The Ideals of Beauty

Image courtesy of Playbuzz

The ideals of beauty play a very large role in influencing how consumers decide what to purchase. We are all subjected to stereotypes, whether it be based on gender, affluence, race, etc. Marketers influence children from a very young age in how they are supposed to look and act. 

Beauty, however, varies from country to country, and changes over time. A more robust figure in Spain and Columbia is more attractive than the stereotypical model that the USA would find attractive.

The way that we carry ourselves varies tremendously and the changing beauty industry will likely never stop looking for the next big trend. Marketers are able to capitalize on these trends and influence buyer decisions. If beauty is constantly changing, we as marketers will be able to profit off of the forever evolving beauty market. 

Image courtesy of Daily Mail

Ads: They Speak To You

Maslow's hierarchy of needs developed this pyramid in search of understanding how the consumer works. His discoveries say that in order to move up on the pyramid, one must be fulfilled in the prior levels. 

Marketers tap into this psychological behavior to try and focus on how they can help (or persuade) the consumer that buying their product will come with many benefits to help them fulfill their needs. It has it's limits however, it is solely based on Western culture so it may not have a large international impact.


Here is an example of an ad for each level of Maslow's Hierarchy:

Dasani taps into your physiological needs.

The Salvation Army addresses safety. 

Belong to the beginning of digital music.

This van will fulfill all of your egotistical needs.

YOUR story starts here. 



All images courtesy of Google Images.

Subliminal Advertising: does it work?

Subliminal advertising is a method of promotion that is meant to influence consumer's responses using images, sounds, and other various techniques without them being conscious of it.

Here's a famous example:

In 1957, a market researcher named James Vicary flashed the words "Eat Popcorn" and "Drink Coca-Cola" onto a drive-in movie theater.

The words appeared for only one single frame, not long enough for the conscious mind to be aware of it, but long enough for the subconscious to take it in. Supposedly this subliminal ad increased sales by 20% for Coke, and 60% for popcorn. 

That is a massive spike.

However, it was a hoax. But more recent experiments have shown that subliminal messages can affect behavior, in a smaller way. 

Image courtesy of businessinsider.com

The Pediatric Association Says That Coca-Cola Is Not Correlated To Childhood Obesity

Coca-cola had conducted and funded a study in 2015 done by the Pediatric Association Academy. They donated millions of dollars and essentially bought scientific results from the Academy. After the research was conducted, the PAA released a public statement saying that Coca-cola's products, soft drinks, do not contribute to childhood obesity. Trying to grow their profits, Coke wanted to promote healthy living by pairing with the PAA. By 2015, the average consumer, who is well informed, is aware that soft drinks are bad for health. However, Coke still has a social and ethical responsibility to tell the truth to the public, instead of buying research from credible medical associations. After this data was released, the Pediatric Association ended its partnership with Coke, but what is only because of the outlash of these obviously biased results? It seems that even the health of a nation can have a price tag put on it.