To Buy or Not to Buy

That is the question. As advertisers, we are the answer. We’ve all seen the memes of someone’s face pressed against the window, waiting for the package they ordered five minutes ago. It’s hard not to make an impulsive purchase in today’s world, where you can ship almost anything to your doorstep in two days. Human beings have a short attention span. I’m no doctor or scientist, but I can guarantee you this has a huge impact on impulsive purchases.

Certain purchases require more of a thought process and research before making a decision to buy, or not to buy. I doubt anyone sees a Honda commercial and leaves their home to go buy one that same day. However, I can bet there are people who see a Taco Bell commercial and run out the door to get some 10 seconds later. In fact, I know there are because I may or may not have done this a few times. Can you blame me? I have to prove advertising works. Really, it’s just research.

The Taco Bell commercial at 10 p.m. might get me out the door, and believe me, the timing is not an accident. It would take food poisoning to make me regret a food purchase, as I am always up for eating. While food may not be something you can necessarily ‘put back’ or return, we all have the tendency to love something, immediately pick it up, and say we’re going to buy it. With apps and websites at our fingertips, it’s easy to click add to cart. But what about the time in between?

If I know I’m being impulsive – I start to think. Do I really need this? Is it worth the money? Most times, I decide to put it back. If I’m online, I’ll see the shipping cost and change my mind. As a brand, it’s important to understand the exact process your consumer goes through. This can help you find your strengths and weaknesses, or where you fall short.

In store ‘put backs’ may be a bit harder to track. Although, we’ve all seen the random things placed back on the wrong shelf. If you can track someone online that adds something to their cart but doesn’t purchase – give them a coupon, or offer free shipping. There needs to be some kind of incentive to push them from the consideration stage to purchasing your product.

Typically, we see ads for smaller purchases as the ‘push’ for you to buy. After all, isn’t that we’re trying to do? Wrong. The beauty of all advertising is that there’s so much more behind it. Think of us as the people behind the curtain – making all of the magic happen. As a brand, you don’t just need people to purchase your product. You need to push brand awareness, you need your audience to have positive experiences with you, and you need them to become loyal customers. Remember, 80% of your profit comes from 20% of your recurring customers. It’s not just about the push to purchase.

Ads for larger purchases such as vehicles, aren’t to get you to decide you’re going to buy. They’re to make you feel good about the money you already spent on their product. If you drop $30,000 on a new truck, watching it go through the mountains and hearing the tough guy’s voice narrate the commercial confirms you made the right purchase. Now you’re just as tough, and you can go drive through puddles.

As I go through my career, I find it more and more interesting that most people have become so numb to the ads around them. The average person doesn’t sit down and see a car commercial that way. I love how there’s so much behind advertising, and how we tie what goes on in your head with our work. We’re not mind readers, but we’re pretty close.