Within our everyday lives we experience the act of what is called somatic markers which are essentially unconscious associations within our brain that help us decide on what to buy. Within Buy-ology a great example is used by Martin Lindstrom, which speaks upon the matter of being in a grocery store deciding on which peanut-butter to buy..Skippy, peter pan etc. by instinct the consumer grabs the brand Jiffy peanut butter between all other brands on the shelf. Ever think of what makes us grab that one brand over the other? In my case, it had never dawned on me why I choose the numerous brands that I purchase. The realization is that we decide on choosing certain brands for numerous reasons whether we`re buying a car, food, or shopping forclothes somatic markers play a huge role within our decisions.
So what really makes us choose one brand over the other? To be quite frank, there are various ways our brains relate when choosing from the numerous brands we see. Somatic markers could come from childhood memories good or bad. Let’s take for example as a child perhaps your parents used Folgers coffee when you were younger and in direct correlation as an adult you chose Folgers as your coffee to use. Not only do childhood memories play a role within the world of somatic markings but advertisers play a critical role within somatic markers also; let`s take the example of Folgers coffee again. Within the Folgers commercial they play a catchy slogan, “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup” which could be replaying in your head over and over, catchy right? That playful tune that’s played on the commercial becomes stuck in our head, as we head down the aisle to pick some coffee up, that catchy slogan comes to the top of our heads once we see Folgers brand, thus helping the consumer choose that brand to purchase! The overall goal for advertisers is to have the consumer chose their brand over the hundreds of thousands of other brands out in the market, using somatic markers helps the consumer distinguish one brand from the other. Whether it is a memory we rely on, a funny commercial, a catchy slogan, or something that celebrities and our friends have, advertisement creates these markings that fuel consumers to buy their brands.
We normally do not think about what drives us to buy the specific brands that we purchase. My reasoning’s for buying the brands that I have is usually because I`ve seen commercials for it, my friends have it, or it is something new and I want to try it. So I ask you, could you think of reasons why you chose the brands that you buy?
I think you make very good points in your blog. There are probably lots of reasons why I purchase a certain brand over others and they are the same reasons that you mentioned. If I go into a grocery store to pick up for example, ketchup, I will buy Heinz because that is the brand that I have always seen in my parent's house since I was a child. Sometimes I will buy a certain brand because a friend has that brand or maybe due to the advertising campaign of that brand makes you really want to have it. Also, it is true, that a catchy commercial jingle will play in your head all day long. Somatic markers, the bookmarks in our brain, definitely play a part in our consumerism. Thomas Walsh 01
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ReplyDeleteI am still singing, "...the best part of waking up is Folger's in your cup!" Somatic markers are definitely at work throughout the day. From advertisements and catchy slogans, it somehow finds a way to become embedded in our memory. Aside from this, I think my childhood memories and my friend's choice of brands play a role in my choice of brands as well. When grocery shopping, I know exactly what brand I want out of my choices. It may be because that is what my mom always had in our cabinets. I had an experience just the other day. I was with my friend and was looking to purchase canned black olives. The brand I know my mother always buys wasn't on sale and my friend told me to get the Shop Rite brand, "...It is the best and even on sale!" If I was alone, I probably would have never thought of purchasing it, but because she was there I did. Believe it or not, we just had them for Thanksgiving dinner and they were more then I expected. GO TRY THEM!! (I am sure now it is going off in your head to trust me and maybe your next time at the supermarket, you will try the store brand!)
ReplyDelete--Donna Fricano Section 80
You bring up an excellent question! As a I look at the things I buy its either things I really don't need. As I am typing this, I'm saying to my self why on earth do I buy so many t-shirts even when I own 30 of them. I guess it's the way they are sold, such as "On Sale" ads or a shirt that is visually appealing and may look "cool" when wearing it. During Black Friday I had bought my first North Face jacket costing me $179. Do I need this? Not at all, I have at least 4 jackets, but my friends who have them I guess influenced me to buy one. I guess it's my way of trying to fit in with a certain group? It's definitely interesting, how our friends, family, ads, and the tv, influence our buying power
ReplyDeleteMiles Kong
Section 01
When I am out buying things, reliability plays a huge part on what brand I choose. However, I think this reliability is an image created by the advertisers. Marketing an object more heavily than another leads to more awareness for that item and the more you hear that something is great, the more you might start to believe it, which could lead to you choosing that product over another one. I believe this in itself is a somatic marker used by advertisers to instill a sense of reliability in the product. The overexposure of "it's the best one on the market" and "the greatest" eventually leads to a belief that the item truly is better than the rest, when in reality, it may be the exact same.
ReplyDeleteJavier Morillo
Section 01
Aly, you bring up a good point; somatic markers are subconsciously at work in our brains at every moment in our lives. As Martin Lindstrom points out somatic markers are shortcuts in our brain, as he illustrates, “these markers serve to connect an experience or emotion with a specific, required reaction” (Lindstrom 131). Lindstrom explains that somatic markers help us yield the best decision from our past experiences. For many of us as you mention Aly, these experiences come from watching commercials, or witnessing a friend or a relative with a similar product which we then find trustworthy ourselves. In most cases these experiences drive our daily decision making towards products, brands, and companies that we find the most comfort with.
ReplyDeleteWhen I am in the store buying things I know that somatic markers play a large role in the brands I choose. This is because when I am unable or realize there is more than one kind of whatever I am buying at the time my mind automatically goes to the advertisements which i have seen that stick out in my mind. Catchy slogans definately play a part in the selection process. Why would you chose a "no name" brand that you have never heard of when you can pick one that people sing about? I agree that somatic markers play an extremely important role when consumers are selecting certain brands of products, whether or not they are aware of it.
ReplyDeleteJourdan Stone, section 01
I think that people tend to buy the brands that they most closely associate with their joyful memories and that are generally familiar to them. When a person sees a commercial of a product juxtaposed with a happy family, it conjures up memories of the person’s own family and friends. That person would then think that Coke, for example, is the drink of fond memories and happy times with friends and family. Many times, it is all about the emotional response a person has to a product. We like to buy products that we “trust,” that are familiar to us, or that we remember from childhood. Indeed, many commercials attempt to show us that the product being sold is familiar, safe, and rooted in our memories. So if a person reaches for Coke instead of Pepsi, it is likely because that person sees Coke as more familiar, and more rooted in his or her memory.
ReplyDeleteTom Reilly, Section 01
It is almost sad to say that most of my purchases were influenced not by my needs so much as my wants. Many of the products I bought were because I wanted them, for instance my old phone worked fine but an iPhone was so much cooler. Buy-ology teaches that our purchases are influenced by our subconscious thought processes and associations that our brains make without us even knowing it. So who knows why I actually bought the products I bought or the brands I did.
ReplyDeleteOver the last few months or so, I have actually tried to reason out why I choose certain products over others. Of course, the main reason would be because one is a much better bargain but the challenging decisions ultimately end up preferring the one that looks better. The brand, the modern style, and the aesthetic are usually the reasons determining what I want to buy. I do feel that my decisions are based on my subconscious as well since my opinions of brands and styles are due to how much I am exposed to them and stored in my memory.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article I took a second to actually reflect on why I do buy the products I buy. As you mentioned in your response, most of the products I buy are the ones that my parents would buy when I was a child. Something as simple as my laundry detergent is a product that I cannot seem to change. It’s not that I think the one I use is the best or most cost efficient, it is just the one that I am familiar with and know my parents chose to always use. The only reason I my purchases vary from my parents is if my friends buy a different brand and I have tried it and like it better. I rarely try a completely new product, but when I do, it is one that I have seen advertised in a magazine.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Smith section 01
I can relate to the Folger's coffee story because to this day I buy products that my mom and dad bought for my family growing up. Even when new products are released I tend to buy with what I'm familiar with. When I was younger the Limited Too was the place to shop and I remember I would always want to go there because that's where all my friends would get their clothes from. I think more so when you're young, people worry about fitting in therefore its 'vital' that they have the same products as what they deem to be cool. Then when you grow up you base your buying habits off of memories you have of them and what you've become accustom to throughout your life.
ReplyDeleteThis class as well as Buy-ology have caused me to question why I buy what I buy. I have started to somewhat analyze commercials on television. When it comes to food, I would consider myself an educated consumer. When I see commercials for Tyson chicken or Green Giant vegetables I laugh to myself. They always picture the little red barn on a family farm when in fact the chickens and veggies are raised and grown in an industrialized process. People buy the products because when they see the package they picture the green giant "Ho-ho-ho-ing" in a lush, green field or the chickens pecking around in a field. How could a giant green man wearing leaves for clothes be bad?! People definitely base their purchases on the products that they are comfortable with and the catchy jingle that plays in their mind when they see something.
ReplyDelete1) In general, accessibility usually determines the brand I am buying. If I am at a store, I am not going to go somewhere else if they have peanut butter.
ReplyDelete2) Name recognition first. If I have heard of a certain kind of peanut butter I'll always buy that over another, whether that had been through a friend or commercial.
3) Customer reviews for different items. I will read mounds of reviews even when buying the smallest products. I also go off friend reviews often.
4) Novelty. I'm a sucker for it, mostly because I hate to have objects that follow the rules. For instance, I didn't need to buy a lamp, but I bought one to have forever (well I think so at least) which is a coiled up extension cord around a frame. Despite being very pick on buying, items that dramatically break away from the traditional get to me.
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ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of reasons why I choose to buy the products I buy. The main reason now a day’s typically is if it’s on sale! JK! Overall though I feel that if I heard something good about it from a friend or just read a good review in a magazine, that product stands out to me amongst the masses and helps me make my decisions. Reviews and suggestions on certain things from consumer magazines can help influence my choices as well. There are certain products though that I will only buy certain brands of products due to trial and error or finding what I like the best over the years. For example, I have been wearing the same brand of Maybelline mascara for years and have no plans of changing it. I’m comfortable and used to the brand so I continue to use it. I think that familiarity with the product, like you mentioned with Folgers, and the subliminal somatic markers triggered are a big persuasion on the products that we buy.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that we buy things for weird reasons. It is either we use them in our pasts or the little tune the companies use to lure people in. Everyone sees an actor smiling when drinking Folgers or a kid saying “Whoa” when his friend did a cool stunt on the Razor scooters. We figure when we buy these products, we end up being happy. Good article for me to think about.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Rizzo section 80.
I totally agree with you regarding what drives us to purchase one brand over another. As children somatic markers, our parents influence or the catchy jingle that may drive us to want a particular brand but as adults I believe the choice begins to become more habit and “brand familiarity”. Today I also add one additional factor when making my selection, the coupon. In these tough economic times I try to balance cost and quality when making my decision and even though I mostly buy what I enjoy, with all things being equal I WILL NOT pass up a bargain when available
ReplyDeleteFor me, buying a new product is fun adventure. I like trying out new products to see if they bring something new to the table. For example, I love "limited edition" varieties of candy, such as Starbursts, or new types of gum, Stride Layers. However, when it comes to the everyday products, such as paper towels, deodorant, water bottles, etc. I am pretty blind to what brand I am buying. I usually go for what is cheapest. Still there are a few things that I cannot live without like Swiss Miss chocolate milk, CokE, and Cottonelle baby wipes. Overall, I do agree with the points made about buying products that have been seen most in the past and commercials playing a critical role in the consumer's opinion. Companies make the aesthetic area of their marketing a top priority for selling their goods or services
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with you. I buy many of the brands that I see in commercials rather than the not so popular brands. For me, I almost feel like the quality is superior due to the marketing campaign the company's put forth as well as the fact that they are "popular." Think back in it, it is not fair for me to judge without trying and discovering other brands. The taste, quality, and customer feedback should determine the popularity of a product...not how catchy a brand's song is.
ReplyDeletePeople associated brands with what they are familiar with and they carry their parent's teachings with them. It must be hard going to the grocery store to find a cleaning product and not knowing which brand is better or not. It is strange how advertisements are different from personal life styles.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Chen
Section 01
I can absolutely think of reasons I buy certain brands I think I buy because they hover in the nexus of cheapness and usability. I don't buy things because they are brand name or really really nice. All my clothes are from a smattering of no-name companies, my jewelry is heirloom costume. I don't buy makeup, and things like food are usually bought through convenience. Fast food is not my favorite, but you put certain likes and dislikes to the wayside when you are hungry. I will stick with a brand if they have proven to me that they are legitimate. For instance, a publishing company going the extra mile to put in color pages, or up the page count of a book. Those extras are why I buy.
ReplyDeleteI actually like not so popular brands because they are always kind of weird. Off brand soda is my favorite. I'm much more likely to shop around and look at the prices of things along with the reviews of things before I bight the bullet on something.