Ever notice how many advertisements there are on TV? Then with radio, internet, billboards, we are inundated. Why is so much money spent on advertising? There is only one answer; advertising works! Before I tell you why, though, let me give you some numbers. Guess how much money was spent on advertising in 2011; 1.9 billion, 6.8 billion, 12.3 billion, 14.5 billion? This figure includes all forms of advertising from TV, radio, internet, billboards, advertisements, etc. The actual figure is none of these.
It is 150 billion American dollars. This is more than the gross national product of over 185 countries.
Why do businesses spend so much money on advertising? Because it works! Why? Because advertising is designed to create a desire in you in order to get you to buy their product. It’s the American way, right? We are all consumers, correct? Notice I didn’t say advertising is just designed to get you to buy their product. It is designed to create a desire in you to buy their product. Why does advertising work so well? It is because advertisers understand how we work. They spend billions every year just figuring us out. They understand the human psyche, and can gear their ads not to our needs, but to our desires. They are experts at influencing our behavior.
Just what is it that advertisers and their psychological experts understand about us? How do they easily separate us from our hard earned money? Well a medieval philosopher, named Cornelius Agrippa, discovered it a long time ago. He made an observation that is supported by modern psychology, great literature, and the Bible. Here is his observation of how the human Psyche works. By the way Psyche is a term that describes the human soul or spirit. Cornelius noticed that deity is annexed to the mind, the mind to the intellect, the intellect to the intentions, the intentions to the imagination, the imagination to the senses, and the senses to the real world. Since advertisers send their information to us through the senses they are then appealing to us through our imaginations, which are connected to our intentions, and not through our intellect.
God speaks to us through our mind, which is connected to our intellect and then to our intentions. Most of us know that when we let our imagination control our intentions, we get into trouble. But advertisers are experts at appealing to us through our imaginations, thus controlling our intentions, which control our pocketbook. That is why the pretty girl, or the prestige of impressing our friends convinces us to buy that new car rather than how safe it is or whether it is really a good deal or not. The intention of advertising is to stimulate our imagination rather than our intellect. If we intellectually analyzed most advertising we would never spend money we don’t have, to buy things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t even like. Think about it!
“Advertising tries to con you into thinking you’re the one, who can win what’s never been won, who can do what’s never been done. Meanwhile life goes on all around you.” Bob Dylan.
I think you make a very good point. Now I think I may even listen to them instead of going to the kitchen or the other room.
I am glad I saw your post. Penny