3 Psychological Effects Of Black Friday

A vast majority know what Black Friday or the last Friday in November consists of: discounts and offers in practically all shops in your city and, of course, in all online sales platforms.

Black Friday or “black Friday” exists for a very specific purpose: to increase and focus consumption. If advertising tries to create needs for us throughout the year, this day the effort increases with a drop in prices (only apparent on many occasions). It is as if they told us: “if you want it, now is the time.”

The truth is that large companies use knowledge of social psychology to increase their sales volume. On many occasions they do it in a discreet and disguised way, and on others, in a shameless way. There is no doubt that we have adopted and designated this day dedicated to consumption in our particular calendar and there are already those who are waiting for it with desire to indulge that whim. In this article we are going to see trying to make an outline of how companies try to make us feel especially motivated to buy on this day.

1. Create urgency and need

The fact that offers and discounts have an announced and upcoming expiration date is where the urgency to buy a product that we do not need arises . Yes, we could do without that article, but how are we going to miss that opportunity?

In addition, another reason for the success of Black Friday lies in the proximity to the Christmas holidays, which increases the concept of urgency exponentially. That makes us think that it would be crazy to miss the opportunity to buy something discounted now to have to buy it more expensive a few weeks later.

It is evident the madness that creates in consumers the fact of being before sales of exclusive items. In addition, we are suggested by a lot of publicity during the previous weeks, which generate the sensation of an event. Likewise, these ads are very diverse, so that they can fit with people of different lifestyles.

2. Sell you a product in exchange for happiness

Our emotions, contrary to what some may think, have a great influence on the economic decisions we make. Thus, our spending is not driven so much by real needs, as by perceived needs. That is, they encourage you to create an image of how you would improve having that product, which leads you to convince yourself that you really need it. Once you have imagined yourself with it, you will not want to get rid of those positive feelings, and you will have no choice but to end up buying it.

In this sense, they take advantage of the period prior to Black Friday to launch advertising and that we have plenty of time to fantasize about what we want to buy. Something that you cannot happily afford on any given day, but that you believe that when that day arrives it will have a good sale and will finally be yours.

3. Lull your critical thinking when assessing the price

Buying discounted products produces a pleasure that can cancel out our critical thinking. That is, our ability to reason. Experts know that people’s brains go into “shopping mode” as soon as we walk into a store. From that moment, it is the function of the dependents to make you make the decision to buy.

The marketing strategies used by large companies seek to win customers and sell what they want and at the price they have decided. This price is probably still high, but the strategy is for the consumer to see that the initial price was much higher. This is where advertising tries to generate again the urgency to buy a product that we do not need.

These are techniques that have been studied and used for many years. And, in addition, that they will continue to be used. However, even if we are going to buy the same, it is good to know this information to fall on the hook with greater knowledge of cause and responsibility.