The Value of this Research is Tremendous...when the product is good

For so long, the most intense marketing tactic I had known was that neon reds, greens, and yellows speed up your heart rate which then makes you want to move in and out of a place quicker. When viewing these colors you feel the need to be moving. This is apparently why nearly every fast food restaurant uses these colors as compared to every sit-down restaurant which typically use more subdued, pastel colors. After reading Gladwell’s descriptions of Paco Underhill’s creepily deep and accurate research, I could not help but think of the manipulation at hand. Yes, I agree with Greg, Gladwell did state that “people cannot be manipulated”. However, if this is truly the case, why does the retail business feel the need to hire individuals such as Underhill? Why do these retailers spend an absurd amount of money on obtaining this type of research? As much as I don’t want to admit it, and as much as I truly believe that I would never be manipulated by such nonsense as these marketing strategies, I am. We all are.

However, I think the important part of what we are discussing is ultimately that the final product is what wins the costumer. The key part of that coercion and manipulation however is simply. A former professor of mine, Carolyn Henry once stated in reference to employment, “Who you know gets you a job, what you know helps you keep the job.”

This same concept can be applied to this manipulation and coercion of people in the retail business. You can convince people to enter you store through clever marketing strategies, just as you may network your way into a job, but if you can’t ultimately back it up with actual products that live up to it, then all you clever marketing means nothing, just as if you have no skills in the work force, your employment at a great job will not last long.