The Marketing Agency Talk

“Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money

they don’t have for something they don’t need.”
Will Rogers

In looming economic uncertainties, this statement will be very true and very real for those who believed in looking good and living well even though their pay check is meager.

Advertising, to me, is essentially an art of persuasion. We write the copy, execute the graphics and blast it to the right media to appeal to our target audiences’ 5 senses. We convince them that their mental, emotional and physical life is much much better with our products and services. Sometimes, it is like selling ice to Eskimos. If you don’t believe that statement, go check out the convenient stores or the kiosks at all petrol stations. The shop attendants will tell you that bottled water is one of the hottest items. It could be branded or unbranded; mineral, distilled or normal drinking water. People could have fill up a bottle of tap water from home yet they bought Evans, Perrier, etc. Isn’t this scenario like selling ice to Eskimo?

Why do people buy something they don’t really need? They bought the unnecessary products/services because they felt good when they owned them. Why do they feel good having an white elephant? It could be, ahem, we, the advertising folks are great influencers and persuaders. However, it is more likely that the target audience’s own ego caused them to go color blind. They bought these unnecessary to satisfy their own self worthiness or to meet the approval of other people.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not snubbing these people. We need these people to oil the economy and make the society a gracious place to live in. In fact, we are all guilty of buying stuff we do not need. I’m sure even a recluse wouldn’t reject a “feel good” stuff once a while.