Only 60 per cent of Hamilton and GTA workers have secure jobs, report

[Bonam]

I agree, but there are many out there who have lots of nice toys and the debt load to go with it. Most of these things they cannot afford, but a nice low monthly payment plan is an enticing bit.

Advertising/marketing is in place to sell you something. Sure it's up to you, but much of this happens on a subconscious level.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201203/mind-control-neuroscience-in-marketing

One of the most significant developments focuses on the connection

between neuroscience research and the marketing is how to measure what

consumers are feeling. This is based on the assumption t hat consumers

connect strongly to brands and products that make them feel strong

emotions.

Have you seen the kind of "research" companies do on this, regarding the association between brand names, logos, colors, and "emotions"? They send out surveys with like a picture of a fruit beverage and ask you questions like "does this make you feel youthful?" energetic? mundane? relaxed? prudish?

And then some guy writes a report on the results to his boss and it says something along the lines of, well, 60% of respondents think that our new bottle shape makes them feel energetic, 40% feel mundane, and 30% feel... whatever. When really the guys that were answering were just clicking through the surveys as fast as possible because they are on an online survey site getting paid $0.05 per survey. It's all a bunch of useless BS, in other words.

The only people that like to pretend that marketing is some kind of all powerful mind controlling force is people who bought too much stuff, are in debt, and want to blame someone but themselves for their poor decisions.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Bonam

[Michael Hardner]

The only people that like to pretend that marketing is some kind of all powerful mind controlling force is people who bought too much stuff, are in debt, and want to blame someone but themselves for their poor decisions.

I agree that it's not brainwashing but it's much more than what you have posted - especially the online marketing field. If people are afraid of being sold things, then they should just not join free services such as facebook, gmail and so on. But, then you'd have to stop watching television too, and listening to the radio, walking past billboards.

Better yet - just move to an island. Even then, you should avoid the plaintive stare of the seagull because there's always a small chance of accidental hypnosis there.

[Archanfel]

I wonder who are buying those expensive houses in the GTA then.