Part of a multi-part series:
Introduction
Product
Price
Promotion
Place
I left Promotion last because it’s the most powerful one. Promotion is the message that marketers use to draw you in and trick your brain into thinking that it needs to buy something. It is particularly powerful when you didn’t even realize you had a need in the first place.
There are several aspects that go into crafting the perfect marketing campaign.
Demonstrate a need – Ever watch those infomercials that sell the most random things on TV? Ever wonder why they are so long? Much of the infomercial format is based on creating a picture of a frustrated person who finds all other alternatives too painful – it’s too hard, too inconvenient, takes too long, or wastes a lot of money. Marketing messages take time to twist what may have at first appeared to be normal to you, into a bad situation. They use black and white film or loud sounds and red X marks to make you feel like what you’ve been doing, is wrong. And this product is right
Fulfill an emotional hole – Many people purchase clothing in particular, to look like a person that they want to be. And boy, do marketers know that. If they can convince you, and sell you on the idea, that clothes define who you are, they’ve got you hooked for life. Banana Republic designs for “a life with no boundaries”. Kate Spade wants you to have a new year’s resolution of trying something new (like their latest clothes and accessories). Be it sex, love, companionship, health, power, money, marketing messages are out there, preying on holes in your hearts.
From Kate Spade’s blog
Sell a lifestyle that you’re “supposed” to live – Similar to fulfilling an emotional hole, a lot of clothing brands’ goals is to mold you to live a fantasy lifestyle that the brand has created. After all, I used to work at Victoria’s Secret. I have my own opinions about that company, but I will say that the company itself wanted to define sexy. It wanted to define what a sexy, confident, beautiful woman should look like. And even if other clothing companies claim the opposite and want you to be you, it’s still the same. At the core of it all, they are tapping into your desire to define yourself by the things that you buy and the experiences you have. Even Patagonia – a company I have a lot of respect for – is selling an idea. And if you like that idea, and the company supports, it, then you should buy their products.
From Patagonia’s website
And all these messages will use ways to get after you. They might use models who look like you. They might present situations that are hypothetical but yet based enough in real life that you can relate to. They may even use your family and friends to market to you through referral based marketing. Promotional messages are sometimes so subliminally planted that you have no idea it is happening. And that’s the point. There was science behind this. This is all intentional.
Here’s how to reverse the science of messaging – possibly the hardest one to reverse out of all the Ps of marketing
Love yourself from within and know that you are enough
“You are enough” is an anthem I’ve been screaming from the top of my lungs here at Save My Cents. It’s saying that no matter where you are today, what circumstance you live under, what body or illness you have, the size of your paycheck, the strength of your relationships, that you TODAY are already whole. You are human. To be human is to be messy. This comes from my Christian roots and I say this with all my love and all my heart. These three simple words are powerful. It means you have the ability to save yourself. You don’t need anyone else. It means also that if there are less than perfect days that’s okay. The universe isn’t really keeping score. Forgive yourself for imperfect days. A lot. It also means that who you are today is whole. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be more. But who you are today also is not incomplete.
Success does not always depend on your clothes
As a person who attained wealth at a very young age, I can guarantee you, more stuff does NOT make you happier. You might look more put together, you may be able to pass off as someone who looks rich, but if you don’t work on what is inside you, your mind will never believe that you’ve made it. I managed to do quite well at work without wearing the latest and greatest in clothes. I asked higher-up people in my company what it took to succeed, and what they admired in others. Clothing was never mentioned. Now, this might not be the case in every industry. My point is, you have to learn that yourself. Learn what it takes to be truly successful, and learn this by reading and asking a lot of questions. You need to develop enough street smarts to know when it makes sense to buy something, and when you’re being fleeced.
Keep working on your traumas
Many of us buy from a broken place. That’s why so much of marketing is focused on love and power. Things that many of us desire but may have traumatic experiences around it when young. Like I mentioned above, again, stuff is not going to fix it. Not in the long run. Like a drug, you’d get a short high, but then you have to keep feeding it to keep the feeling up. The only way to heal traumas is through therapy / you working on your mental health. No one else out there is as invested in your mental health as you. You have to take that first step. And it feels scary. For a year I avoided calling health insurance to look up a therapist, because I was afraid. Finally when I reached the breaking point, I did, and while the road was paved with tears, I am so, so grateful I did it and that I invested in myself in a way no clothing ever could.
Have a heart of gratitude
A grateful heart is the most powerful tool against marketing. When the entire world screams that you need to buy stuff to be content, learn instead to be content with what you ALREADY have. If you learn to want and love what you already have, and desire no more, you will be set free. Read this post on my Instagram on how to adapt a more positive mindset.
Avoid the triggering messages in the first place
In my 30 Day Reset Emails I talk about unsubscribing and unfollowing sources of toxic messages. You can do the following:
- Unsubscribing from marketing emails. It’s not that hard to find coupons when you really need to buy something. Email marketing is the #1 driver of purchasing. They’re not there to help you. Stop believing emails help you save money
- Unfollowing and / or muting accounts on social media that cause you to spend money. This includes influencers (they’re called that for a reason – to INFLUENCE you to spend), friends, and yes, even family
- Spending less time with media. Media is where a lot of investment in advertising dollars happens these days. Read books instead. Spend quality time with loved ones. Exercise. Anything but watch media. For this very reason Mr. Savemycents and I do not own a TV and avoid streaming services as much as we can
- Reward yourself for saving and investing money. You’ve tied positive emotions to spending money. Now is the time to not view having a budget as a negative thing. Having a budget means you have a plan to be forever financially free
- Remove your linked credit cards and debit cards from online shopping accounts, and remove cards from your wallet when walking around
You got this. Science has trained your brain, and you can reverse the science and reverse the wiring in your brain.
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