ACT NOW! LIMITED QUANTITIES! TODAY ONLY!
These are several phrases that we’ve come accustomed to seeing displayed in advertisements. The fact of the matter is that these and other call to action phrases have changed the way that many, including myself, think about purchases.When I receive an email from a retailer, for whatever it’s for, I stop to think “Is this something that I need?” or “Is this something that I want” Identifying a need or problem this is the first step in the consumer decision and buying process.
The next step in the consumer buying process would be to search for a solution to the problem or need. However, given the action phrases presented in the e-marketing advertisement we tend to skip a few of those steps (searching for alternate solutions, evaluating options) in what would be considered a logical consumer buying process. Take for example the offerings from sites like Groupon and Living Social. Both of these sites offer the ability to deliver daily deals to you email inbox ranging from half off dinners at local restaurants to deeply discounted exotic vacations. Given that they offer “limited quantities” and you must “act now” to not miss out on the deals many consumers don’t go through the consumer buying decision process.
I too have purchased multiple deals from both of these sites. I’ve gone on half off catamaran boat excursions and have dined for half off at a few restaurants. However, some think that these advertisements for deals are like going grocery shopping while being hungry; everything looks appealing. Businesses often entice us, the consumer, with sales to get us in the door, or in this case their sites, but it’s ultimately up to us to evaluate our own position and click on the buy button. 
Sometimes these emails that we receive is not even something that we are looking to buy but I think that's the whole purpose of that. The advertiser is sending us emails about products that we don't have but they are sending it in a way that makes us want it and in a way it turns from a want to a need and we end up buying that.
ReplyDeleteThese types of emails can create a big part of the revenue for a business that is just starting out or has a new product to sell. Sometimes we don't need this specific product but if they present it appropriately we will want it.
I used to receive emails from Groupon every day and, even when most of the deals were not interesting for me, I still checked them every day. These coupon sites are really changing the way people purchase; they are making people skip a lot of steps in the buying process. We see a deal that it’s so good that we must purchase it. We don’t think about characteristics needed, other alternatives, or even if we really need or want the product in the first place.
ReplyDeleteOf course, we don’t let most of these offers convince us to purchase something but there is always one incredible deal that makes us click the ad and get it. In this case, the retailer is not helping us discover a need or solve a problem; instead, it is creating one and providing a solution. That is, jumping from step 1 to step 8 in the buying process, all in the few seconds that takes to read the ad. That’s effective advertisement!