, you might not realize that the placement of each item has been carefully thought out. The place that things are placed on the shelves depends on the product. The top shelves are for the mid-priced items. The items on the middle shelf are the higher priced items so that you see them first. The items on the bottom shelf in the least expensive. They are hoping that you will grab from the easiest shelf first. Even the size of the carriages has tripled since the 1970’s. If your cart fills up too quickly, you will be more likely to stop shopping. Retailers have experts on these subjects who help them set up the stores.
