Marking Tactics and Influence Techniques

"When consumers are encouraged to live like those they admire, even if they can’t afford it." (a)  

• Stacking
• Flattery
• Aspirational Buying
• Panache
• Nostalgia

"The psychological nudge to do—or consume—something because others are doing it. Also known as FOMO, or fear of missing out."

This is known as:

• Bandwagon

• Dog Whistle

• Aspirational Buying

• Hedging

• Nostalgia

"The practice of offering multiple, usually related, goods and services at a lower price than if each item were purchased separately. This is great if you’ll use the entire bundle but a waste of resources and money if you don’t."

This is known as:

• Bandwagon

• Dog Whistle

• Eye Candy

• Hedging

• Bundling

"An indirect or implied message meant to communicate with a particular group, often placed within a broader, more general message, thus allowing the messenger to deny meaning it. It can also reinforce a “you’re an insider” sense of affiliation. Saying something is only for “the right people” can make us want to be one of those “right people.”"

This is known as:

• False Statistics

• Dog Whistle

• Eye Candy

• Hedging

• Feedback Loop

"Visual images that are superficially attractive and entertaining but are unnecessary or unrelated to the subject at hand, such as flashing lights and attractive spokespeople."

This is known as:

• False Statistics

• Flattery

• Eye Candy

• Hedging

• Juxtaposition

"Using graphs, charts or statistics that sound precise—yet even the four out of five dentists who preferred Trident gum can find these numbers suspect."

This is known as:

• False Statistics

• Dog Whistle

• Poisoning the Well

• Flattery

• Feedback Loop

"A phenomenon whereby the media, reporting a purported “hot” trend, inspires consumers to follow the trend. This seemingly confirms the initial report."

This is known as:

• Trending

• Bandwagon

• Poisoning the Well

• Flattery

• Feedback Loop

"A technique where the potential consumer is complimented as part of the sales pitch. “Because you’re worth it.”  “Don’t you deserve the best?” Such phrases induce consumers to feel good about the product, making them more likely to buy."

This is known as:

• Complimenting

• Bandwagon

• Hedging

• Flattery

• Feedback Loop

"Giving away a base-level product for free, but then offering paid upgrades and enhancements once the buyer is hooked. A common practice in gaming."

This is known as:

• Fishing

• False Hope

• Freemium

• Flattery

• Feedback Loop

"A conclusion drawn from insufficient evidence, such as ascribing the characteristic of a few members of a group to all of the group’s members. It also includes proof by anecdotal evidence. “I once knew a guy from Florida who lost weight by eating only alligator meat, so it must work.”"

This is known as:

• Hasty Generalization

• Bandwagon

• Eye Candy

• Flattery

• Nostalgia