robinbloke (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
robinbloke) wrote2005-02-11 02:43 pm
robinbloke) wrote2005-02-11 02:43 pm
I'm on to them.
Numbers. Today’s lesson, due to the lack of any circular windows to go through will involve numbers, later big Ted will be showing us how to make napalm, as soon as little Ted finishes dressing his wounds.
Ever notice that numbers convey a message? I'm not talking about ancient languages, linked messages, code or secret symbols, I'm talking about far more sinister things - the all powerful forces of marketing, and therefore prices.
You see it was until vaguely recently that you had one school of pricing for anything.
The likes of Tescos and Sainsbury’s invariably, would price anything that was over a tenner to be X pounds and of course 99 pence.
That annoying 99 pence, cunningly designed to ensure that you think it isn't actually 12 quid, but really only 11 quid since our brains, naturally lazy, would filter out the pence and only see the 11, hence 11 quid? Bargain, buy a dozen!
They've now realised this doesn't cut any dice any more, well now, I know what you're thinking because I've read the Sunday supplement about it, but I'm not there just yet. You are thinking about generation 2 of the price wars of pence, whereby the sales people think "sod it" and round off that annoying pence for their and our convenience, so it looks maybe a little more but we've started reading the last few digits now and we're wise to them.
So; sales prices now of 12 quid 7 quid and suchlike are the way for the 'cooler' places to sell stuff out, and this is their message: look at us, we’re not trying to cheat you, this CD is actually 7 quid, no sodding 99 pence, it’s much easier to remember and you can bet it’s still cheap. So the message of cheapness cunning remains.
But there is a ruffle in the duvet - and it's not your soft toy.
Marketing forces have obviously cottoned onto this and now a new weapon in their fight to say "Look, we're cheap." has emerged... namely 97 pence.
Now 97 is an kind of strange number, but if you see something for X pounds 97 pence what do you think, your attention is now drawn away from the X pounds, oh yes, this is the cunning bit - your focus is now on the pence part and the actual hard cash pounds sterling is now no longer the target of your attention.
Instead you're thinking "Why the hell is it 97 pence". You know the 99 pence trick, you know it's designed to make it look cheaper, but why would you use 97?
Simple. It's exactly you wondering about it that is the point, 97 is designed to make you think they've lowered the price as much as they can, that they've cut every corner and every profit to bare minimum - no more 99 pence, oh no, it's 97 pence now... and it's such an odd number that you will be fooled, it will make you think "Damn that must be the lowest price around."
That's what they want you to think. When in actuality what they've done is knocked a miserly 2 pence off.
2 pence.
So, next time you see something for sale for X pounds and 97 pence. Stop! Wave your arms at people around you and shout:
"Don't be fooled my friends, see that price there! See it's deceptive value for money at that confusing value... but don't be fooled, you're only saving 2 pence! See their lies and open your eyes to the truth!"
This way, and only this way, will the word be spread.
Stay tuned, next on this channel I'll contemplate the importance of believing exactly what you don't.
Ever notice that numbers convey a message? I'm not talking about ancient languages, linked messages, code or secret symbols, I'm talking about far more sinister things - the all powerful forces of marketing, and therefore prices.
You see it was until vaguely recently that you had one school of pricing for anything.
The likes of Tescos and Sainsbury’s invariably, would price anything that was over a tenner to be X pounds and of course 99 pence.
That annoying 99 pence, cunningly designed to ensure that you think it isn't actually 12 quid, but really only 11 quid since our brains, naturally lazy, would filter out the pence and only see the 11, hence 11 quid? Bargain, buy a dozen!
They've now realised this doesn't cut any dice any more, well now, I know what you're thinking because I've read the Sunday supplement about it, but I'm not there just yet. You are thinking about generation 2 of the price wars of pence, whereby the sales people think "sod it" and round off that annoying pence for their and our convenience, so it looks maybe a little more but we've started reading the last few digits now and we're wise to them.
So; sales prices now of 12 quid 7 quid and suchlike are the way for the 'cooler' places to sell stuff out, and this is their message: look at us, we’re not trying to cheat you, this CD is actually 7 quid, no sodding 99 pence, it’s much easier to remember and you can bet it’s still cheap. So the message of cheapness cunning remains.
But there is a ruffle in the duvet - and it's not your soft toy.
Marketing forces have obviously cottoned onto this and now a new weapon in their fight to say "Look, we're cheap." has emerged... namely 97 pence.
Now 97 is an kind of strange number, but if you see something for X pounds 97 pence what do you think, your attention is now drawn away from the X pounds, oh yes, this is the cunning bit - your focus is now on the pence part and the actual hard cash pounds sterling is now no longer the target of your attention.
Instead you're thinking "Why the hell is it 97 pence". You know the 99 pence trick, you know it's designed to make it look cheaper, but why would you use 97?
Simple. It's exactly you wondering about it that is the point, 97 is designed to make you think they've lowered the price as much as they can, that they've cut every corner and every profit to bare minimum - no more 99 pence, oh no, it's 97 pence now... and it's such an odd number that you will be fooled, it will make you think "Damn that must be the lowest price around."
That's what they want you to think. When in actuality what they've done is knocked a miserly 2 pence off.
2 pence.
So, next time you see something for sale for X pounds and 97 pence. Stop! Wave your arms at people around you and shout:
"Don't be fooled my friends, see that price there! See it's deceptive value for money at that confusing value... but don't be fooled, you're only saving 2 pence! See their lies and open your eyes to the truth!"
This way, and only this way, will the word be spread.
Stay tuned, next on this channel I'll contemplate the importance of believing exactly what you don't.
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Actually, I'm only talking about stuff that is post fiver value here, or over a tenner. Below that the mystical powers of pence are weak, like atomic forces in reverse... or something.
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Good show old bean, it's about time someone took the battle to these marketing types.
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