Have You Been Brandwashed?

According to this article from Yahoo Finance news
finance.yahoo.com...

Apparently we are "Brandwashed" when we go shopping. And the target store is Whole Foods. We all know that grocery stores will place their merchandise in certain ways, such as the convenient foods closer to the front. We all know how they advertise inside the stores, so that is no big secret.

What makes me question though is this, is Whole Foods actually brainwashing us when we shop? To be honest I have never been in a Whole Foods store so I can't say I know what it is like in there. But let me share some things from Yahoo's article.

Whole Foods places flowers at the front. Apparently that makes us think everything is fresh. I have been through flower sections of other grocery stores and never did I feel that way, in fact I think most of us try to get through there as fast as possible. Unless I need flowers, I don't think of them.

The next thing Yahoo mentions is the ice. A lot of stores I have been to keep the hummus in refrigerators. Then after that the author mentions the chalkboards with the food and prices on it. Apparently to the author, this makes us think the farmer came that morning to drop off the goods. But then the author mentions that they have a book that was published called "Brandwashed".

Every store has its image, that sets it apart and makes it pleasurable to shop in. Aldi stores makes sure you don't walk away with its carts so they make you use a quarter, which you get back. So far it works because I never see carts rolling by themselves through the parking lot. I am not sure it is the quarter, but I always put shopping carts back where they go anyway.

The author mentions the boxes of cantaloupes. He says that any of the employees could have unpacked them. Aldi does the same thing, but Aldi also allows you to use their boxes to take your groceries home in. You can also buy paper bags or the bags with Aldi on them.

I don't think Martin Lindstrom has ever shopped at Aldi, but then again I have not read his book so I don't know. But if he wants me to believe I have been brandwashed, perhaps it is a brainwashing ploy to get me to buy his book.

Yes, stores do things to get you to shop longer and enjoy your visit while you are there. But in this day and time people are really looking for bargains because they only have a little money to spend on the basic necessity of food. I think Mr. Lindstrom should be addressing the prices of the food instead of how we are brainwashed into shopping at Whole Foods. At least he did not talk about the Muzak. I would like to say to Mr. Lindstrom, "If I can't afford a box of cereal, I can't afford your book."

The First Lady Michelle Obama is promoting healthy eating, which is very good, but to her I would like to say

Dear First Lady Michelle Obama

Mrs. Obama, we appreciate your concern for our health and your desire for us to eat healthy. That is a great cause, though not as great as teaching children to read or keep us off drugs. I would like for you to notice a particular trend in this nation, we cannot afford to eat healthy because food prices are too high. We would love to, but it is not feasible for many. I think the White House should have a food bank and ask the ones who can afford food to donate to the rest of those who can't. Thank you for your concern but please mention it to your husband that we might be able to eat healthy if we could have jobs and gas prices go down so transporting goods is cheaper and we don't have to decide whether to buy a gallon of gas or a gallon of milk.

Respectfully,
WarminIndy

Absolutely I have !! I'm a Nascar fan and every Nascar fan will tell you that they are brand loyal ! I gas up at Sonoco, use Castrol oil, drink Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Amp, I enjoy a Budweiser every now and then, get my building supplies at Home Depot and Lowes, eat Kellogg's cereal. I was my clothes with Tide and my car with Armour all products! My jeans are Wrangler, my tires are Goodyear, what can I say....I encourage the sponsors so they in turn car sponsor the drivers so I can watch the cars do round ! LOL

Originally posted by Fox Molder
Absolutely I have !! I'm a Nascar fan and every Nascar fan will tell you that they are brand loyal ! I gas up at Sonoco, use Castrol oil, drink Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Amp, I enjoy a Budweiser every now and then, get my building supplies at Home Depot and Lowes, eat Kellogg's cereal. I was my clothes with Tide and my car with Armour all products! My jeans are Wrangler, my tires are Goodyear, what can I say....I encourage the sponsors so they in turn car sponsor the drivers so I can watch the cars do round ! LOL

LOL good one. But would you have already bought those products if there were no NASCAR? Oh the never-ending cycle of NASCAR. LOL.

reply to post by WarminIndy



Seriously, I have no clue. I will say this though. I try to purchase the product that does the most for the money I pay. BUT if I have a choice between let's say RedBull and Amp ( Both Nascar sponsors ) I'll take the Amp and let's say Tide or Cheer, Tide will win out because the sponsor in Nascar.

I do purchase no name product as well just to balance things out a little.


Now please forgive me for a minute...Danica Patrick was just on TV and Now I have a real urge................


































To get me a GoDaddy.com web site !!! LMAO !

Originally posted by Fox Molder
reply to post by WarminIndy

 

Seriously, I have no clue. I will say this though. I try to purchase the product that does the most for the money I pay. BUT if I have a choice between let's say RedBull and Amp ( Both Nascar sponsors ) I'll take the Amp and let's say Tide or Cheer, Tide will win out because the sponsor in Nascar.

I do purchase no name product as well just to balance things out a little.


Now please forgive me for a minute...Danica Patrick was just on TV and Now I have a real urge................

Have fun. I heard she is now with NASCAR. Good luck to her.

no question

my 5 year old sang the jingle for a local mattress store the other day. while the TV was off

they don't spend billions of dollars because it doesn't work, let's put it that way

I have never been effected by a celebrity spokesperson, but I did buy miller lite last weekend, and I even said to myself, "tastes great, less filling" and they haven't run those ads in 25 years as far as I know

" Taste great, Taste less filling !" LOL... Yep, I remember that but I had Miller Genuine Draft because Rusty Wallace had it as a sponsor on his car !! lol

Originally posted by syrinx high priest
no question

my 5 year old sang the jingle for a local mattress store the other day. while the TV was off

they don't spend billions of dollars because it doesn't work, let's put it that way

I have never been effected by a celebrity spokesperson, but I did buy miller lite last weekend, and I even said to myself, "tastes great, less filling" and they haven't run those ads in 25 years as far as I know

That is funny. "What time is it? It's Miller Time!".

Having a degree in Commercial Design and having worked in retail for the last 25 years...yes, we are all brainwashed.

Everytime you buy gas...do you have an urge, real or not, to buy a Coke and some chips or something like it?

Ever wonder why the display with charcoal always has spatulas and lighter fluid handy or why next to it is a display of ketchup and mustard...usually with hot dog and hamburger buns?

How about candy and gum at the checkout line?

Have you ever looked closely at an ad for cars? Look at the reflection of the setting sun on the side of the car...usually a silhoette of a naked woman or couple...or see the airbrushed highlights of a woman's hair in a liquor ad...they spell sex..SEX...the idea being that this car or liquor equates to sex..or you will get sex for using this product.

Look at the hands of people drinking a drink...look at the thumbs... used to be airbrushed, but now pixeled to look like a penis...you don't conciously see it, but your subconscious does. Same with christmas wreaths in ads...look at the nuts on the wreath...walnuts and pecans ...or penis heads....seriously...it's there.

The advertiser/retailer has about 2-3 seconds to get your attention and make a statement that will impact your purchase... sometime just walk into a store...any store...and look around. What is where...and why is it there?

At the retail level, there is a planogram given to the store staff...put product A in this space beside product B...now we don't know why, and most of our staff at minimum wage do not care. But someone up the chain found out that A will sell better beside B...so now it is a company program.

It's all about images and impulse sales... just stop and look and listen to the avg consumer...how many people go into a store with a gameplan and list of what they NEED...and how many people go in with no idea and end up getting what they WANT? What made them WANT it?

Brainwashing....all around us...everywhere.

reply to post by syrinx high priest


So true...Any old timers here remeber cigarette ads on TV?

Winston tastes good...like a cigarette should.

Remeber the Frito Bandido?

How about...I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony...Coke... way back in the 1970s...damn I'm old.

reply to post by AlreadyGone


So Mr. Peanut is really Mr. Penis? Eww. Why did I read this just after I had a peanut butter sandwich?

That type of advertising must work on men different than women, I never thought of sex when seeing commercials for cars or food. But I can see how it would work. So now that you told me this, I think I would probably be looking for it now.

Obviously the children can be susceptible to it but they are learning..
Generally in the day to day brandwashing does NOT work on us though. I only take notice of weights and measures, what's more bang for your buck.

Even Asda and Morrisons does that fresh flowers & fruit at the entrance thing. Unlucky for them I prefer my flowers dead and dried.

Originally posted by Suspiria
Obviously the children can be susceptible to it but they are learning..
Generally in the day to day brandwashing does NOT work on us though. I only take notice of weights and measures, what's more bang for your buck.

Even Asda and Morrisons does that fresh flowers & fruit at the entrance thing. Unlucky for them I prefer my flowers dead and dried.

Suspira, you have given me the laugh of the day. Asda is the equivalent to our Wal-Mart, isn't it?

reply to post by WarminIndy


Nah, we are being "brandwashed" and you know it WarminIndy...can't have your organic produce without your capitalism too...

CJ

Originally posted by WarminIndy

Originally posted by Suspiria
Obviously the children can be susceptible to it but they are learning..
Generally in the day to day brandwashing does NOT work on us though. I only take notice of weights and measures, what's more bang for your buck.

Even Asda and Morrisons does that fresh flowers & fruit at the entrance thing. Unlucky for them I prefer my flowers dead and dried.

Suspira, you have given me the laugh of the day. Asda is the equivalent to our Wal-Mart, isn't it?

Yes, that's right. It's owned by Wal-Mart.

Originally posted by ColoradoJens
reply to post by WarminIndy

 

Nah, we are being "brandwashed" and you know it WarminIndy...can't have your organic produce without your capitalism too...

CJ

True. I never buy organic because it costs more. You would think it would cost more to produce food with all the preservatives. I never understood why organic food is more.

Do this with your own kids, let's say between the ages of 7 and 12 years old. Ask the following question.

Name me an associated brand:

Toilet paper:
bottled water:
tissues:
Peanut Butter:
Cell phone:
soft drink:
snowboard:
sneakers:


You'll be surprised at how many brands they fire off without hesitation!