What is marketing?
Marketing is all of the activities that work to influence how you spend your money. Sounds pretty tame doesn’t it?
Before World War II there was very little national marketing, much less worldwide marketing. Every state, town, and community had its unique ideas and styles. Things started to change in the 1950’s. All of the GI’s who came home from the war had seen the world and had met people from across the country. Women who had mostly stayed at home tried out the job market. People who had never left their hometowns started to travel. Television came of age.
National marketing was still young. The target was a general adult audience: “See the USA in your new Chevrolet”. The appeal was broad and general. A lot has changed in 50 years.
Modern marketing is more precise and calculated. Corporate America spends billions of dollars to make you spend money. Marketing shapes our culture. We are told how to dress, what to drive, how to groom ourselves, how to entertain ourselves, what to eat, how to act, and the list goes on.
Why do you spend money?
The basic physical needs of humans are food, clothing, and shelter. The basic emotional needs of humans are love, purpose, and belonging. We spend money to fill both physical and emotional needs. Marketing tells you how to fill these needs and ultimately how much to spend doing it.
Take shelter for example. Should you rent an apartment, rent a house, purchase a house? A realtor would suggest that you purchase a home, more than likely a four bedroom two and a half bath home. The bank or mortgage company can tell you exactly what percentage of your income should be used to pay for shelter. You can even do it with no money down (I’ll discuss mortgages and PMI later).
How about love? Jeweler’s ads will tell you exactly how many months pay should be invested in a diamond engagement ring. Floral ads will suggest the perfect rose bouquet and gift for Valentine’s Day.
We really don’t even have to discuss clothing do we? If kids are willing to kill for athletic shoes and warm up suits I think you can see the effectiveness of athletes in marketing.
In short, after the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter are met you spend money to fill emotional needs. Marketing tells you what will make you look better, feel better, be socially accepted, and be loved.
Psychologists suggest that we form an emotional response to a product or service within three seconds of seeing it or hearing about it. Marketers are learning how to generate positive emotional responses to products. They are reaching out to younger and younger audiences. Much marketing is directed all the way down to preschool children. It’s never too early to grow a new consumer.
Marketing is all of the activities that work to influence how you spend your money. Sounds pretty tame doesn’t it?
Before World War II there was very little national marketing, much less worldwide marketing. Every state, town, and community had its unique ideas and styles. Things started to change in the 1950’s. All of the GI’s who came home from the war had seen the world and had met people from across the country. Women who had mostly stayed at home tried out the job market. People who had never left their hometowns started to travel. Television came of age.
National marketing was still young. The target was a general adult audience: “See the USA in your new Chevrolet”. The appeal was broad and general. A lot has changed in 50 years.
Modern marketing is more precise and calculated. Corporate America spends billions of dollars to make you spend money. Marketing shapes our culture. We are told how to dress, what to drive, how to groom ourselves, how to entertain ourselves, what to eat, how to act, and the list goes on.
Why do you spend money?
The basic physical needs of humans are food, clothing, and shelter. The basic emotional needs of humans are love, purpose, and belonging. We spend money to fill both physical and emotional needs. Marketing tells you how to fill these needs and ultimately how much to spend doing it.
Take shelter for example. Should you rent an apartment, rent a house, purchase a house? A realtor would suggest that you purchase a home, more than likely a four bedroom two and a half bath home. The bank or mortgage company can tell you exactly what percentage of your income should be used to pay for shelter. You can even do it with no money down (I’ll discuss mortgages and PMI later).
How about love? Jeweler’s ads will tell you exactly how many months pay should be invested in a diamond engagement ring. Floral ads will suggest the perfect rose bouquet and gift for Valentine’s Day.
We really don’t even have to discuss clothing do we? If kids are willing to kill for athletic shoes and warm up suits I think you can see the effectiveness of athletes in marketing.
In short, after the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter are met you spend money to fill emotional needs. Marketing tells you what will make you look better, feel better, be socially accepted, and be loved.
Psychologists suggest that we form an emotional response to a product or service within three seconds of seeing it or hearing about it. Marketers are learning how to generate positive emotional responses to products. They are reaching out to younger and younger audiences. Much marketing is directed all the way down to preschool children. It’s never too early to grow a new consumer.
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