The more you spend

[CrystaLv]

I just read Cliches thread and though when they say
The more you buy the more you save (during sale of course) it IS true because you save more but you spend more too.
So is this 'politically' correct to use this statement for sales people? Is this statement THE most misleading or THE best marketing strategy ever?

 

[SantaMufasa]

Crystal,

Your post reminds me of my wife's famous comment, "Honey, juwanna know how much money I saved you today?"

My typical response, "Only if you saved me money by not spending any."

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I can provide you with low-cost, remote Database Administration services: see our website and contact me via www.dasages.com]

 

[Lunatic]

Technically it is correct because you are 'saving' over the normal price. But logically there is no 'saving' occuring because you have less money at the end.

Take bread for example...

You buy 1 loaf a week @ $2 a loaf. It goes on sale for $1.50, you save 50 cents.

Take shoes for example

You are not normally going to buy shoes (assuming you have adequate shoes). The 'Sale' that saves you $25 dollars on those $100 shoes actually COSTS you $75 dollars.

So you can't really 'save' money. You may save on that item but you have less money as a result and therefore lose money.

***

As for the best or most misleading... Nearly all advertising is mis-leading...

Words such as
"New" (We added more color to the package)

"Improved" (we tested the same bleach with one more sock in the load and it did the same job, therefore you can do more with the same so it must be improved)

"Best In Class" (only in class)

"4 out of 5 prefer" (because we send them loads of free samples and they don't know there are other brands out there)

"Best" (compared to? the old product, competitors products from 5 years ago)

Any descriptor is almost inherently misleading unless there is documentation to go along with it.

Advertising is all a bunch of linguistic parlour tricks and misdirection.

 

[IknowMe]

"4 out of 5 prefer" (because we send them loads of free samples and they don't know there are other brands out there)

I really liked the explanation on this one in thread1256-1237860

"4 out of five prefer", could also be

"4 out of five out of 5,000 prefer"

if they care to tell you there dropping the other 4,995 surveyed who also didn't "prefer" from their sample.

Wow, I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time.
I think I've forgotten this before.

 

[Gooser]

How about, "New and Improved!" (?)

How could this possibly be? (!)

If it is new, then it never existed, while if it is improved, then it had to exist before.

Yet, you will see it on every aisle at the grocery store.

Liar, liar, pants on fire!








v/r

Gooser

Why do today
that which may not need to be done tomorrow --me

 

[Stella740pl]

Lunatic,

You are not normally going to buy shoes (assuming you have adequate shoes).
I bet you are a man. And probably not a married man.

Technically it is correct because you are 'saving' over the normal price.
Yes, sure, but only if you would have to buy this or a similar item any way.
But very often, because of the sale, people buy things they don't really need and wouldn't buy if it wasn't for the "savings". Or in the amounts they cannot possibly use before the expiration date.

CrystaLv,

So is this 'politically' correct to use this statement for sales people?
Politically? Of course. Nearly everything is 'politically' correct for sales people, no matter how misleading.

 

[ChrisHunt]

The one I like is way all toothpaste is advertised (or at least used to be advertised in the UK) with the claim "30% fewer fillings". 30% fewer than what?

Well, at least it wasn't "30% less fillings".

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd

 

[Stella740pl]

Chris Hunt,

I am not sure what those fillings are, but in USA, in many cases, when you see something like this, you, most likely, can find also a tiny asterisk next to that claim. And then, is you search the package very thoroughly, you might find similarly tiny explanation. It usually says something to the effect of "*Than our regular toothpaste", or "*Than other leading brand" (of course the other leading brand is not named).

 

[CrystaLv]

So they basically take us for...not intelligent people? I am offended now

I do understand that 'dentist recommend' certaint brand of a toothpaste is a marketing tool but however I am probably most likely going to buy this brand next time because i was told it is good and most importaintly EXISTS. Unless of course i came to a CVS and there is a sale 'buy 1 get 2 free' - THERE I will save MORE. Isn't it plain funny? But it gets them sales. Oh, well, it is not the way to start Monday. Good week everyone!

 

[2ffat]

So they basically take us for...not intelligent people?

Unfortunately that is correct. There was a study done some (30?) years ago that suggested the average TV commercial was geared to a person with an IQ of 80. I don't think commercials have gotten any better. :-(

James P. Cottingham
-----------------------------------------
[sup]I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229![/sup]

 

[Lunatic]

And most newspaper articles are geared toward people with a 6th grade reading level (at least according to my friends with a journalism background).

Stella,

Guilty as charged. Okay, substitute shoes with any other item of your choice that you would not normally buy even it were on sale.

The 'technical' part...

So you can't really 'save' money. You may save on that item but you have less money as a result and therefore lose money.

We're on the same page

 

[CrystaLv]

Bad news! My IQ is lower then 80 because sometimes I do not understand what is that was just presented to me? And I watch this commercial again and again and sometimes they stop airing it and I am still not sure what product was that for.
But looking at the bright side this way I will not buy it. Again - I will not save anything by not buying anythign so it is again a bad news

 

[Gooser]

There is a woman in our office who often touts that she, "quit watching TV in the mid-1980's"[sup]*[/sup]

I always want to say to this, (but have, as of yet lacked the gusto), "How do you know what to buy?"

Am I supposed to be impressed?

What do you guys think? Am I better off to just not talk to someone who doesn't watch TV, or should I ask the question, then not talk to her.

v/r

Gooser

With all due respect, you are not possibly thinking of...
Oh my word, you are!

[sup]*[/sup]-must've been Knight Rider.

 

[Stella740pl]

Gooser,

I always want to say to this, (but have, as of yet lacked the gusto), "How do you know what to buy?"

Hm, is this a joke, or you really figure out what to buy by watching TV?
I do watch it once in a while, but I am quite commercial-resistant, and my husband even more so. I don't really buy on purpose the advertised brands - unless I am familiar with them otherwise, or heard other people recommend them.

Am I better off to just not talk to someone who doesn't watch TV, or should I ask the question, then not talk to her.
Hm again. How your talking to people is connected to watching TV? Or you talk only about TV shows and advertised products? I've met people that don't watch TV at all. Normal intelligent people; much higher than IQ 80 at which TV ads (and, alas, so many of the shows) are aimed at. And somehow, they do know what to buy.

 

[jsteph]

I like it when they take something that normally costs $100, and it's on sale for $75. The flyer says

33% savings!.

What--why not 25%?

Well, the sale price is $75, and the $25 you're saving is actually 33% of the $75 sale price, so for it to be back at the normal $100 price, you'd have to raise the price 33%--so it's a 33% savings.
That's marketing logic!
--Jim

 

[Gooser]

Stella-

I was joking when I said, "How do you know what to buy?"

I was making the cynical connection of the saturation of commercials (including product placement) and people's ignorance.

v/r

(2)Sarcasm + (2)Cynicism + (1)Bulls___ = Gooser

 

[Stella740pl]

Gooser,

Good. That's a relief. ;-)

 

[Gooser]

Maybe add (1)Skepticism, too!

 

[jebenson]

...the average TV commercial was geared to a person with an IQ of 80.

A friend of mine has a theory about this. Most people like to feel smart, and most people watch TV. So advertisers, being savvy about human nature, purposely "dumb down" their commercials so that TV viewers will feel smart while they watch them. This also has the effect of making the viewer feel superior - to the TV and/or to the advertisers. This feeling of being smart and/or superior is unconsciously attributed to the commercial being viewed, and by association the product,being advertised, and later may translate into a purchase of the advertised item, because it is associated with the feeling of being smart/superior, albeit unconsciously.

Advertising hasn't gotten to be a multi-billion dollar business because it doesn't work. If all the peple who say that advertising doesn't affect them were really unaffected by it, then there would be no advertising industry, or it would at least be MUCH smaller.



I used to rock and roll every night and party every day. Then it was every other day. Now I'm lucky if I can find 30 minutes a week in which to get funky. - Homer Simpson

Arrrr, mateys! Ye needs ta be preparin' yerselves fer Talk Like a Pirate Day! Ye has a choice: talk like a pira

 

[Gooser]

Why can't they advertize responsibly, though?

Why can't they tell you about features of a product, rather than putting some DD Bimbo in front of it?

I often see commercials that have a lot of music and flashy graphics yet all the substance that you could squeeze onto the head of a pin.

But we know this, don't we?

v/r

Gooser

Why do today
that which may not need to be done tomorrow --me