When most people hear marketing, they usually think of manipulation and subliminal messages. I apologize in advance if I’m bursting anyone’s bubble but the conspiracy theories of subliminal messaging are false. Marketing is simply the promoting of products that satisfy a need or a want of a particular target audience. Marketers study the values and lifestyles of a target market as a whole and try to align the brand’s or product’s image to those needs and wants.
Marketing is constantly occurring all around you and every person has done it at least once in their life. Think back to the last interview that you had. You promoted your best attributes in order to appeal to your target audience, i.e. the company that you were applying to. Children learn to do it as well at a very young age. Think back to a time when you tried to persuade your parents to get you that “educational” toy. You pointed to reasons why this toy would help you with your development, thereby appealing to your parent’s values and goals. Marketing is simply the act of persuasion. If you don’t buy into the marketing message, you simply won’t act on it.
Persuasion however, requires that the message sender understand the values of their audience in order to be successful. On my way to and from work, I walk by this church every day. In order to expand it’s customer base, the church is aiming to appeal to the gay and black communities. This church is clearly aware that there are communities seeking to join religious communities, Instead of shunning them like a good number of churches, it is advertising to anyone who walks by that it has liberal beliefs. It is attempting to advertise that the church’s values align with those of the targeted communities.
Can you think of other instances of marketing in your everyday life? As always, feel free to comment below.