The Thin Line in What you WANT & What you NEED

The Buying Decision Process: desire evoked -> desire developed -> desire fulfilled. The end?

No! Now-a-days with e-marketing constantly knocking on our window (computer screen) there is no escaping! Worse then a provocative movie, desire is ALWAYS there! You're developing a serious NEED for things you never thought were possible! For us ladies, we see a pair of shoes advertised on the side of our Facebook page or casually looking through the New York Times fashion section online, and then that feeling of anxiety and fear of SOLD OUT starts to bubble. Immediately we click away and before we know it we have added five new pairs of shoes. But wait, wasn't I not looking for shoes, and especially not five?

E-marketing has changed our definition of "desire." Marketers no longer have to see how they can make you want this. They simply throw it in your face and watch as you take the bait and become another stuffed fish. While you're undergoing the "desire developed" stage, you are already being shown what other books you'd like on Amazon or if you'd like to add that killer clutch to your dress purchase. The "buying decision process" overlaps into each other with the use of e-marketing.

Especially now with new innovations like Amazon's new Kindle Fire and Facebook constantly updating it's format and way of reaching people, people are constantly being aroused by these new desires, over and over again. Click here for a super interesting article.

Social media has added to this phenomenon and created its own decision making process: desire, desire, desire, unfilled desire due to more desire.

At what point will people not be influenced by this constant reminder of things we WANT? Will this new era have a need for anti-purchasing process therapists who remove people from these desires? Will we ever actually be fully fulfilled with our purchasing decisions?

When you fall in love with your computer's pop-ups...

Oh how things have changed! When people first started using the internet, the biggest complaint were the pop-ups. I'd be 12 years old, on my computer at home and bam! an ad for a spa in Napa Valley! Now-a-days I'd probably love to be reminded of a spa while at work, but when I was 12 years old, I didn't really see that being on my Christmas list to Santa.

Your marketing and advertising guru's have come up with a way to individualize your needs and wants. They track your buying habits and interests, and then present it to you in sneeky little ways. Whether it is through Amazon.com recommending items to you or the right-side of Facebook with ads that make you say "I love that!" In this recent article by MediaPost, "Behavioral Targeting Comes to TV Ads," they discuss the collaboration of two TV companies to create a system that will track what people are watching in a geographic location and then advertise based on their interests in TV shows, movies, etc. To read this article from MediaPost, please click here.

Given, while watching E! I do get a lot more CoverGirl and weight loss commercials than I would if I was watching CNN or ESPN, but it is pretty revolutionary to actually be able to individualize these commercials based on your location and what those in your location prefer to watch and do.

Now the dark-side, consumers feel violated and like these advertising firms are piercing into their privacy. This article in EurActiv outlines the general issues with targeted advertising: click here. Consumers basically don't feel protected with this new technology, but they also recognize the importance of it.

I see it as a win-win. I rather be receiving ads for things I actually LIKE and WANT then to be bombarded by completely random and WTF?-type (what the freak) items. Sometimes it can be a little off.. NO Facebook I do not want to meet hot singles in my area!

Do you feel violated by this new trend? If you're an advertising or marketing professional you better love it.

Daily deals VS the other guys

Everyone could see the end of Blockbuster, Borders and record stores, but now salons, spas, restaurants and boat rental companies?Groupon, LivingSocial, Couptessa and many more daily deal coupon websites have taken over every possible industry that can offer a discount to consumers. It is estimated that there are more than 400 nationwide online coupon sites. In the Boston Globe's article titled "Online Coupon Market Fills Out," it describes this phenomenon as "giving rise to concerns that the hot sector is now overcrowded with start-ups, all competing to cut deals with merchants and attract subscribers." To read the entire article, please click here

The 50 - 90% discounts offered on these sites leave the other non-discount-offering companies with empty tables and salon chairs. Most of the deals advertised on these sites have a 24 hour buy time, leaving the consumer with the impression that they have to buy it before it's too late. If someone is thinking of going somewhere or seeking some sort of service, it is already known to check the coupon websites first for the best deals. 

Some sites like Groupon have even moved beyond just the hair salons and paintball lessons, and moved to even greater deals like discounts on college tuition. Check out this article in the Beacon News where Groupon offers 50% off one class at National Louis University in Chicago, IL. 

Businesses can no longer just rely on storefront advertisements and simply creating a social networking site. They now have to research what their competitors are doing and whether or not they are offering grandiose discounts on these sites. It is now a competition for which business offers the best deal. 

Does this new movement of online coupon sites force businesses to offer their services at a discount price? Will consumers become even more spoiled as time passes and refuse to shop anywhere that doesn't offer a discount?

I know before I go to get my hair cut or plan a dinner date, I check the online coupon sites and try to get the very best deal. 

Share your favorite online coupon sites!