Matt2525
02-24-2015, 07:42 PM
Liberty Language No. 4: Brainwashing with Numbers
Marketers know that when you are setting prices for products, there are two different approaches, after labor, margins, etc. have been worked out:
1. When dealing with a product that is an "emotional buy", use rounded whole numbers to achieve "fluency" ("don't think about the price too much!"). For example, a beautiful, stylish leather jacket would be better priced at $200.00 rather than $197.99.
2. Purchases that are likely to involve rational decision making do better with very specific numbers that appear less arbitrary. For a water heater, $197.99 would do better than $200.00.
So what does it tell you when, say, the CDC puts flu cases in the U.S. at a number like 50,000 since 1976 (I'm not saying they advertise this specific figure - I just pulled it out of thin air, though they do use nice big rounded numbers)? Especially when making a case for, say, mandatory vaccination?
They're screwing with you. They know it's an emotional issue for many, so they use "fluent" numbers to play on your emotions. A very specific number would interrupt your emotional "moment" and subconsciously trigger rational thinking, which they obviously don't want.
But of course, now you know, and now you can use this tactic to advance the Liberty agenda.
Marketers know that when you are setting prices for products, there are two different approaches, after labor, margins, etc. have been worked out:
1. When dealing with a product that is an "emotional buy", use rounded whole numbers to achieve "fluency" ("don't think about the price too much!"). For example, a beautiful, stylish leather jacket would be better priced at $200.00 rather than $197.99.
2. Purchases that are likely to involve rational decision making do better with very specific numbers that appear less arbitrary. For a water heater, $197.99 would do better than $200.00.
So what does it tell you when, say, the CDC puts flu cases in the U.S. at a number like 50,000 since 1976 (I'm not saying they advertise this specific figure - I just pulled it out of thin air, though they do use nice big rounded numbers)? Especially when making a case for, say, mandatory vaccination?
They're screwing with you. They know it's an emotional issue for many, so they use "fluent" numbers to play on your emotions. A very specific number would interrupt your emotional "moment" and subconsciously trigger rational thinking, which they obviously don't want.
But of course, now you know, and now you can use this tactic to advance the Liberty agenda.