Subliminal Marketing is “Conditioning” Business

Every business has its values and so does the society. When a society starts observing hidden messages of the organizations doing business around it and finds those organizations “conditioning” it to purchase more by compromising its values, it reacts. Customers are part of the society and their reaction hits revenue targets in a negative way. Above all, bad word of mouth turns promoters and passives into detractors. This is exactly what is happening with most of the organizations.

Before applying subliminal marketing and Ivan Pavlov’s (stimulus-response) conditioning theory in their commercials, organizations must know that these are neither new to the industry nor to the modern-day customers.

"On September 12, 1957, a market researcher named James M. Vicary called a press conference to announce the formation of a new corporation, the Subliminal Projection Company, formed to exploit what Vicary called a major breakthrough in advertising: subliminal stimuli. Vicary described the results of a six-week test conducted in a New Jersey movie theatre, in which a high speed projector was used to flash the slogans “drink coke” and “eat popcorn” over the film for 1/3,000 of a second at five-second intervals. According to Vicary’s storehouse, popcorn sales went up 57.5 per cent over the six weeks; cokes sales were up 18.1 per cent."

This was the first time when use of subliminal marketing was reported. In later years, it became part of the strategy. Like many other marketing strategies, organizations are not mindful about the negative impact of subliminal marketing on the society. They are not trying understand that combination of subliminal marketing and usage of conditioning theory adds fuel to the fire. It earns them bad profits only and then turns the customers into detractors. Customer experience is on stake even if customer does not use any product or service. Customer’s experience is bad because of the subliminal marketing and conditioning techniques the organizations use. Interestingly, none of the reports give real picture of people’s perception especially those who are not even customers but have strong influence on the society.

In Pakistani market, Organizations somehow underestimated the power of Intelligentsia. The intelligentsia has highlighted that subliminal marketing and conditioning theories have not only been used to convert wants into needs but also to introduce western culture by compromising local values through commercials, documentaries, films and cartoon movies by the entire industry. From banking sector, textile industry, food chains, media, beverages to sports industry, everyone has contributed to it, they say.

It is also said that post (year) 2000 era has exactly the opposite impact on the society than that of 90s.

From a superstar’s mesmerizing early morning “Ji, main cigarette nahi peeta”, “Ye mardana darhi hay, baaton say nahi banti, “Daant sufaid aur chamakdaar”, “Aye Khuda mere Abbu salamat rahain”, “Kaam, Kaam, Kaam, din raat krain ham kaam. Jab kaam say thak jaen tu khoob krain aaraam” and “Laado k lashkaray, Jugmug kapray saaray” to “Sexy Mobile”, “Taras na kha, Ruggar Day”, “Food ka Love”, “Teri Mehrbani”, “Aap ko paisay time pay miltay rahain gey”, the organizations have not only conditioned the customers to increase their sales but also has negatively impacted the society through subliminal marketing. Pre 2000 era would ensure that girls and guys should have a culturally accepted and ‘legal’ relationship with each other in their commercials. However subliminal effects of post 2000 era quite unacceptable to the society.

Organizations focus on what customer ‘wants’ but not on what the society would not like. They prefer fulfil customers’ needs before their competition. However they usually compromise on few things that society may question about. In recent years, organizations have propagated the culture that suits them even if it looks nearer to cultural jamming than truly advertising the products. They are conditioning the society to watch an ‘illegal’, socially unacceptable relationship (especially in remote areas) between the opposite genders, ridiculing the competitors, promoting pursuing careers in abroad, using slangs of western or Indian culture and making efforts to the addiction of food and subliminally the products attached to food, textile, sports and banks.

Organizations forgot that most of the people follow their elders and follow them religiously. “Folk wisdom” is more in practice than technology. They forgot as to how people, in other words their loyal customers would respond to the usage of “conditioning theory”. Elders would not get conditioned. They would rather analyze the product and its impact on society and would guide the young lot i.e. their potential and existing customers as to why they should not use it. Industry and elders of the family, both focus on youth. What the organizations must not forget is that the impact of the social norms and elders’ suggestions is by all means more than the commercials. The subliminal marketing can hurt the organizations too. Looking at the bigger picture, customers may decide to quit and stop using the services. Poor advertisement, subliminal marketing, using conditioning theories and making attempts of cultural jamming can badly hit back to the organizations.

Above all, organizations must remember that business and customers are part of the society and so are the employees.  While designing commercials, organizations should not forget that the marketing techniques they are using should not have a clash to the values the organizations want their employees to exhibit. Employees are internal customers and are directly connected with the external customers and with the society. They have to answer questions of the customers and keep the brand name alive. They must feel a connection between customers, products, employees and the society.

Moreover, the organizations should try to connect sales with marketing as they face market more than marketing department. They should avoid launching any such products that may hurt society’s values and security. Subliminal marketing is not always unethical but at times it is, especially when it tries to generate revenue by compromising on cultural values. Industry may forgive the organizations but people won’t who are the actual customers.