Nadworny: Checkbox Syndrome

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(Host) There are lots of things in life that we want, only some of which
we actually need. Commentator Rich Nadworny is an expert on new media
and digital marketing who thinks that the more we know about what’s
influencing our desires and decisions, the better off we’ll all be.

(Nadworny)
The marketing term Checkbox Syndrome refers to how people can be
persuaded to buy a lot of what they don’t need by that shiny ‘extra
feature’ list that comes with new phones, computers and even
refrigerators. I mean, will the average conumer really notice a
difference between a 20-megapixel camera and a 10-megapixel camera? I’m
pretty sure the pictures aren’t twice as good

Of course, online
retailers are also counting on checkbox syndrome when they make it very
simple to check off items in addition to our initial purchase. They list
accessories and even matching items. Or, they apply peer pressure by
showing us what others, sometimes even our Facebook friends, have
purchased as well.

To be fair, online retailers didn’t invent
checkbox syndrome, even though it’s so much more apparent there. Grocery
stores and consumer packaged goods companies have perfected the concept
with those special displays we see at the end of each grocery aisle.
Companies actually pay lots of money for that placement because we
shoppers love grabbing stuff from those spots.

In fact, our
society is becoming increasingly dominated by marketing. To some, this
is simply free market capitalism. But a more disturbing trend is
occurring in Washington, where huge multinational advertising companies
are snapping up top lobbying and political strategy firms. And it’s hard
to believe that anyone might think it would be a good thing for Madison
Avenue to own the political process.

But in this context, the Citizens United decision makes perfect sense: He (or she) who buys the most advertising, wins.

All
of this puts even more pressure on us to educate ourselves and our
children about how all this works. Media literacy should be part of our
every day discussion and included in our schools’ core curricula.
Advertising and marketing are not bad things, although there is an awful
lot of bad advertising and marketing out there. And lobbying isn’t
inherently evil, although it’s pretty easy to imagine horns and a tail
on a lot of lobbyists these days.

If we citizens don’t understand
how marketing works, we’re poorly prepared to defend ourselves against
today’s onslaught of money, messaging and media – and in danger of
becoming like the society Nick Hornby once described to Kurt Andersen –
one in which we have to keep buying more stuff or the whole structure
falls apart. Kind of like what happened after 2008.

As a
marketer, I think the best service a company can provide is to help
people by solving their problems – or giving them the tools to do so.

As
a consumer, I face a constant tug of war between what I really need,
and what I desire. I’m not sure that the iPad 3 will solve any of my
problems, but I want one anyway.

Still, I have to believe that
the more we know about the pressures and influences we face, the better
our decisions will be. And hopefully, that will lead to more success for
the more socially responsible companies – and maybe even to more honest
politicians.

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