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An insight to what gets people to buy talking to a stranger

by ewenmack
11 replies
Got talking with a woman in a bar today.

Started talking about rugby,
what else she watches on tv and what she reads.

She thinks tv soaps and reality shows are crap,
doesn't watch them.

She thinks weekly women's gossip mags are crap
but buys them.

I had my suspicions why that was with her.

Told her what it was.

She agreed.

Ok you sales jedi's in the house,
why do you think why she buys what she already knows is crap?

Does this blow the saying
"the product is mightier than the pen" out?

I'm not saying what I think is true, just a possibility.

Want to join in and see if we can discover
a quirk in this buying behaviour?

Best,
Ewen
#buy #insight #people #stranger #talking
  • Profile picture of the author CopyMonster
    My dart throw would have to be at the social value to be gained. Being in the loop. When women socialise with other women they love talking about the stuff found in the mags - even if it is crap. Why Jen hasn't hooked Justin yet. Why Kim and Kanye called their kid North. Blah, blah....
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    Scary good...
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    • Profile picture of the author Memetics
      Originally Posted by CopyMonster View Post

      My dart throw would have to be at the social value to be gained. Being in the loop. When women socialise with other women they love talking about the stuff found in the mags - even if it is crap. Why Jen hasn't hooked Justin yet. Why Kim and Kanye called their kid North. Blah, blah....
      I agree, being ostracised from your group by limiting your conversational interactive opportunities is an unpleasant experience and the emotional mind makes sure it stays that way.

      It's an evolutionary hard wired remnant from the ancient past to make sure we aren't thrown out of our tribe and surely perish without it's protection and access to resources.

      All the women in the group probably feel the same way about the merits of celebrity mags but they act as a conversational catalyst to assist bonding with each other through discussing their stories.

      All in all we're very sociable animals.
      Signature

      First we believe.....then we consider.

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      • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
        Originally Posted by Memetics View Post

        I agree, being ostracised from your group by limiting your conversational interactive opportunities is an unpleasant experience and the emotional mind makes sure it stays that way.

        It's an evolutionary hard wired remnant from the ancient past to make sure we aren't thrown out of our tribe and surely perish without it's protection and access to resources.

        All the women in the group probably feel the same way about the merits of celebrity mags but they act as a conversational catalyst to assist bonding with each other through discussing their stories.

        All in all we're very sociable animals.
        There was a radio ad for talk host which used that same idea...

        Being laughed at a social gathering for not knowing about a subject.

        And the embarrassment of it.

        Best,
        Ewen
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Originally Posted by CopyMonster View Post

      My dart throw would have to be at the social value to be gained. Being in the loop. When women socialise with other women they love talking about the stuff found in the mags - even if it is crap. Why Jen hasn't hooked Justin yet. Why Kim and Kanye called their kid North. Blah, blah....
      When I first read that I though,
      "so true, I hadn't thought of that."

      I was fixed on this one idea.

      The idea of reaffirming the celebs are
      a train wreck and what screwed up lives they lead.

      It would be like a political party supporter looking out for their opposing party is saying and doing to reaffirm what they already believe about them.

      And of course the headlines just pull them in even though they know
      they shouldn't, on a rational level.

      Best,
      Ewen
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      • Profile picture of the author Memetics
        Originally Posted by ewenmack View Post

        The idea of reaffirming the celebs are
        a train wreck and what screwed up lives they lead.
        That's also true

        It makes you feel better about yourself and eliminates some of the envy certain women feel towards the airbrushed uber glam celebs with their jetsetting, top dieticians, millionaire boyfriend lifestyle.

        A newspaper in the UK even has a "top 10 celebrity cellulite" feature on their website.

        After all. If a lady is feeling hungry and eyeing up a cream cake in the refrigerator... Why not, afterall; Beyonce has cellulite with all her top trainers and dieticians so what chance has she of looking as good as that?
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        First we believe.....then we consider.

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  • Profile picture of the author Steve The Copywriter
    Maybe 3 things.

    Living in a celebrity obsessed culture (and she's entrenched in it).

    The magazines use brilliant curiosity headlines (with the intrigue and the "itch" the pressure on her to find out the latest gossip, scandal or downfall is too intense to ignore).

    And as copy monster just said her friends read the same stuff (social proof is kicking in hard).


    Steve


    P.S. She may well say the magazines are "crap" because she doesn't want to appear to be a "celebrity fanatic" - but the truth is she is.
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Originally Posted by Steve The Copywriter View Post


      The magazines use brilliant curiosity headlines (with the intrigue and the "itch" the pressure on her to find out the latest gossip, scandal or downfall is too intense to ignore).
      Yeah those headlines do suck them in
      and she agreed.

      Best,
      Ewen
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  • Profile picture of the author RickDuris
    I think the idea is flawed.

    Business is rife with examples where the products/brands didn't meet even the basis promises to the market, yet persevered. Oracle. Apple. IBM. Microsoft. SAP. XBox.

    What saved them? Marketing and sales. Those guys were ruthlssly whipped into not caring their product sucked. Their job was to sell, no matter what.

    I vividly remember tooth and nail battles between IBM and Amdahl in the 70's. Amadahl was clearly the superior machine. IBM was on the ropes. Amdahl was stealing market share. But who won?

    Not the better machine. The better sales force.

    IBM's strategy? They deliberately created FUD about Amdahl. It caused Amdahl to suffer a cashflow crisis which they never recovered from.

    The war created the motto: "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM."

    - Rick Duris
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Originally Posted by RickDuris View Post

      I think the idea is flawed.

      Business is rife with examples where the products/brands didn't meet even the basis promises to the market, yet persevered. Oracle. Apple. IBM. Microsoft. SAP. XBox.

      - Rick Duris
      That same idea comes from Jack Trout and Al Reis
      on being first in the minds of the masses for a word.

      Of course the purest product creator hate the notion that a inferior product can sell more than theirs.

      However it happens many times in all sorts of markets.

      Best,
      Ewen
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
    Originally Posted by ewenmack View Post


    Why do you think why she buys what she already knows is crap?
    She enjoys reading them and just told you she knows they're crap so you wouldn't think less of her.

    Alex
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Originally Posted by Alex Cohen View Post

      She enjoys reading them and just told you she knows they're crap so you wouldn't think less of her.

      Alex
      Actually she told me she bought them
      before I mentioned the reason why
      I thought she did.

      Best,
      Ewen
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