I wrote “Labor Day: How Marketing Misses the Mark” last year. In it, I wrote that marketers fail to read the room and hijack the federal holiday to push some sort of sale or promotion. Though marketers will take any and every chance to push a product, as they should, I’ve realized that they only give people what they want: a reason to shop.
When left to their own devices, humans will continue to hoard (to varying degrees) and compare their belongings to that of their neighbor or that of a random person on social media. Humans long for community and a sense of belonging, which can be temporarily satiated for the low cost of $99.99.
Though there are many reasons to purchase an item such as to replace a worn out item or because the needs of one’s lifestyle have changed, there are far too many reasons to purchase unnecessary items. Because this will make you happy. This will make you feel beautiful. This will define who you are as a person. Marketing is far more sophisticated and contrived than most consumers will ever realize, and yet, it is rooted in the basic, instinctual whims of humanity.
Heritage Writing Co. 