Adventures in Marketing
by M
Marketing is extremely important to think about when you’re trying to buy food. During my research, I’ve learned about how people market food and what their tactics are. One of the key things is that you have to think about what attracts the eye. Well, what does? Color attracts the eye. Take a look at a website for a fast food joint, and you’ll see lots of bright colors. Two colors that are used a lot are red and yellow because they’re bright, attention-catching colors. The big company that pops up in your mind is most likely McDonald’s, but that’s not the only company that uses those colors. There are a lot of other companies that use those colors, even though they might not be together. Have you ever seen Ore-Ida french fries in the frozen food aisle? Surely you’ve been to Chick-Fil-A, and they use red all the time. What about Costco? Walgreens? All of them use a lot of red while advertising.
What about local food and farmers? What do they do to advertise? As far as color goes, the farmers and people who work on advertising for local food use a lot of green and other earthy colors. There isn’t as much of a difference between local food marketing and marketing for big companies. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to find information about marketing local food. This is because a lot of farmers don’t think about advertising as much, they focus more on the actual farm. Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farms, says that for local food, you’re selling a foreign idea, and it’s hard to conceive. I have to agree with him. A lot of people don’t know much about local food. People aren’t accustomed to the idea. They’re used to things like those plump, bright, neon-colored apples, not the normal ones. Junk food is what people are used to seeing everyday, not local food. Since junk food is what people are used to, they’re more likely to buy it. Also, because it’s cheaper, people are going to want to pick the option that they know well and is affordable, rather than the unknown, more expensive option.
There are a lot of marketing tricks that people have used. For instance, mouthwash brands have convinced people that mouthwash is better for you than flossing is, even though all mouthwash does is water down the problem; it’s just like hosing down your carpet instead of vacuuming. Bright things, such as patterns and pictures, attract kids. A few big fast food chains have made promised to not use marketing tricks on kids except for their kids meals, but a lot of them have broken that promise. Companies market to kids because when the kids see their product, they’ll cry and whine and stomp their feet until their parents finally agree to buy it for them. If you’re in a grocery store, you’re likely to hear some kid throwing a fit, whether or not you’re with your kid. I can recall several times where I’ve been in a store, and it could even be somewhere like J.C. Penney, and there was a kid crying about not getting something they wanted, of which marketers are extremely aware.
Overall, a lot of marketing involves color and patterns. Marketing local food isn’t the easiest thing in the world, and a lot of people use the same tricks as marketing fast food, although the colors aren’t as bright and nauseating. Companies use pictures and other eye-catching things to attract kids. They use catchy slogans and jingles so they get stuck in the viewer’s heads and they remember the products. They’ll use popular songs that people are familiar with. Other companies are a little more devious and try to trick you into buying their products, which includes everything from their packaging design to their advertisements to what they put in their food.
In conclusion, marketers aren’t the most honest people in the world. It’s a good idea to be on the lookout for the things mentioned in this article, or else you might get tricked into buying a bad quality product. If you think a company might not be honest about their product, then look it up and try to find other peoples reviews about the product. Marketers are always thinking of new ways to trick the consumer, so keep your eyes open for dishonest advertising when you’re buying food.
What about local food and farmers? What do they do to advertise? As far as color goes, the farmers and people who work on advertising for local food use a lot of green and other earthy colors. There isn’t as much of a difference between local food marketing and marketing for big companies. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to find information about marketing local food. This is because a lot of farmers don’t think about advertising as much, they focus more on the actual farm. Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farms, says that for local food, you’re selling a foreign idea, and it’s hard to conceive. I have to agree with him. A lot of people don’t know much about local food. People aren’t accustomed to the idea. They’re used to things like those plump, bright, neon-colored apples, not the normal ones. Junk food is what people are used to seeing everyday, not local food. Since junk food is what people are used to, they’re more likely to buy it. Also, because it’s cheaper, people are going to want to pick the option that they know well and is affordable, rather than the unknown, more expensive option.
There are a lot of marketing tricks that people have used. For instance, mouthwash brands have convinced people that mouthwash is better for you than flossing is, even though all mouthwash does is water down the problem; it’s just like hosing down your carpet instead of vacuuming. Bright things, such as patterns and pictures, attract kids. A few big fast food chains have made promised to not use marketing tricks on kids except for their kids meals, but a lot of them have broken that promise. Companies market to kids because when the kids see their product, they’ll cry and whine and stomp their feet until their parents finally agree to buy it for them. If you’re in a grocery store, you’re likely to hear some kid throwing a fit, whether or not you’re with your kid. I can recall several times where I’ve been in a store, and it could even be somewhere like J.C. Penney, and there was a kid crying about not getting something they wanted, of which marketers are extremely aware.
Overall, a lot of marketing involves color and patterns. Marketing local food isn’t the easiest thing in the world, and a lot of people use the same tricks as marketing fast food, although the colors aren’t as bright and nauseating. Companies use pictures and other eye-catching things to attract kids. They use catchy slogans and jingles so they get stuck in the viewer’s heads and they remember the products. They’ll use popular songs that people are familiar with. Other companies are a little more devious and try to trick you into buying their products, which includes everything from their packaging design to their advertisements to what they put in their food.
In conclusion, marketers aren’t the most honest people in the world. It’s a good idea to be on the lookout for the things mentioned in this article, or else you might get tricked into buying a bad quality product. If you think a company might not be honest about their product, then look it up and try to find other peoples reviews about the product. Marketers are always thinking of new ways to trick the consumer, so keep your eyes open for dishonest advertising when you’re buying food.
