Powerschool GoGuardian Naviance Aimsweb Semstracker EdReflect SchoolDude Virtual Paragon Frontline Alio Service Portal

Corporation Manipulation

Think of some of the biggest corporations you know of. Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Geico. These corporations have millions of dollars, billions, trillions, even. You probably like their products. Every time they come out with a new product, you MUST own it, like, yesterday fast. Sometimes, a product isn’t a physical object that you can hold. For instance, the new product I’m dying to have is the next season of basically any show on Netflix. What? That was it for Season 4? Well, can’t wait for Season 5 (which will come out, like, 10 months later.)

However, it doesn’t matter whether the product is physical or not. It will sell all the same. Especially nowadays, with marketing becoming a bigger, smarter business, able to herd people towards a product with a few well-placed, well-timed ads. Some of the tricks that they use are the most common, but they are also the most effective. According to Chron, these are the most common advertising techniques:

 

 

  • Repetition

 

A beautiful tactic. So simple, yet so powerful. Once someone hears something, again and again, it feels more familiar, more trustworthy. Repetition is commonly used in commercials advertising a product. Not only does the commercial air several times a day and on different channels, but commercials are also often designed so the name of the product or the brand is said over and over. The repetition of the brand name is to cement the product in your mind and give you an audio to go along with the visual, so when you hear or see the brand name, the commercial will come to mind.

Example: Geico

There are a lot of commercials, each one starting with an unusual and bizarre scenario and ending with the name brand appearing in white and a voiceover saying, “Fifteen minutes can save you fifteen percent or more (on car insurance)” or “. . . it’s what you do”. Because of the uniqueness of their commercials, most people can easily call to mind a Geico commercial or predict how one might go. If Geico suddenly changed their format, people will feel upset because they were comfortable with the familiar Geico format.

 

  • Claims

 

You probably wouldn’t buy a product if you didn’t know what it did. I wouldn’t, but I might buy something that was “rated number one in the country.” Advertisers know this. In all their ads, they make a  claim as to what their product can do. They can include snippets of information like “being organic” or having a “new, low price.” They also might make claims about a product being “the best of its kind on the market” or that “kids love it.” Such claims may not be true, however, it doesn’t matter. If you’ve even noticed that a product has labels like this, then they’ve already got you interested.

Examples: Golden Corral

This buffet place claims to be the best. “The best buffet in the USA,” right? Many people would visit Golden Corral just because of their slogan. It doesn’t matter, however, whether their food really is the best. All that matters is that it keeps bringing people through the doors.

 

  • Bandwagoning

 

Have you ever learned of a product only because someone else told you about it, or because everyone else has it? Did you suddenly need that product, no matter the cost? That would be bandwagoning. Advertisers use it to spread the word quickly and cost-effectively. If people like the product, then bandwagoning is a great way for a company to get some positive free publicity. This advertising method is also associated with claims, except it’s the claims of other consumers that is the influencing factor.

Examples: Starbucks

It is not uncommon for businesses to take to the ‘net and ride the wave of posts, shares, and virtual likes. Starbucks is one of the companies that dared to surf and came out on top. Starbucks is perhaps one of the biggest media powerhouses, spanning across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and now, Snapchat. The people who follow Starbucks on social media can easily spread the word, and since Starbucks is so well-received on all social forums, the publicity spread is almost all positive.

 

  • Association

 

If you see a commercial were the people using a product look happy, you are probably inclined to grab your phone and call in an order right away. If this product makes people happy, then I want this product, right? This is association, the next trick advertisers use to get you to buy. If you see something where people are happy, you associate that thing with being happy or being happy with said thing. However, this is a more fragile method because if something you see or hear is negative about a product, then you will create a negative association with the product.

Examples: Swiffer

Swiffer is a well-known cleaning products brand. It has many commercials where frustrated house owners receive a new Swiffer Sweeper on their doorstep. They act surprised at the delivery and delighted at how well it works. Since frustration while cleaning the house is common for almost everyone who has to clean, they create a positive association to Swiffer via the commercial.

 

  • Promotions

 

What’s better than free stuff (or almost free stuff)? People go nuts over giveaways, sweepstakes, and coupons, etc. This is great for advertisers, who use the power of promotions to reel people in. The trick here is that the company never actually loses a significant amount of money, so it’s a win-win. The people are happy and the company fetches a bunch of extra money and customers.

Examples: Kellogg’s

Kellogg’s has had a lot of promotions over the years. W.K. Kellogg actually first had the idea to put prizes in the cereal boxes. That is what inspired other companies to put prizes in their boxes. Once in a while, though, they give away something a little bigger than a plastic toy. If you have a winning label on the inside of the box, you could win a game bundle, a water bottle, or even movie tickets for a hot new movie. Speaking of which, they are having a promotion right now for movie tickets to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/5-common-advertising-techniques-15273.html

Kelly Arnold

Learn More →