Lecture 7
The dark side of consumer behavior
positive and negative influence
theory of mind
This lecture: Social exclusion
• Do marketeers manipulate consumers? bait 2Switch
• Positive and negative e ects of consumer behavior incorrect statement
• Deception in advertising
• Manipulation in packaging packaging
Do marketeers manipulate consumers?
• As consumers we sometimes get tricked by marketing actions
• Do marketeers create arti cial needs?
◦ Ex. Head and shoulders, rst presented dandru as a problem --> would you put dandru in this picture?
• Are advertising and marketing necessary?
◦ Ex. Your thirst can feel the di erence
◦ Ex. The pause that refreshes .. at home
◦ Turning the drink into a reward after work (while people would be relaxing anyway)
• Do marketeers promise miracles?
◦ Ex. If you use this scent the girls will want you
Positive in uence of consumer behavior
• Green marketing:
◦ Ability to buy a re ll option
◦ Environmentally friendly
• Social marketing:
◦ Socially important topics advertised
◦ Ex. Anti smoking
Negative in uence of consumer behavior
• Additive consumption:
◦ Consuming because of addiction
◦ Cigarettes or co ee
◦ Cigarettes with taste banned
• Compulsive consumption:
◦ Is an enduring behavior that centers on the process of buying, and not the purchase itself
‣ Repetitive shopping as an antidote to tension, anxiety, depression or boredom
‣ Compulsive consumption is di erent from impulsive shopping, which is rather temporary
Honest ads
• If junk food commercials were honest
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8lgZxYxpC8
LaPierre (2015) Tot
• At what age do children understand the purpose of advertising?
◦ Some researchers say 10 years
◦ Some researchers say under 6 years
• Age is not the determinant factor, but cognitive development is!
◦ Theory of mind (ToM)
◦ Di erent view on the situation when we get di erent information
◦ Awareness that other people have thoughts and feelings
◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGSj2zY2OEM
• Results showed that when children performed better on ToM, the more likely they were to understand that
commercial messages are designed to encourage people to buy a product
Aghakhani (2019)
• VolksWagen emissions scandal
◦ In 2015 Volkswagen programmed the Diesel engines in their cars in such a way that they would emit 40
, times less pollution during laboratory emission testing compared to real-world driving
• Consumers became distrustful of VW but 64% also believed that other manufactures would engage in this kind
of deceptive behavior
• Research showed that deception lead to feelings of defensiveness that creates distrust to the deceptive sources
with a carry over e ect to other sources --> Not trusting other companies either
• Research showed that the carry over e ect of deceptive advertising can be 'neutralized' by another negative
experience (social exclusion)
◦ Social exclusion is seen as a threat and consequently a defensive mechanism is triggered that reduces the
negative psychological impact
‣ Ex. Ignore the unpleasant event and focus on positive emotions
• So distrust may not carry over to other advertisements if the person feels socially excluded
• Marketeers can't really pro t from this
Attas (1999) --> overview of personal opinions
• Are deceptive advertisements lying to consumers?
◦ Deceit and lying have both the purpose to cause other people to hold false beliefs. So look at the intention in
order to determine whether there has been an act of deception or a lie
• An advertisement is deceptive when it is reasonable to expect that people exposed to it would come to false
beliefs
• An advertisement is deceptive when the speaker is considered responsible for the distortion
◦ When the audience is responsible it's seen as a miscomprehension
• An advertisement is deceptive when it is likely to a ect the consumer's behavior or decisions
◦ A misled consumer does not have to buy that speci c product
• A deceptive advertisement does not have to in uence the sales of competition brands
◦ Competitors are not harmed when one bene ts form investigating in more advertising
Summary
• Lapierre
◦ Not age but ToM is important to understand the purpose of advertising.
• Aghakhani
◦ Negative e ects can ‘carry over’ to other brands
◦ This carry over e ect can be neutralized by another negative experience (social exclusion)
• Attas
◦ Questions whether advertisements are in fact deceptive.
Honest ads
• If every famous diet idea was honest
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llwwKkuy5gI
Deception
• False objective claim: claim something which is false
◦ Ex. 4 times as much vitamin c as oranges
Types of deceptive selling tactics
• Bait and switch technique: lure you in with one product (out of stock) and switch it out for another (better)
product --> try to get you inside since your 'buy mode' is on
• Incorrect statement or promise
◦ Exaggerated e ectiveness of safety warnings (not always smart)
‣ Ex. The medicine is 100% safe
◦ Create unintended warranties
‣ Pyramid selling - promises of big money (illegal)
• Asking people to sell it for a little pro t, but keep paying the buyer
• Person at the top and people selling under them
◦ Misrepresent one's own o erings
‣ Something is claimed to be on discount, while being sold for a regular price
Subliminal perception (Derren Brown) --> skipped in lecture
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR81VZXVR6U
The dark side of consumer behavior
positive and negative influence
theory of mind
This lecture: Social exclusion
• Do marketeers manipulate consumers? bait 2Switch
• Positive and negative e ects of consumer behavior incorrect statement
• Deception in advertising
• Manipulation in packaging packaging
Do marketeers manipulate consumers?
• As consumers we sometimes get tricked by marketing actions
• Do marketeers create arti cial needs?
◦ Ex. Head and shoulders, rst presented dandru as a problem --> would you put dandru in this picture?
• Are advertising and marketing necessary?
◦ Ex. Your thirst can feel the di erence
◦ Ex. The pause that refreshes .. at home
◦ Turning the drink into a reward after work (while people would be relaxing anyway)
• Do marketeers promise miracles?
◦ Ex. If you use this scent the girls will want you
Positive in uence of consumer behavior
• Green marketing:
◦ Ability to buy a re ll option
◦ Environmentally friendly
• Social marketing:
◦ Socially important topics advertised
◦ Ex. Anti smoking
Negative in uence of consumer behavior
• Additive consumption:
◦ Consuming because of addiction
◦ Cigarettes or co ee
◦ Cigarettes with taste banned
• Compulsive consumption:
◦ Is an enduring behavior that centers on the process of buying, and not the purchase itself
‣ Repetitive shopping as an antidote to tension, anxiety, depression or boredom
‣ Compulsive consumption is di erent from impulsive shopping, which is rather temporary
Honest ads
• If junk food commercials were honest
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8lgZxYxpC8
LaPierre (2015) Tot
• At what age do children understand the purpose of advertising?
◦ Some researchers say 10 years
◦ Some researchers say under 6 years
• Age is not the determinant factor, but cognitive development is!
◦ Theory of mind (ToM)
◦ Di erent view on the situation when we get di erent information
◦ Awareness that other people have thoughts and feelings
◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGSj2zY2OEM
• Results showed that when children performed better on ToM, the more likely they were to understand that
commercial messages are designed to encourage people to buy a product
Aghakhani (2019)
• VolksWagen emissions scandal
◦ In 2015 Volkswagen programmed the Diesel engines in their cars in such a way that they would emit 40
, times less pollution during laboratory emission testing compared to real-world driving
• Consumers became distrustful of VW but 64% also believed that other manufactures would engage in this kind
of deceptive behavior
• Research showed that deception lead to feelings of defensiveness that creates distrust to the deceptive sources
with a carry over e ect to other sources --> Not trusting other companies either
• Research showed that the carry over e ect of deceptive advertising can be 'neutralized' by another negative
experience (social exclusion)
◦ Social exclusion is seen as a threat and consequently a defensive mechanism is triggered that reduces the
negative psychological impact
‣ Ex. Ignore the unpleasant event and focus on positive emotions
• So distrust may not carry over to other advertisements if the person feels socially excluded
• Marketeers can't really pro t from this
Attas (1999) --> overview of personal opinions
• Are deceptive advertisements lying to consumers?
◦ Deceit and lying have both the purpose to cause other people to hold false beliefs. So look at the intention in
order to determine whether there has been an act of deception or a lie
• An advertisement is deceptive when it is reasonable to expect that people exposed to it would come to false
beliefs
• An advertisement is deceptive when the speaker is considered responsible for the distortion
◦ When the audience is responsible it's seen as a miscomprehension
• An advertisement is deceptive when it is likely to a ect the consumer's behavior or decisions
◦ A misled consumer does not have to buy that speci c product
• A deceptive advertisement does not have to in uence the sales of competition brands
◦ Competitors are not harmed when one bene ts form investigating in more advertising
Summary
• Lapierre
◦ Not age but ToM is important to understand the purpose of advertising.
• Aghakhani
◦ Negative e ects can ‘carry over’ to other brands
◦ This carry over e ect can be neutralized by another negative experience (social exclusion)
• Attas
◦ Questions whether advertisements are in fact deceptive.
Honest ads
• If every famous diet idea was honest
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llwwKkuy5gI
Deception
• False objective claim: claim something which is false
◦ Ex. 4 times as much vitamin c as oranges
Types of deceptive selling tactics
• Bait and switch technique: lure you in with one product (out of stock) and switch it out for another (better)
product --> try to get you inside since your 'buy mode' is on
• Incorrect statement or promise
◦ Exaggerated e ectiveness of safety warnings (not always smart)
‣ Ex. The medicine is 100% safe
◦ Create unintended warranties
‣ Pyramid selling - promises of big money (illegal)
• Asking people to sell it for a little pro t, but keep paying the buyer
• Person at the top and people selling under them
◦ Misrepresent one's own o erings
‣ Something is claimed to be on discount, while being sold for a regular price
Subliminal perception (Derren Brown) --> skipped in lecture
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR81VZXVR6U
