addiction marketing

“Addiction marketing” is a phrase I coined a few years ago while waiting in line for my drink at Starbucks. I was looking at the mass of people who, like explorers lost in the desert running towards an oasis, seemed to be desperate for their daily (if not more frequent) dose of caffeine. It was at that time that I realized that one of Starbucks’ key business drivers, if not the most critical business driver, was that Starbucks sells products that satisfy people’s addictive tendencies. What Starbucks has done better than many other addictive vendors is that they also make giving in to your addiction cool and trendy. In today’s blog post, I’ll examine addiction as a key success factor in business.

When I was in school, economics professors would lecture on using drivers of supply and demand to create business advantage… business professors would evangelize the strengths of recurring value and consumable product stability. .. marketing professors would argue the benefits of relationship marketing, but nowhere do I recall being able to sign up for a class on addiction. However, if you think about “addiction marketing,” you quickly realize what the “media boosters” on Madison Avenue and the marketing and product development gurus in the corporate world have known for years. ..everyone has their unique set of vulnerabilities that if exploited creatively and effectively will lead to strong sales and powerful brands.

If you read the business news over the weekend, you may have noticed that the Indian government is trying to force Coca Cola and Pepsi to divulge the formulas of their popular beverage products. One of the upheld charges in the High Court of India is that Coca-Cola and Pepsi products are addictive and unhealthy… Hmmm… Take a look at the following representative list of successful companies and/or industries and find out to their own conclusions as to whether these companies or industries take advantage of consumer addictions around the world to generate their income:

vegas – The slogan “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” satisfies just about every addiction under the sun… Sin City lives up to its reputation.

Label Body Spray – Tag’s recent commercial campaign has taken the phrase “Sex sells” to a whole new level… In this campaign, all a teenager has to do is spray himself with Tag product and he instantly finds himself being attacked by hordes of attractive. young women… If you have a teenage son, it would be a safe bet that Tag is their cologne of choice.

The beer and alcohol industry – You’ll be hard-pressed to find a beer or alcohol company that doesn’t represent your beverage consumption as the key ingredient to a lifestyle of fast cars, beautiful women, successful careers, etc.

The Tobacco Industry – The tobacco industry has been publicly criticized for selling products that take advantage of the addictive effects of nicotine and even with all of the known health hazards smokers face, in many cases the addictive nature of the product is greater than people’s ability to to make a logical decision.

I don’t think anyone would question the examples listed above because they obviously take advantage of addictive consumer trends. However, what about the finer side of the addiction business? Isn’t Starbucks using the same addictive business tactics as the industries mentioned above? What about companies in the luxury goods sector? Companies that sell high-end products and services cater to the elitist attitudes of this segment, allowing consumers to make claims about their socioeconomic status based on the products they buy. Isn’t this also catering to addictive tendencies?

OK, now I’m going to play a little closer to home… What about my company’s value proposition? We sell success… Isn’t it possible to see success as an addiction? What about the social media industry? Are social media users and bloggers addicted to interaction, attention, etc. What does the new media platform offer? While I could go on, I think my point is clear… I’m certainly not implying that all consumers are addicted, nor am I implying that all companies are “pushers”, but I am making the point that addiction marketing sells and that many companies they use this as a strategic advantage. In fact, I think the evidence is clear that a company can create a strong strategic advantage in sustainability by not finding ethical fault with what I’ve coined “Addiction Marketing.”

The bottom line is that I love to travel and watch movies and I don’t think that makes me an escapist… I have a penchant for Starbucks (venti caramel frappacinos in particular) and I don’t think it’s a caffeine. addicted, I appreciate fine clothing and quality cars and I don’t think that makes me a social elitist. However, I have also come to realize that my perceived addictive tendencies are clearly trying to be harnessed by creative and savvy marketing and product development efforts. I leave you with the following questions to ponder:

What is the difference between pleasure and addiction?

Do you think “addiction marketing” is ethical?

Does your business engage in addictive marketing strategies and tactics?

And when was the last time you made a purchase based on your addiction?